['what the heck else would i need you for?' she had said, and yet... here she is, sitting at the table with a plate filled with her words, just ready to get eaten. how embarrassing, but. she can't think of anyone else beyond him who can or would fulfill her request.
so greed will feel a familiar tingle if he just so happens to be wearing his mask, blindfold, or whatever he uses. a crow flapping and perching on a tree branch, pecking at her feathers before cawing, to let him know she is here: ]
[After hours of wading through the wet, the grime, the nest of things tangled and strung about the canal like a clog, years in the making, the Sin has found himself a little spot along the pathway to rinse himself off. A bottle of half-spent vodka waits next to him - its label, peeled and faded with muck. He lifts it up between his knuckles and as he dips down to rip it open, that's when he feels it: a familiar ping. The sensation of her, the tickle of it, turning his lips sly around the cork.]
[Greed sinks his teeth into it, tearing it from the neck with a soft plnk.] Pissant. [He starts, the tone of his voice wheezing like exhaust. It's affectionate, the way he says it - his grin, obvious and smokey through the Murmur.]
Sorry, haven't found anything yet. But something tells me that isn't why you're - [He spins his wrist, gesturing at nothing in particular.] - eh you know what I mean.
Prick. Scumbag. Street trash. Take your pick, asshole.
[and she was about to make her exit until she spots the sun gradually making its disappearance. groaning in frustration, jinx swallows her pride and pushes onward.]
[Smarmily, the former homunculus shrugs and with the bottle in hand, he tips it over to soak his claws.]
Oi, oi. Don't take it personally, huh? [He flits his fingers, sending a splatter of liquor speckling across the canal like a brief spit of rain.]
[His feet come next - the gurgle of vodka, all but sliding sleek over his boots.] Mn? [Using his pinkie, he digs at the back of his heel to peel away a soggy piece of paper.] Found a little spot in town. The Double Down Saloon.
[For a while, it's quiet on his side. The noise is still there like it always is, but the pause - it's hefty. The feeling of it like a backroom, thick yet empty of company.]
[Because that wasn't the question he was expecting. It wasn't even a question he'd thought she'd ask. And as drips bounce and ripple off the water's murky surface, he doesn't hear them at all. All he hears is someone else. A group of people, hunkering down in the dim firelight of a lantern.]
[Greed slides his finger into the bottle.] Door's open, but the place still needs a lot of work. As long as that's fine with you - [Moving, the Sin drags himself up onto his feet.] - sure, why not. Can't promise it'll be much, though.
[The bottle swings, knocking once against his hip. Dnk.] Keep it. Whatever reason you got, it doesn't matter to me. Some secrets are better left that, right? [The quiet drops, and the former homunculus shows all of his teeth.]
Not exactly looking my best, so try not to hold it too much against me when I get back. [A little bit of liquor can only do so much, after all.]
[well, that makes it less awkward, thankfully. except although she wants to say, "thanks" and leave it at that, it's only fair that he knows what he is signing himself up for. he's not silco, after all, and not everyone can handle her internal horrors with open arms. so unfortunately, she has to tell him the reason whether he suggests to keep it to herself or not.]
It's whatever. I don't need much. Just a space. I've got my stuff packed in a bag already.
But.
Just.
[she bites on the inside of her cheek for a moment.]
If I start... acting really crazy. Or do something crazy like... trying to end my life in some way, I need you to kick me or knock my lights out.
I don't think... talking me down is going to work. Not when my...head is this bad.
[hence why she is going to him and not anyone else she cares about. they would want her to talk it out or gust out her feelings when... she is tired of talking.]
[Greed heads over to one of the machines, picking up his vest. He slides one arm in, then the other - the dust of yesterdays, shimmering red under his lantern's steady glow.]
[His thumb finds his sunglasses and as he wrenches their earpieces wide, he pauses again. No, this might not have been the conversation he expected, but maybe he should have. Everyone has a story, after all. A history. Things that chase them, no matter how long or far they run.]
[The former homunculus flattens the forks of his tongue behind his teeth. He could easily say no. Could easily refuse her, and leave it at that. But even though his core may be gone, his nature - it won't let him. No matter how bitter he may feel about the whole thing.]
["If you turned your back on something you wanted - "]
[Greed leans forward, bowing into his sunglasses.] Yeah, I can do that. Just hope you know what you're asking. [Cold - that's his tone, now. Cold, but it isn't at her. It isn't even at anything she's hoping he'll do. It's at the idea, the very reality, that she even needs it to be done in the first place.]
[The Sin scoffs, and a bristle like shaken soot slinks from his nose.] Back out? Who do you take me for? [One press of his claws, and he slides his sunglasses soundlessly up his nose.] There's no regrets, Jinx. Not when it comes to me.
[she says nothing on her side, but there's a sense of understanding and "hangs up" their connection by untying the blindfold off her face. if it wasn't for her tether with arthur, she wouldn't have been able to tap into her friend's mind for the map of the city, coming and going like a revolving door for directions. she just hopes he is just as nonchalant and cool about it as his attitude.
in time, she reaches the double down saloon with a suitcase in one hand and dragging a steel bat across the pavement in the other. there's a backpack clutching tight to her too, overly stuffed with who knows what inside. she is completely waterlogged; unlike her items, being an aquamancer comes with its nuisances, and one of many is continuously being soaked to the bone whenever she invokes her abilities. having her clothes and hair stick to her skin irked her in the beginning, but thanks to time, she has grown accustomed to the feel. she no longer has the urge to wipe the droplets from her nose or eyelashes with her palms or her forearms.
the bluenette pushes through the door, using her soggy shoulder while dragging her things inside. how funny her life is, though; she burnt down her home (the last drop bar) in zaun only for her to end right back into another one. jinx can't help but wonder if pubs are meant to be her true home no matter what world or dimension she crosses.]
[greed is right about one thing: the place does need a bit of love and care, except she isn't going to be the one to give it what it needs. getting attached to things or people is what her "curse" hungers for, and it has had its three-course meals lately. wheeling over her things to the bar, she takes her seat in the stool and lightly taps her fingernail on the countertop—a forced habit she did when chuck bartended and she wanted his attention for juice.]
[It takes him a few hours to find his way back. In comparison to Central, the city is massive - its winding streets and off-shooting alleyways, enough to leave anyone a little bewildered. Eventually though, he finds the right street; its main drag, scattered with the shells of things left behind.]
[Greed twirls lax on his heel, narrowly avoiding a side mirror hanging off its car by a thread. He's not sure what might be waiting for him. There's a good chance she swore the whole thing off, instead turning to another place to haunt. He wouldn't blame her if she did. She doesn't know him, not really, and people like that - it's never easy to gain their trust. Especially if the world's been cruel enough to put her in the very situation in the first place.]
[So, when the door swings open, the former homunculus doesn't bother searching. More, he keeps up with the status quo of things. And as his hand engulfs the mask chained around his face, he tips his wrist, causing its metal clips to break free of his sunglasses. He sets it down on an old barrel close to the entrance, leaving its links to drop and jingle over the side. Truth be told, he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't be looking his best. His vest may be clean, but what he's been up to these past few hours sticks to him like glue. Bits of grit stuff thick under his nails, a smear of oil and tar creases across his face. Greed grunts, shrugging out of his vest. It, like the mask, finds a home on the flat top of the barrel as he languidly strikes a match against the building's broken-brick wall.]
[The Sin taps a cigarette twice on the frame of the door before bringing it to his lips. And it's then, right then, that he notices it: the ticking on the counter, the drum of it, like an old, impatient customer. Greed's mouth stretches and as he tips the end of the match against his smoke, he inhales through his smile, forcing whiffs of tobacco to ribbon between his teeth.]
[He shakes out the match, tossing it to the floor.] Looks like you found the place just fine. Hope I didn't keep ya waitin' too long. [The match crunches under his heel and when he lifts it, only a scorch remains.] Don't suppose you're the drinking sort. [The place does need a lot of work, and most of its stock has already been picked clean. However, that doesn't mean he hasn't found a few things squirreled away. They're dregs in comparison to what he's used to. But even a little is better than nothing when it comes to the end of the world.]
[The former homunculus sidewinds around the edge of the counter to slip behind it; the run of his eyes, chasing her as he goes. As put together as she'd been through the Murmur, here - she looks like she's been drowned. Like the rain had come pouring down, and every shelter simply refused her or spat her out. It would be funny, any other time. How similar she is to them. To all of them, taking a gamble, and deciding he was the better choice.]
[Whatever humor there could be though, he doesn't find it.]
[Greed spreads his legs to drop behind the bar.] Eh, not working with everything I'd normally have, but - [The tips of his claws click through his supplies.] - well, whatever the case, I'm sure there's something I can find.
[when the noise of someone entering the establishment reaches her ears, jinx twists to glance over her shoulder, her index freezing in mid-tap to drink in the appearance of the man who she will be staying with for the day. the muck on him doesn't faze her in the slightest; her biological parents worked in the mines when she was way young—the stench of axle grease filled every space of their home, mainly the living room.
still, the zaunite studies the former homunculus carefully as he maneuvers his way behind the counter, cueing her to shed her backpack off her shoulders then onto the table, the bag creaking a weighted thump.]
Nope, thaaat would be my big sis. When she's really down on her luck, that's where you'll find her. At the bottom of a mug or pit fighting. ...Juice is fine.
[as she reaches for the zipper of her bag, jinx pauses abruptly to smack her hand on the counter. ... how strange. but what makes it weirder is she then shoots a look to the left of them, towards nothing, with her brows raising as she scrunches up her face immediately after.]
What? There was a bug. You saw it there. I don't want it near my stuff.
[except there was no bug either. and just like that moment never happened, she returns to unfastening and rummaging through her backpack.]
[The Sin's eyebrows touch together as he tilts a can out from the line up underneath the counter, leaving it balanced on the tip of his finger. And hasn't he heard the story a million times before. Hasn't he seen it, over and over again. When bad luck's all a person has, and the only comfort, the only love they can find, is at the bottom of the drink.]
[Greed's nail scratches against the tin tab, hooking it with a persistent whine.] Sounds like a lot of people I used to know. [With a purr on his lips, he tightens his knuckle, and the hard-sharp point of his claw pops the can open with a fzzt of condensed air.] Don't know how good it'll be, but -
[The rest of his sentence gets cut short - her unprompted smack, causing him to freeze mid-stand. It isn't in a startled way, nor is it fazed. More, it's in the way someone might stop in the middle of a conversation - one that's suddenly taken a wild, left turn. The former homunculus puckers his lips together and as he straightens his back, he sets the can down lightly on the counter. Its orange shell turns muted under the hum of his lantern; its trademarked logo, scuffed and worn.]
[With a jerk of the wrist, he plucks his finger out.] Ha - ! Can't blame you there. Wouldn't want anyone touching what's mine, either. But I'm not interested in stealing from you, if that's what you're worried about. [Though, she wasn't really talking to him, was she? No, it had simply been one of her ghosts. One of her ghosts lingering where no one else could see, and as he follows her line of sight, a brief frown tugs at his lip. There, then gone again.]
Gotta say, I do like your avarice. Not about to let anyone take what's yours, are you? [The former homunculus slumps his shoulders, turning towards the back wall. He ashes his cigarette once in a nearby sink, and something (something with too many legs, too many antennae) skitters out of the drain.]
So, your sister - she just as impressive as you? [The building might be on the shittier side of shit, but old habits - they're easy to slip back into. It's almost like being back in Dublith. Where the wee-morning hours ran long, and idle conversations burnt themselves out like waning, midnight oil.]
[Greed pushes the cigarette back into the corner of his mouth as he knuckles a bottle off the shelf. He unscrews the top with a practiced flick of his thumb, letting to fall to the floor like a single-dropped penny.] Ah, unless that topic's off limits -
[her eyes fixate deep into her bag, and the first thing she reveals is a pistol—crafted like any other except dyed in vibrant colors like pink, blue, and green. her doing, obviously, because what gunman would decorate their weapon in such a way? after a quick inspection, she sets it down on the counter and returns to searching.]
I... don't like sharing. Not if I don't have to.
[there's a hint of possessive twang in speech. because just the thought of having to split what belongs to her with someone else (particularly a stranger) brings slight sourness into her mouth. she's gotten a lot better about it, though; it used to make her stomach churn and had her fingernails dig into her skin. but thanks to her daughter, the idea of it only slightly repulses her. the next thing she withdraws from her pack is an explosive. like the gun, it's tagged, yet the appearance of it seems rather childish. hers, maybe? jinx sets that next to the gun. ]
Vi is the strongest person I know and has a hotter head than mine. [debatable.] She can make a guy three times my size cry for their mommy and whimper like some pathetic puppy just by throwing one punch.
[He watches her through what little is left of the back-shelf mirror. The bits that remain are splintered and in their spiderweb cracks, he sees her doubled over. Every inch of her, broken and shattered between the panes. If he were a different man, a different creature, he might find something terribly poetic about the whole thing. But he's not. No, what he sees is simply another. Another person, another something, trying to hold and grip onto what little the world (this one, whatever one came before) has given her.]
[Greed pinches his sunglasses by the frame, dragging them off his face.] And why should you? That's the thing everyone gets wrong about greed. That it's somehow bad to want what's yours. [A flake of ash unravels off his cigarette, drifting into nothing.] Never understood it myself. Humans have this idea that it's somehow a bad thing. That there's some kind of hierarchy to it. Way I see it, everyone has something they want. And if they say they don't? They're lying, simple as that.
[Finally, he opens his eyes and in the split of the mirror, the purple of them shines dim; their hint of red dropping down, down, down like a hot piece of sunken metal. The former homunculus inhales through his smile, and the cherry at the end of his cigarette hisses hungry at the paper.]
She can, can she? Ha - ! Sounds like my type of gal. Always did like a woman who could show 'em a thing or two. [He finishes his smoke with a deep inhale before tossing it into the bottom of the sink.] From what I'm hearing, the two of you made a pretty good team. [He doesn't have to guess, though. Something about the way she says it - Vi isn't here. And ah, isn't that one more thing she's lost along the way.]
[Greed lifts his gaze, and the slits of his eyes shake to slivers. The decorations on the gun, the explosives: there's a personalized touch to them. Something that defines them, that makes them hers, and for a second, the Sin's upper lip curls. Because he'd been the same, hadn't he? An alchemist who made things with his own signature, no matter how wild and ridiculous the end result could be. It pings at him in a way that's subtle. The notion of it, like a smell he almost forgot.]
[The Sin folds his sunglasses up on the prep station.] Y'know, that's some pretty impressive work. Gunna guess those are your doing - that right? [He thumbs behind him at the gun and explosive.] Gahaha - ! You really are full of surprises, Jinx.
[He takes the bottle up, lifting it towards his mouth.] Well, like I said. Don't worry about it. Not really a fan of using a gun myself. [Up, goes the bottle, and whatever's inside quickly drains down his throat. Gulp by gulp, it goes - that insatiableness of his, all but sucking it dry.]
[Greed sets the bottle back on the counter.] So, what's your plan, then? After staying here, I mean.
[as the stranger rambles about his point of view about belongings, her lip twitches into a smile—it's small and a little hard to see with her face buried deep within her backpack, but it's there. his beliefs are a lot like silco's and hers, and it's a little refreshing to know that there are people beyond just her and her old man who think the same way they do.
her daughter attempted to explain to her once how people feel uncomfortable whenever she'd claimed things as her own, especially when it comes to people. that claiming takes away their freedom and independence—the very thing her city had been struggling for. but is it so wrong to be the first of someone you care for, and if that person decides to do something drastic like... bringing a love interest that could change the entire dynamic of your life and theirs, that you should have a say in it?
it's important that everyone gets along with everyone, and if they're no good for you, then they can't be good for them. after all, you were in their life first, and you should continue to be first. how is that possessive? how is that being greedy? ]
Yeah, well, my sis is only into women in uniforms, so you'll have to stick with howling and licking your own sacks.
[ how vulgar, but also a very, very subtle warning to not pull any moves on her. not that violet can't handle herself, but again, what kind of baby sister would she be if she wasn't overly protective?] — But good eye; when I'm not crashing parties and being the author of people's nightmares, I do artwork and invent things. And you're in charge of keeping them company and away from me while I'm... here. Dunno where I'm going after this; all of my best work is improvised.
[The former homunculus settles his back against the lip of the counter. The curve of his spine bends into the edge of it, leaving the rest of him to slouch at a lax, half-cocked slant. If they had the time, maybe he could be a little more honest. A little more open. However, this place - it doesn't exactly afford the pleasure. Where the hours can slip away, and a drink or two can loosen even the most closely guarded stories.]
[Not that he would know, personally. Like everything else, whatever buzz from the liquor he's had before has been slim at best. A fuzz until that 'Stone of his kicked in to burn it all away.]
[Greed lets his chin fall and in between the tightness of his grin, his laughter sneaks on through. It's soft in the beginning - a little hiss, curling from the corners of his mouth in drifts of smoke. The former homunculus slaps his hand violently on the prep station and as he tosses his head back, the bark that comes out of him is loud. It echoes in every bottle, every shard of glass, like a roar. The wheeze of it, breathing out sooty and pitched.]
[He settles, and the flicker inside the lantern swaying between his horns dims with him.] All right, all right. Don't have to tell me twice, Bluebird. [He raises both hands up in mock surrender, and a drip of gold wax plops from the lantern's cage, staining the floor below.] Can't blame her, though a shame she only goes for the ones in blue. Never been a fan of the government myself.
[Which shouldn't be surprising. Men like him, monsters like him: they don't really do well with law and order, do they?]
[Greed laces his ankles, folding his arms across his chest.] Sounds like someone else I used to know. Tended to add his own flair to whatever he was making. You'd probably like him - he's just as much of a pissant as you. [He starts, the admiration in his tone curt and to the point. The Sin arches his eyebrow and as his lips curl, he gives the roof of his mouth a long suck. His pause, amused.]
Oh - ? Is that right? Giving me orders now? [His tail wanders at his side - lifting, drooping, then arching again.] Sure, why not. But keep in mind who you're talkin' to, hmn? Never been very good at following anyone else.
[Still, she's here. She's here for one reason or another and as the Sin settles his palms back on the prep counter, he sluggishly pushes himself forward. The backs of his heels, clicking twice against the floor's worn wood.] Eh, don't worry about it. Not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. I'll hang onto 'em until you're ready.
Early afternoon. The sun is still high up, so there's time for this side trip. After preparing what he needs, Caelus heads out on a skateboard and beelines for Paradise Lost. Prior, he had to look up the location and ask for assistance among his roommates, as he can't read the local languages. Now with direction, he soon arrives at the… incredibly red entrance of The Devil's Nest.
Well, a fitting name for the look of this place. At least it's easy to find because of how much it stands out. It looks like a public establishment, so he doesn't knock when he enters. Maybe there'll be a bell at the door to signal his arrival for him. He leaves his skateboard somewhere near the door, then heads further in. Fully curious. ]
[But what answers him isn't a man at all, but a bird. Well, what used to be a bird at any rate. And while it is very much missing its eyes, as soon as Caelus announces himself, the toucan bounces excitedly down the bar; its small hops, punctuated by the soft pit-ta-pat-pat of its talons.]
[It gives its wing a short preen, making its feathers plume out like static before they flatten down again almost unanimously. All in all, it doesn't seem bothered by the sudden visitation. No, instead, it's more calm, unfazed. As if it's either been waiting or expecting for someone, anyone, to come waltzing through the door.]
[The toucan picks mindlessly at its foot, tearing off a flake of skin. It's easy work, all things considered. And as its wiry, split tongue lashes out, it throws its head back in celebration - the clap of its saw-toothed bill, echoing through the bar like spent brass.]
[And ah, if that just isn't a calling card - ]
Oi, oi, oi. What is it, 'Lört? [The ceiling above groans, and the former homunculus languidly begins his descent down the stairs.] Less you've got something for me, I'm expecting a little company - [The Sin's voice rumbles the closer he gets. It snakes through the building like a pulse. As if it's coming from everywhere and no where as drifting and dreamy as the years of cigarette smoke clung to the walls.]
[Greed winds around the bottom of the staircase and as he catches a face (an unfamiliar, unknown face) in the lenses of his shades, he pauses - the length of his tail, coiling soundlessly against one of the flight's crooked, lopsided posts.] Oh, ho. Guess you found 'em before I did. [He hums, and the toucan takes off, disappearing to perch on one of the many exposed pipes hanging from the ceiling.]
[The former homunculus flattens his hand on the railing, pushing himself away from the steps.] You must be Caelus, that right? [He doesn't bother looking at the other man as he moves.] Glad to see you found the place. Though, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. [Turning his back, the Sin slinks behind the other side of the bar - the scorch of his heels, leaving behind a light, dying trail of soot.]
Edited (html and i going head to head in a parking lot) 2026-02-11 03:40 (UTC)
[ Having no idea what to expect, the… very unique appearance of this bird faintly surprises Caelus. Though he's seen so many strange things at this point (even back in his universe, there's plenty of strange enough things), he still can't really get used to the mutations of Hosts entirely. And he's someone who doesn't hesitate to eat Host meat… But he only does that as a means to survive. They can't exactly be picky with their food options here.
It's not that he's afraid or anything. It's just his sympathy crawling at the back of his mind. This world has suffered so much, and he can't get used to that idea at all. There wasn't a day when he didn't think about the future of this ruined place. Maybe it's idealistic of him, but he doesn't want to give up hope. He wants to believe that things might still get better for those living here. If there's a chance that he can help make that happen, he will take action at any time.
Those are his thoughts as he watches the bird fly away. Then, his focus shifts when he hears an unfamiliar voice. He recognizes it, but it's unfamiliar in the sense that they're still both strangers to each other, and he doesn't know what to make of this person yet. Still, being himself, he tries to give a friendly smile regardless of whether the man is looking or not. ]
Don't worry, I just arrived. And yes, it's me.
[ The trailblazer looks around a bit more, out of precaution, since he did promise to be careful. But he doesn't want to be rude either, so he shortly walks further in, taking a seat on the bar stool beside the counter. ]
Nice to formally meet you, Greed. So, was there something you couldn't tell me on the Murmur?
[ There has to be a reason the man wants to see him personally, right? ]
[While Caelus finds his seat, the former homunculus crouches down, disappearing behind the bar. He fumbles through his cache (bottles of beer that are probably far beyond their expiration date, a couple of glass jars filled to brim with something or another, a few odds and ends) until he spots what he's looking for. Curling his finger, he slips his nail under the tab of a loose can, dragging it out of the depths.]
[Greed straightens his legs to a stand and with a snap of his wrist, the can hisses open; its artificial juice, dripping red-thin over his claws.] Good. Would be a little rude if I left you waiting, hmn? [He tips his hand, taking the tab clean off on the crook of his claw.] Yeah? Well, it sounds to me like I owe you a bit of an apology. Think you and I got off on the wrong foot. Sorry about that.
[He sets the can down in front Caelus, swiping away some of the spillover with his thumb.] That's simple, but we'll get to that. [The former homunculus nudges the can forward on the point of his knuckle.] There was a reason I came in pretty hot there. You could say I have a bit of experience with alchemists and homunculi. But first thing's first - you said something before. About how someone from your world made a Philosopher's stone.
[He pulls back, then; the subtle clap of his heels, clicking sharp on the floor.] It's probably different where you come from, but like I told you, it takes a lot to make a homunculus. And usually, you'd need a Philosopher's stone to do it. [Almost as if he already has the place memorized, the Sin settles the small of his back into the prep station behind him, leaving both his hands clamped on its lip.] So when you said you did it without one, you got my interest. Most alchemists I know didn't even think a homunculus could exist, let alone make one. Call me impressed.
As for your question - [Trailing, the former homunculus bows his head. He lifts his hand to his face slowly and surely; the pace of it as if he's waiting and holding out the minutes for every second of their worth. Greed fans his fingers and as he frames out his sunglasses with his thumb, the tattoo across his knuckles seems to broil against his skin. His own, personal red letter, marking him for what he is.]
[He folds his sunglasses up. Clp.] - it's a little personal, and information's still worth a whole lot, even here. Call it a guarantee. [Slumping his shoulder, he sinks one of the earpieces of his shades behind the collar of his shirt.] Because what you were talking about - you're looking at one.
[Greed tilts his head and as a smile begins to stretch along his jaw, he eases his eyes open. In the bar's low light, the slits of them breathe wild; like a big cat feverishly stalking a potential prey.]
Homunculus. That's what I am. Least, before all this.
[ If the topic of alchemy is something sensitive to Greed, Caelus would understand the sharp reaction upon hearing about it being mentioned. Maybe the man couldn't help himself? But rather than speculate, Caelus would prefer to hear the reason if possible. For now, he listens wordlessly to what Greed has to say first, then nods in appreciation when he's offered a drink. He doesn't want to interrupt the man, so he says a quiet "thank you."
Greed confirms his history with alchemists and homunculi, then the explanation that the practice is much more difficult in his universe. Caelus isn't surprised, considering it's similar for his own. There's something just too strange about Sleep's world, blessing (or cursing?) them with unknown powers that they can only scratch the surface of. Who knows what else an Artificer is really capable of? Only through time will Caelus know.
But what does surprise Caelus is Greed's admittance that he's… an actual homuculus. Or was? He's something else now? ]
… You were one? Sleep changed it? Are you… an Offering?
[The Sin shifts, sliding one of his legs loosely over the other. He still hasn't completely grasped the terms - what an Offering is, what's a Token. But one thing he does know is that Sleep? She's definitely made a few changes from what he used to be.]
Hmn? Sorry, not sure what you're talking about. An Offering? [Greed starts, his finger tapping slow at the underside of the counter.] As far as Sleep's concerned, I think it's pretty obvious. [He turns his wrist, prying two of his claws off the prep station in a silent gesture. The wings, the horns, the long chord of his tail: those hadn't been there before, no matter what his name suggests.] Didn't have these back where I'm from, if that's what you mean.
[The former homunculus lets his arm go slack, causing his hand to hang limply over the counter's puckered edge.] Don't think it matters, though. What does is that you can make a homunculus. [He thumbs his pocket to pull out a thick, stray splinter. Greed bows his head to pinch it between his teeth.] That the only thing you can do? Or has our friend here given you other abilities?
[Because if she has? If there's someone here that knows a little about alchemy? A bit about transmutation?]
Ah, then if you've never had those features before, then you're most likely an Offering.
[ It's okay, Caelus doesn't mind teaching Greed the formal terms. He might as well teach him while the chance is there. He takes a small sip of the juice first before continuing to explain. ]
To my understanding, Offerings have physical changes. And Tokens have magical changes. I'm a Token, so I still look like myself, but my friends who ended up as Offerings gained several new physical features, such as… well, your case.
[ Pure skill aside, being an Artificer is part of the reason why anything that Caelus crafts ends up quite powerful, including his attempts at performing some alchemy. ]
Hmm, you were tuned into my conversation earlier, so I thought you managed to pick the details up. But yes, I have other abilities from Sleep, such as generating electricity and enchanting objects with magical energy.
[ "Don't think it matters, though. What does is that you can make a homunculus."
Greed isn't even hiding the fact that he has ideas. Those expressions speak for themselves. But Caelus will wait until the man brings it up himself. ]
Would explain it, then. Why some of us look a little different, and others you can't notice any changes at all. [Fitting, it seems. He wasn't human before, and he's not here. The irony of his given Offering isn't lost on him, either. Sleep may be on the top of his list, but he can't deny how terribly, terribly on the nose her decision had been.]
[Maybe gods (or those that think they're gods) could still have a sense of humor, sick as it is.]
[The former homunculus pinches the splinter hanging off his lip, running the underside of his claw up the length of it.] Your friend, huh? Someone I might know? [He doesn't know everyone here. However, there's still a possibility.]
[Though, if he's actually looking for an answer, he doesn't take the time to wait for it. Greed's smile preens tight on his face - the sliver of it made sharp by the points of his teeth.] Mnn. What can I say? I prefer hearing it face to face. Makes it easier to tell when someone's bullshitting. [The Sin lifts his eyes to still them on Caelus; their slits, contracting to the barest hint.] See, I didn't ask you to come here for nothing, friend. I've got some ideas in mind. And since I couldn't do alchemy back home, that's where someone like you'd come in.
[The former homunculus pushes himself off the counter, and his heels slap against the floor with a punctuating thwack.] I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of our pal running things around here. Never been too good at taking orders from anyone, let alone someone who thinks they're some kind of god.
So - [His moves his hand as he talks, twirling it on the slack part of his wrist one time, two times, three.] - why don't you and I make a little deal? I'll teach your homunculus everything it needs to know about being one. And in return? I'll show you how to do some alchemy I know from where I come from. A little test to see if it'll actually work, and to find out if those new abilities of yours can make some change around here.
[One minute he's at the prep counter and the next, he's practically leering over the bar. Leering with all of his jagged teeth, his slick smile, and a promise humming in his eyes as red and dull as a fuse, waiting for a spark.]
[Greed tongues the toothpick, pushing it up against the roof of his mouth.] It's a fair offer. But I have a feeling I know your type. I don't expect you to have an answer right away. So, think on it. Might end up being worth your time.
[ Because Caelus is a very social person, always striking up conversations whenever he can. It wouldn't be surprising if Greed knows some of his friends. But that also means it's hard for him to name anyone so randomly, because there are too many to name. He decides not to, thinking it's enough that it comes across that he loves befriending others.
Then, Caelus quiets down when Greed starts dropping the real details, looking rather pensive as he hears all of this out. Knowledge of alchemy from another universe. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested. Of course, he would be. But what does he have to do to receive it?
Making a change, Greed said. But can Caelus truly make a change all by himself? Impossible. He doesn't think he's strong enough for that, especially as his abilities as an Artificer are from Sleep herself. Would someone power-hungry like Sleep truly allow him to do anything against her? Certainly not. ]
… I don't exactly agree with Sleep myself, but I doubt I'm strong enough for this. I'm still constantly learning about my new powers here. What exactly would you have me do?
[The Sin is oddly quiet while he watches Caelus think it over. How his eyes seem to breathe (purple, red, then back again). How that smile of his stays curled on his face as if it's been chiseled out of hard, cold carbon. No, he doesn't expect it to be that easy. Sleep had her claws in every inch of the place. In every crack, every corner, every heartbeat like an infestation, glued and stuck. He'd be lying if he said he didn't have the same doubts.]
[But what is it? What's his phrase again?]
["Nothing's impossible."]
[Greed's tail loops behind him, twitching as jaggedly as an impatient cat.] Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Doesn't hurt to try, hmn? [He taps the counter with his claw as if to add to his point.] We won't know unless we give it a shot. Worst case, it ends up being nothing. But if it does work, well - it would be worth it, don't you think?
["What exactly would you have me do?" he asks, and the former homunculus sluggishly slithers away from the counter; the pull of his torso, a snail's waiting pace.] That part's simple. It'll be easier to use the Murmur to do it, and I'll show you something easy first. As for the rest? [Greed turns his wrist to splay his fingers out in a wide, spiraling fan.] You can leave that to me.
[Because he knows the laws, he knows the rules. And payment for something like this?]
[ While Caelus thinks it may be impossible by himself, the story might change if he isn't by himself. He's always believed in collective efforts making a huge difference. If he can't do it alone, then he can simply reach out to others and change the scenario together. That's always been the way he operates, even before arriving in this world.
That's why he's always cooperative when good chances present themselves. But… this one, is it a good chance? How large is the risk? What if Sleep catches wind of all this and punishes them all for it? However, if they're constantly in fear, then that's exactly what Sleep wants. It may be worth trying at least once. He lowers his head a bit, staring at the partially drunk juice in his hands. ]
… Okay.
[ Worst case ending up as nothing seems way too unlikely, but Caelus will pray that it is the case. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt because of their attempts. Once he agrees to do it, he lifts his head, looking quite determined. ]
[Greed waits as Caelus mulls everything over. Patiently, silently, but no less locked on like a predator, stiff in the brush. No, in all honesty, the whole idea is a dangerous one. People like Sleep, things like Sleep - they never give up their power willingly. And rebellion? Well, they tended to take it a little personally, if his history is anything to go by.]
[Then again, it's in his nature. If she brought him here, then she shouldn't be all that surprised that this was how things were eventually going to fall into place.]
[The Sin's eyes go heavy and as a soft, stretched whistle slides over his teeth, the corner of his mouth screws up tight into his cheek.] That's it? You're just gunna accept? Ha - ! [He keeps his laugh short, waving at the air with his hand.] I gotta say kid, you're even more impressive than I first thought. So be it, then. It's a deal.
[He folds his arms across his chest, leaving his claws to drape over his elbow.] Give me a couple of days. I'll reach out to you. [He stretches his fingers up to tap the mask dangling halfway down the center of his chest.] Like I said, we'll start with something simple first. One of the basics an alchemist might learn. Once you think you've got the transmutation circle right, we'll put it to the test, see if it actually works.
[Greed pries his nail off his mask, making the chains quiver like a front-door bell.] And just to make sure we aren't missing anything, make me a list of some of the materials you usually use. [He touches the inside of his cheek with his tongue, tasting nothing but the same dryness he's come to expect.] As for what I'll bring, I'll save that for when you're ready.
[Their business done, the former homunculus tilts his head, shooting Caelus a wink. It's dastardly, playful. A devil's smile with all the sincerity of sin, sin, sin.]
Until then, Caelus.
Edited (USED THE SAME WORD TWICE ... ) 2026-03-06 02:23 (UTC)
[ When it comes to decisions involving Sleep, it's more than likely to be always dangerous. That's why Caelus expressed concerns. However, he also understands that being too cautious all the time will prevent them from actually progressing. If no one wants to do anything and only continues to play safe, how are they going to stand against someone trying to be god?
This is why Caelus decides to take his chances, especially since it's something not easy for others to pull off. If he can do it for others' sake, then he will. ]
I understand. I'll be waiting, then.
[ Before standing up from the bar counter, Caelus finishes the juice, then starts writing the requested list on a raccoon post-it note that he always carries around. It's written in childish-sounding English because he's still learning Earth's languages slowly. But he's come a long way from studying them since his arrival here, so it should be legible enough. It's basically the same materials he mentioned to Lortel from that earlier broadcast.
When finished, Caelus moves off from the bar stool, and leaves the note on the counter. There are also a few pieces of candy beside the note. A little something for the juice. Equivalent exchange! ]
Take care until then, Greed!
[ With that, Caelus turns to head out. He waves to the toucan on the way out, grabs his skateboard by the door, and quietly leaves. ]
[ Sharon had started to notice it over the past week or so, a quiet sense that Greed was working toward something, but it isn't until after the dream, after a bit of his not-so-subtle nudging, that she finally decides to act on it. ]
What've you been plotting, Greed? [ No lead-in, no soft entry—she goes straight for the question. ]
[She catches him when he's already out. When he's already out, retracing one of the faint lines drawn about the pavement in a circle. It isn't a huge shocker that she picked up on something. A note, like a flame from his end, hovering over a warehouse that was soaked in gasoline months before.]
[Now, however, he plans to drop it. To drop it and let the whole thing go up, as he laughs in the face of it all.]
Caught that, did you. [His voice is level. Level, calm, and as smooth as it's ever been.] Or was it schatz that tipped you off? [There's no venom in his voice, though. Actually, it's almost fond. A devil's admiration, purring its quiet, sweet nothings.] No point in hiding it, then.
It's time our friend learns just how touchable she really is.
It was a little of both. [ There's no missing the fondness that slips through. Schatz—that must be what he calls Silco. Is there something there between them?
But—oh. Her heart thumps. She sits up, leans into the connection. He's got her undivided attention. ] How are you going to do that? [ A beat before she adds, her brand of fiery determination flooding through: ] And how can I help?
[Through all his burn, through all his promise of starting a fire, there is something else. A tick as distant and flighty as a coin, skipping down the pavement.]
[It seems Silco had made good on his end. And ah, is it just one more thing he'll have to thank the man for someday.]
[Greed flattens his hand over his knee, pushing himself upright.] It's something from where I come from. A little bit of counter alchemy and what the ones from the East call alkahestry. [His mind wanders, then. To his fingers, sticky with something. The Sin rubs his thumb and as whatever it is slowly begins to fleck away, the corner of his mouth pulls to the side; his slice of teeth like a short knife, wet clean.] Depending on how it's done, you can purify and heal some of the damage left behind. It won't reverse the mess she's already made, but it just might put a damper on the next, stupid fucking idea she gets in her head.
But - [The former homunculus hums. He shakes his wrist, and the sensation from his side is a drip. A drip, a smear, painting itself on the pavement.] I need Tokens to do it. I can teach them some of the basics, see what works and what doesn't. Homunculi can't do alchemy, Shar. And even in this new body, that hasn't changed.
[ She listens closely, a restless mix of nerves and excitement stirring in her chest. So that's why he'd been asking about alchemy—he'd been gathering pieces, looking for people, for answers. Building toward this. ]
All right, I'm in. [ There's no hesitation, no pause to weigh it out. Greed hasn't given her a reason to doubt him, not once. He's willing to drag the Order through hell for her—she can be one of the Tokens he needs to make it happen. ] I'm willing to do just about anything to piss in that bitch's Cheerios. [ If it rattles Sleep, it's worth it. Whatever it takes. ] I might not know anything about alchemy, but I'm a quick study.
How big of an area are you trying to purify? Have you tested it yet?
[The nervousness, the excitement: they ping off the back of him like an echo. Like a sound bouncing off the wall that made it, willing and ready to return the favor. He hadn't wanted to get Sharon involved if she didn't have to. She already had plenty else to worry about: the people here, her plan with Silco. The Order, and its constant, looming threat. Still, she hasn't exactly made her disdain of Sleep a secret. And denying her a chance? Well.]
[That wouldn't be very fair of him, would it?]
[Greed touches his lips together, tasting their lick of copper.] Only if you're sure. Though, something tells me that I won't have to ask you twice. [Because there's no hesitation. No pause, no second-guessing as she mulls it over. She's already made her decision whether he likes it or not.]
[A laugh (low, deep, resounding) cooks in his throat like a quake, and the former homunculus rolls his foot out on his heel.] Hoping to do a little more than pissing in 'em, whatever they are. [He lets it come through simple at first. A basic outline, sketching itself like neon, flooding a tube.]
We're starting small, first. No reason to blow the whole thing just yet. Least, not until we figure out how people's abilities here work. [As for the results, they're still in the air. A work in progress, heading to one, singular conclusion.]
[The Sin slaps the toe of his boot down and as it cracks off the concrete, a reaction forms in the back of his mind. Of the lines drawn, of a payment secretly made, and of a lashing current, nipping back at its source.]
[If Sleep wanted to play her games, she was going to learn some rules. About equivalent exchange, and the price that came with it.]
[ Greed's right—he won't need to ask twice. Sharon has already made up her mind, and it's not one she's about to revisit. ]
Cheerios. Breakfast cereal. Hard to have a good day when someone pisses in 'em. [ The explanation comes quick, almost casual, despite everything hanging beneath it. She just wants to get under Sleep's skin, to be a problem. Even if it doesn't land exactly how Greed hopes, even if it's smaller, more contained, something is still better than nothing.
A circle within a circle. A triangle nested inside another. Sharon knows ritual work when she sees it. There's meaning there, layered, even if she doesn't fully understand it, but as the shape of it settles in his thoughts, more starts to click. It isn't so different from what the Order used to carve out—circles, triangles, runes, words in languages she never learned but still remembers.
If it were anyone else, she'd hesitate. ]
Tell me what you need from me, and you've got it, Greed. [ There's no pause, no second-guessing. She'll do whatever it takes, and if nothing else, it'll give her something to fill the empty space of her days. ] I know you're ready for whatever she throws back at you, which is good, but... [ Her voice tightens just a little. ] You should know you're putting your Tethers at risk. Last time someone really pushed her, she cut every single one.
[ It rings clear in the connection: this isn't meant to be a deterrent. ]
[There's a flash. A brief one, as quick as a spit in the pan, but no less bright. Putting his tethers at risk wasn't something he even thought to consider. The whole point, the whole reason he's even trying anything at all, is to keep them from a worse end. To give them something to hold onto, slim as the hope may be.]
[The Sin's eye narrows, chasing a shadow on the wall. And maybe, it's all her tricks at the end of it, but he can swear it's close. Close to a face that's also too young in his years. Too young to have seen some of the things he had and to have gone through just as much, only to come out on the other side missing a whole lot more than he started with.]
[Something snaps (a line of a different kind, a tether by a different name), and it's agony. A plea, yelled by the same face, at the moment when he had to make a horrible choice:]
["But I do. No, wait. Don't do this - !"]
[Greed tests his shoulder.] I'll be fine. Always am, kid. [Not the whole truth, but the kindest honesty he can afford.] As for them, what happens? [The unspoken part is said out loud through the Murmur. Its silence, screaming for an answer.]
["You'll be fine, right? You'll all be fine - "]
As for your part, I just need to know what you can do. Leave the rest to me. [It's his final say on the matter. Any concerns about him, any worries - he'll take care of it as he always has. As he always does, burying it so deep, no one will ever have a chance of finding it.]
[ Greed had thought about the danger to the people close to him, but the tether side of it hadn't crossed his mind. Sharon can't fault him for that; it's not exactly obvious.
The shout cuts through their connection, something desperate lacing the voice, and then Greed insists he'll be fine, as if he's experienced a pain like the snap of a tether before. Sharon bristles at that, eyes rolling despite herself. Kalmiya hadn't been fine. She doesn't think Greed will be either, not if it comes to that. ] Pain, Greed. It's like having a piece of yourself cut out. [ Her voice steadies, firm despite it all. ] We'll be fine. You will too. It'll just suck.
[ They'll deal with it. She doubts he's tethered himself to anyone who can't handle the fallout, and she'll be there to help put things back together, same as she always is for those who matter most to her. ]
I'm an Illusionist, Greed. I make people believe what I want them to. I can slip into someone's mind, flip the right switches. Make them see what I want, feel what I want. [ A beat, soft at first, and then it grows sharper. A blade between her teeth. ] I can hurt them without ever laying a hand on them. Hide them from the world.
[If he were being honest, if he could ever be, he'd tell her. Tell her that he did know what it felt like, that he knew what it meant to cut a connection. To sever it with nothing more than a barking order and the single, sweetest lie he's ever told. It made it easier that way. Because if they knew, if they really knew, it would just make things far more complicated than they needed to be.]
[And hasn't he always said it? It's always better to keep things simple.]
[Greed feels out the roof of his mouth (the grooves, the bump, the faintest sting of something melting), and his smile slowly spreads across his face. A challenge, not to Sharon, but to Sleep and anything she may have planned in the aftermath.]
Wouldn't be the first time, Shar. But it doesn't matter. [The Sin fans his fingers across his thighs.] As for you, Bluebird's already made sure there will be more at the 'Nest. If you need 'em - [His thought trails off. A thread, unraveling itself to nothing.] - you'll be fine, as you said.
[The people here, he's finding, are giving in so many ways. Comfort, friendship, business. Changing the topic of conversation so he doesn't have to go too far down that road. The former homunculus tilts his head as he tries to chase the image of her through the Murmur. Of course, Sharon would have an ace up her sleeve. Something kept hidden until the moment was just right. To say he's impressed wouldn't be doing it justice. He's intrigued, he's interested. But above it all, there's admiration from his end. The feeling of it like the light stroke of his forehead touching hers and bringing the only kind of warmth a creature like him could ever hope to share.]
[Greed dips his chin, and the laugh that curls out of him is soft; the wheeze of it, an odd combination of steadfast and resigned.] Oh, ho, ho - ! Glad you and I are on the same side then, Shar. [And he means it. Power like that: it could easily break even the strongest men in half, given the right ammunition.] All right, then. Let's see what you can really do. Think it's about time Sleep learned we aren't the types to be easily fucked with.
[ It doesn't matter, Greed says, and something in the space between them shifts—a low, quiet pushback that never quite forms into words. Because it does matter. It matters even if he can endure it, even if he's survived worse—because it's him, and Sharon cares more than she'd ever comfortably admit.
Bluebird—Jinx, obviously—is making sure the Nest isn't empty. Sharon isn't entirely sold on the idea of strangers settling in that close, not yet, but she'll deal with it. They don't really have the luxury of being picky. They need people. People willing to stand against Sleep. Hopefully, everyone Jinx pulls in falls on the right side of the lane. ]
Let's keep it that way, yeah? [ She says, tone light, almost teasing, but there's an edge beneath it that doesn't soften. She hasn't crossed that line yet, hasn't killed for someone's devotion to Sleep, but she hasn't ruled it out either. If it comes down to it... she'll do what's necessary. But one of the last people she'd ever want to turn on is Greed.
A faint smirk touches her lips. ] I'm always down to show off for you, Greed. Can't promise it'll mean much against something like Sleep, but maybe. Hopefully, you'll find a use for them.
[And he feels it. Feels it, swallows it, and lets whatever it is sink into the pit of him, extinguishing the same as every match he's spent both here and before. He can never get too close. That's simply how it's always been. Because the truth of it is more raw than he has the words to describe. That he has the words to know how to deal with, to express, to explain. Blaming it on his avarice means they don't have to guess; that they don't have to question or dig any deeper, only to find the monster lurking underneath.]
[Still, he manages something for her. A smile, less sharp, more purposeful, trying to plant itself into the top of her head.] Uh huh. Got it loud and clear, Shar. Like I said, I would hate to get on your bad side.
[Just as quickly as his presence is there, it leaves again. A shadow on the wall, returning back from the window it crawled from.] Ha - ! Well, then, sounds like now's a good a time as any. As for what it will do against her, it doesn't matter. Anything is better than nothing. And who knows? Maybe you'll be able to give the old hag a taste of her own medicine.
[The delusions, illusions, she's pulled out of them, again and again. He can't help the sick satisfaction that writhes at the idea. At the possibility of turning it against her, leaving her down on her knees as she clawed her own head in two for a change.]
[The Sin's tail wanders out behind him (a noose, waiting for its neck), and his teeth settle together with a finalizing snap. Rck.] Meet me here. [He starts, and the location slips through their tether. He'd seen the garage a few times during his travels. A building, mostly collapsed, but with enough floors and wreckage to keep parts of it still standing. It's as good a place as any. And while they may have to deal with a host or two along the way, it's not as if Sharon hasn't proved already that she could hold her own.]
[Greed opens his wings, trapping a gust between them, and his hand wraps around the mask latched over his face.] Just tell me when, and I'll make the time.
[ Sharon feels him there in the connection, as close as he's ever been, the edge of his presence softened just enough to dull its usual bite. And then, just as quickly, he slips away again, putting distance between them like it's something required, something he has to do. She doesn't want that, even if she lets it happen.
A taste of her own medicine, he says, and Sharon can't help the faint curve of her smile—thin, fleeting, almost ghostlike as it flickers through the psychic link. There's nothing she wants more. It's what she's done for decades: giving people back exactly what they've handed her, letting them feel it in full. And with Sleep? She'd go to nearly any length to make that happen. ]
All right. [ The thought brushes after him. ] How about tomorrow, then?
[It's the chasing thought that catches his attention; how it brushes up against the tether, stroking at the back of his head like a scratch he hasn't had in years. If he had the time (any time, really), he might take a moment to mull it over. To think about it and admit something, little as a creature like him is willing to.]
[But he doesn't. Not now, not when they're close to actually landing a blow or two of their own. And hasn't he said it before?]
[How it's better, easier, kinder to keep it simple.]
Tomorrow. [Greed lifts his shoulders and as the fur of his collar fans across his neck, he lets a few sensations bleed through: the stale tobacco clinging to his vest, the soft tickle, touching his jaw. The safety of claws and their promise to rip the throats out of the shadows, chasing at her feet.]
[The former homunculus adjusts his sunglasses, and the line from his end dims down to a light, breathing coal.] I'll take a look around beforehand. Make sure there aren't too many Hosts crawling about the place. In the meantime, watch your back, Shar. Don't know how much of it she's already caught onto, if at all. Better to keep your wits about ya, just in case.
[With that, he tests his wings. And as the skitters of his handiwork skip down the street, the Sin lets out a heralding bark. His laughter, a thunderclap, aimed right at the source.]
[No matter what the results may be, there's no doubt in his mind that him (that them) were at least going to give Sleep the wake-up call she deserved.]
[ Greed bleeds through the connection—sensations that feel unmistakably him, wrapping around her with a sense of comfort and security. Not parental, not quite, but something closer to a guardian—sharp claws, sharper teeth, and that familiar, instinctive sense of safety she leans into without hesitation. Like she's been starving for it without ever quite realizing. ]
Don't worry, Greed, I will, but... I don't think we have to worry about her right now. She'll only care once we actually succeed; until then, she'll see all these plans as something cute. [ There is a bitter edge to it. Sleep doesn't see them as a threat, not really. Just small, harmless things playing at something bigger. ]
[ His tone isn't any different than it usually is - friendly, airy. Living in the Nest means that he gets to see things that he "can't ignore." However, this sort of talk is better in a chat like this than in person. ]
The face you've been wearing lately doesn't seem like yours.
[The Sin's tail drifts, wafting up from the tip and back again as slowly as a cat, recovering in its corner. Yuuto's voice isn't an unwelcome one. Not entirely. But given the static in his skull (how it blacks out his eyes and peels every inch of him open, piece by piece), the lack of company had almost been a mercy. If not for him, but for his, and he's always been the type of creature that would rather scurry away and deal with things on his own terms than have an audience to watch.]
[They didn't need it. And he could handle it, would handle it, like he has a million times before.]
M'fine, you little pissant. [His face might not be, but he is. Fine, he means. As fine as his head will let him, at any rate.] Tch. Saw all that, did you? She really does have bad tastes -
[He stands, feeling the cool of the floor between his talons, and for the first time in a while, the former homunculus holds a breath in his lungs. In his mind, his hair is too long, his body is too slender, and the coat he's wearing is frayed at the tails. Two years of being on the run and a world-ending scenario would do that to a jacket.]
- just restin' up, is all. Been busy these past few weeks. You know how it is. [Again, he isn't lying. He had been busy. But he's dodging the truth of the matter as he's wont to do. Better to avoid the complications of it all.]
I have no desire to drag up any painful memories for you, nor have you tell me anything. None of that is any of my business, after all.
[ Yuuto can admit that he doesn't quite feel like himself, but that is about it. His words about the same. The tone is about the same. Yet he is the one that's needling Greed under the guise of being polite and concerned. ]
I've heard about how busy that you've been. Something that may spill back on me which is why you had Silco-san offer his protection, right? Well, those plans don't concern me, either, since I wasn't part of them...
[ He is offering a smile. ] ... however, you're certainly suffering. If you are, and don't want us to worry, could you do a better job at hiding it? [ A soft laugh. ] But I do believe Greed-san is someone who doesn't want to be alone even if he says he does, is that not right?
[Despite the static running circles in his skull, the Sin manages a smile. A deadly one, sharp to every point, and daring to stay in the thick of it all, no matter how hot he may have burned or how likely he is to burn again. It's not the first time he's towed the line of oblivion, and it certainly won't be his last.]
[So, he levels himself to his feet, even as he feels the snap of a coat that isn't there, slithering between borrowed legs he abandoned on a similar gamble.] No, it isn't. And who said anything about it being painful, Suits? [He snaps; a warning, clipped on the tips of his teeth. The cigarette waiting for him tableside easily finds a home between his claws and as his mouth wraps around it, he imagines his face split down the middle. Both halves dangerous, even if the latter could be easily mistaken for innocent.] Ha - ! Is that right? Sounds like schatz made good on his word, after all. Call me surprised.
[He snorts, and whatever is left of Ling Yao fades away in a skitter of ash that'll never see the light of day.] Tsk. I'll keep it in mind, demanding little shit. [The former homunculus flicks his eyes towards the door and as the red of them bleeds halos, he lets himself swallow up the tobacco. The slowness of his drag, savoring every scorch it'll give him.]
Mn. Maybe, maybe not. But that's a secret. [He pats his foot, spreading his talons along the floor, and one of the exposed blanks squelches in response.] What? Can't get enough of me? [He winks through the Murmur. Unpolite, unbothered, and all the bit of sin he really, truly is.] Didn't take you for the sort, Yu.
[ Taking a seat in his room, he crosses one leg over the other. Resting his hand on his knee, he continues to radiate his usual friendliness. Regardless of how his intentions change, he is still a cheerful person. ]
You've gathered so many people and want them to be safe. We are part of your collection, then? I'm touched to be part of it, and I agreed in part, but doesn't that make things uneven for you? [ He interlaces his fingers. ] Everything is an illusion, after all ... even if we are close together, there may not be any security.
Even though you are right next to us, you may not be able to save anyone.
[ He smiles yet again. ] Wouldn't it be better to come clean before you regret?
[Whatever comment he has on that, though, doesn't come through. Not with words, at least. However, the Murmur does tug from his end; a warning, as if his claws have wrapped themselves finger over finger around the front of Yuuto's suit, yanking it with little to no kindness; their silence, speaking where he won't:]
["Careful, careful. You might just end up regretting what you're asking for yourself."]
[Greed crosses his legs and again, the familiar form of Ling settles over him. Not as young as the kid was then, but somewhere in the middle. An illusion of 30 or so, yet timeless all same.] Mn. The name is Greed, Yu. I won't abandon what's mine so easily. That's all there is to it. [Mindlessly, he thumbs the butt of his cigarette, letting its stray ash pepper through the floorboards.] And no, it doesn't. It's as fair a deal as any. You all, here, working for me. You've made good on your end, and me, mine. That's just how it is, nothing more.
[The Sin runs his hand through his hair (short to his fingers, long to his touch), and he places the cigarette back on his lip; its burn making a shadow of his face to hold both him and Ling as one.] Between me and Sil, we've got it taken care of. Even if she does bite back, you don't actually believe we wouldn't have additional firepower, do you? [He chases Yuuto through the Murmur. With eyes bright, burning, and as scorched as a two-pronged fork, dipped in the mouth of a vat.]
[ Through their connection, he lightly rests his hand on the sensation - the one of grabbing at the front of his suit. He lightly pats the top of those claws. There, there. It's just a friendly chat. ]
Greed-san. You may lose all of your tethers. Silco-san said he would assist you if something might happen. I'm sure the rest of us would feel like doing something for you, as well.
[ However -- ] It would be easier to just harm what you care about than to cause you pain, if you ask me. You are our leader, after all, and it seems as though you are willing and able to take in everything that may befall you. [ And it seems like he has a lot of faith in Silco, as well. Yuuto has no opinion one way or the other, but he simply feels like saying: ]
It feels as though you have a lot of regrets that you're running from, is all.
[ Another smile. ] I don't know what they might be and it's none of my business. [ His favorite line. ] Unfortunately, you're the one that is suffering and so I felt I should, at the very least, say... you should stop running.
[The Sin huffs (a short sound, a defiant sound, and slick all the same), and his grip loosens. The sensation of his hand, flattening across the lapels of Yuuto's suit once. Twice.]
Yeah, I've been warned. Wouldn't surprise me if the hag decided to pull a stupid fucking stunt like that. But it wouldn't be the first time. [He's sure it won't be the same, but the concept isn't a strange one to him. Back then, he'd had Lan Fan do the dirty work. A call to her, over the shoulder he shared with the very face he's wearing, barking his final order.]
[He pockets his hands, feeling slacks that aren't leather, and the snug of a coat, gripping his shoulders tight.] Yeah, well, you can count on schatz for one thing. He knows how to get the job done. If it's necessary, he'll let you know. He owns half the place, Yuuto. And credit where credit's do, the man's got a talent for getting things done.
[The Sin walks, tossing the memory of a ponytail over his shoulder.] Sorry, that's something I can't do. Hurting mine is the same as stealing, friend. Don't think I need to tell you what that means, hmn? [The trail of his cigarette burns smoke between his fingers; a lacework of blue and silver, finding themselves in the dark.] Oh, ho - ! Leader is a strong word. Boss is more like it. I'm no hero, Suits. Don't start getting this wild idea in your head that I'm anything other than what I am.
[Running, regrets, and oh, does he have a few. He ran for 100 years, and two more on top of them. A fugitive that belonged no where and would end up in exactly the same spot he started.]
[Greed pinches his cigarette between his nails, grinning into its fumes.] And what do you think I'm running from? [His tone shifts again. Dangerous, sharp, and as cutting as the crooks of his claws, hovering over his face.]
Go ahead, and spit it out. Told you before there's no point holding anything back with me. And I think we both know how bullshit you can be sometimes. [It isn't mean how he says it. More the kindness of a criminal, passing along his admiration.]
Well, I wonder if you really understand but I suppose you won't know until you know. In any case, I won't tell you I told you so after.
[ Because he isn't that cruel. Kicking someone while they are down is against his sensibilities. ]
Rest assured, I have already accepted him as another employer. [ He interlaces all his fingers save his index - those he lightly taps together thoughtfully. ] I have not seen what he can accomplish and so I'll just have to believe what you say, Greed-san.
[ A neutral response to the boasting of Silco. ]
I believe you are far more human than you believe yourself to be. The Sin of Greed has more humanity than he's willing to admit. Because to admit would mean that he might end up hurt.
[ His voice shifts to something sympathetic, something kind, but it is only something. ]
I believe you're running from something painful and attempting to soothe yourself here to avoid acknowledging that agony.
[ Lifting his head, he looks up - like he's making eye contact. His gaze calm, serene, gentle; friendliness baked underneath the resolve. ]
To protect yourself, you should try to come to terms with it... or you'll always be running scared... afraid that it will show up in the new horror Sleep decides to show you.
[ A slight pause. ] It is why your face doesn't know what shape to be, isn't it?
[Something jumps from his side. Something harsh, something static, biting across both their connection and whatever's been shoved into the pit of his chest. Oh, he hates it when they do that. When they try to dig deeper and push against something they had no way of knowing how far it actually goes. Greed's teeth set (a clap like sharp glass), and that grin of his stretches. A maw that'll smile through everything if only to avoid the inevitable.]
Do you, now? Think you've got me all figured out? [The Sin's eyes turn, and a whiff of heat floats past his face; a sigh of steam, peeling off his skin.] Dunno, Yuuto. Takes a lot more than that to hurt me. [Physically, anyway. He's not going to get into the details of the rest of it. Not here, not with him, not with anyone. Sleep's already done enough damage, pulling out some of his secrets. And avarice, ah. How it does like to hold onto what's his.]
[Which may be why he meets Yuuto's gaze through the Murmur without a hint of hesitation. As he leers forward, wild as ever, like a fire-line of brush, inching towards a main road.] Comes to terms with it? GAHAHAHA - ! [The former homunculus throws his head back, false ponytail and all, as he barks smoke at the ceiling.]
You sure got some crazy ideas, Suits. Just what do you think I have to come to terms with? I don't really care what she does. She's just another dwarf in the flask, far as I'm concerned. [A tell, perhaps, of how far his defiance really goes. Whatever he means.]
[But then, Yuuto shoves in the pick, and the Sin bows his head. His smile never leaves (couldn't, really), yet the tension of it: it's forced. Forced because he knows no other way to be, no other way to react, no other way of understanding, save the pulse of his want, pounding constant behind his ribs.]
[So, he gives a simple answer:] It's because it was the last one I had. [Ah, and that's a truth he hasn't shared with anyone.] Call it an old memory.
I don't know. I believe I could hurt you quite easily.
[ Interlacing his fingers, he believes this very much to be true. While he can't do anything about the physical state of Greed; he is certain he could peel away his smile. ]
But I'm not that mean.
[ A dismissive reply, even though he is attempting to kill him with a million tiny, little cuts. ]
However, as you are asking me, I believe it's something too painful to name or even talk to anyone about, which means it will one day choke you.
[ His head lifts to meet his "gaze" through the Murmur. His smile just as placid as ever, just as empty, just as friendly in its emptiness. Still, there is something sympathetic in how he talks to him. ]
I'll call it an old memory, then.
[ A beat. ] How long do you intend to be mired in your old memory?
[His smile is obvious. Not kind, not vicious, but menacing all the same. A tiger showing its teeth while it dared men to try.]
You think so, huh. [Greed wanders, numb, and his claws find the comfort of a shallow glass.] All right, Suits. Call me curious. [The tips of his nails circle, then; their points, running the rim like hooks, dragging loathsome on the floor.] How do you think you can hurt me? Ah, but be careful. You might not like what I have to say, after.
[A warning, though, it's a mild one. He's already claimed the man as one of his. And there still are rules, after all.]
[The former homunculus lifts his drink, taking in the faint smell of smokey scotch. He's pulling from the top shelf today. He deserves it.] Mn. Good thing I don't have much of a gag reflex then, huh. [He lifts the glass to his mouth and as he breathes against it, it's fire. Fire and brimstone, baking into the surface like boiled lead.]
As long as the hag wants, I suppose. Don't exactly have a timer for this sort of thing. [With little ceremony, he throws back the liquor; every lick of it, sucked to the bone. Greed tosses the glass somewhere and as it screams on quickly drying sweat, he tips over his hips; the lean of his body as hovering as a vulture, trying to peck itself in, in, in.]
How long do you intend to ask questions you might not like the answer to?
[ It's through the Murmur that he reaches out to lightly poke the Sin's forehead. ]
Don't ask me to hurt you then threaten me with a good time.
[ His smile returns just as friendly and pleasant as always. He retracts the feeling of him reaching out to literally poke the bear, as it were. ]
I'm one of yours and working with you under my own volition, of course. [ A soft laugh follows after. ] If you vanish from this place, if you die, I am certain there are those that will mourn that passing but I'm afraid... I will forget all about you because your memory isn't worth holding onto after you're gone.
[ However, that is how he feels about anyone. Even someone he attempted to save the life of. He doesn't dislike anyone. ]
You're just a life of one sin who burning ever so brightly yet obviously crying out for something he doesn't have the courage to name.
[ Again, his hand lifts as he lightly chuckles. ] I don't know what that might be, but I do think it's painful to watch.
[ However, it isn't just Greed. ] Everyone's running from something, I suppose... but you should try to make it a little less obvious how much you're sprinting. [ And he interlaces his fingers and smiles. ]
I suppose I'll keep asking until you decide to turn around and face me.
[The memories of the friends he attack while he was a Seeker haunted him when he woke up. What had he done? He had always been afraid of what he would become when his memories faded away and the mage part of his soul consumed him and Sleep gave him a nightmarish glimpse into that future.
The comforting presence of his tethers now made his soul ache and he left his bookstore before any of them came looking for him. The more he isolated himself, the more he felt himself slip away. But where could he go where he wouldn't hurt anyone else? A memory guided his steps to the Devil's Nest, his loneliness pulling across their tether as he approached Greed. His eyes were partly clouded with darkness as he struggled not to lose himself to his wraith's nature.]
[He feels it. Even under the scratch that's starting to form, that's starting to pull at every connection he's got, as if it's trying to tear them apart at the seams. It's loneliness. A loneliness he knows all too well, reaching right to the core of him and gripping it with what little strength it had left.]
[Greed's eyes turn to the door (daggered thin, running red, waiting), and a frown digs into the meat of his cheek. Their last encounter had been what feels like months ago. Two men, lost in a sea that drank everything they were only to spit it back up again. Honestly, he's a little surprised to see Sirius. He figured the man had decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Too much uncertainty or, perhaps, too much second-hand knowledge that the bar in question could bring more bad than good.]
[The Sin slinks out of his place on the bar stool, one heel first, then the other. He can only take a wild guess as to why the man showed up here, now, of all times. Something isn't right. The calm of it all, holding like it's readying itself for a storm. But he's aware that prodding won't do either of them any favors. Wanting dogs rarely needed the push, and he's not sure how hard Sirius can actually bite.]
[So, he steps forward; his hands in his pockets, his tail making screws around his thigh, and his wings as thin as they can be, planted at the strong of his back.] Ah - ? What kind of question is that? [He purses his lips, showing off the faintest hint of a smile. Kinder on better men, but as close enough as he can get.]
Oi, oi. Don't be stupid, Sirius. [The former homunculus eats away the space between them. With his heels, his body, and the drift of tobacco, long-since spent.] I told you, you could. And you might not believe me, but I've made it one my rules never to lie. [However, he is looking the man over - the run of his eyes, checking to see if there's any hint of physical damage.]
Got plenty of rooms upstairs. Think you can walk on your own?
[Sirius hadn't forgotten the dream they shared. Greed's tempting offer was never far from his mind but the events of the last few months had taken their toll. He hadn't meant to forget the promise he made to Greed, it just felt like he has so little time to breathe before something terrible happened again. It was also difficult for him to ask for help, although he was trying to get better at that.
He also didn't have anywhere else to go and the quiet gratitude in his expression was reflected by the hesitant warmth that flowed through their tether.]
Thank you. I didn't mean to doubt your word. I just didn't want to impose.
[The darkness that bled into the edge of his eyes stopped its advance as Greed's tether helped ground him. Greed's scrutiny however stirred the wraith's nature inside him and the black bandages around his arms discreetly loosened with a predatory aggression. The movement revealed a small glimpse of something glowing underneath his bandages.
With a small wince, Sirius struggled to control the wraith's violent impulse that momentarily clouded his mind.]
[The Sin's eyes go steady; the weight of them frozen, chilly, cold as he watches the glow beat itself through the bandages. However, the look on his face isn't as challenging as it usually is. It's something else: empathy, understanding. A little sympathy from the devil, silently passing between them like a sack of water when all else has run dry, dry, dry.]
[Greed pockets his hands, and the tip of his tail licks off the floor. A waft to taste the wood and scorch the dust settled between the boards.] Save it. That thanks. Wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it, Sirius. [His tone is light, yet there's a scratch to it. The barest hint of a bite, twitching at the forks of his tongue and pressing hot behind his teeth. How long was his list going to get? How many more names was he going to have to add? Of the people he knew, of his, and all life owed them, time and time again.]
[It's a later conversation. Or maybe, it will never be one at all. He's always made it a point not to pry too much if he doesn't have to. It had to be because they wanted to. Because they wanted to lay down their confessions and let sin, sin of all things, add them to a pile that he would collect on later.]
[Greed irritably snorts, yanking one of his hands out of his pocket.] Yeah, I'm sure you could. Seems to me you've already had a time getting here, though, hmn? Figured you're owed the favor. [He extends his arm, then; an elbow, should Sirius decide to take it.]
[After days of isolation Sirius was parched and he gladly accepted the little sympathy from the devil, although he didn't see Greed that way. Not when he was kind enough to let someone like him stay here. He was trying not to see himself as a monster anymore but Sleep reopened those old wounds.
But that was later conversation, one that he might be willing to have when the wounds from the dream weren't so raw. He wanted to, but he needed more time.
He was too tired to argue with Greed's observation and he gave in with a ghost of a smile.] Fair enough. [The aura of cold that radiated from him hungrily wrapped around Greed's warmth as he took his arm, taking advantage of his exhaustion to lean into the other's comforting touch for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly at the question.]
I'm not sure. Several days maybe but I don't need normal food anymore.
[He craved something else and a shadow crossed over his expression. When was the last time he had that?]
[He takes his arm, and the Sin smiles. Something sly, something slick, something knowing. Really, he couldn't possibly have any idea of what Sirius has gone through (in the world where he came from, in another dream of Sleep's design where she took her pleasure in pitting whatever she had against them). That exhaustion, however: he's seen it countless times. Seen it and, maybe, lived it once or twice before. Not that he had ever gotten tired. Not in the same way, at least.]
[Still, it's all semantics at the end of the day. He understands, even if he doesn't have the whole picture yet.]
[Greed hums, guiding Sirius as gingerly as he can up and away from the bar proper.] That right? Something from before, or is that thanks to our friend here running the place? [Friend, he says, yet his tone says otherwise. How it rattles on the forks of his tongue like a lick of hot-ready venom.] Doesn't matter. First, let's get you upstairs. We can get to all that later.
[One day, he's going to have to thank Jinx for her efforts. The elevator, which had been stuck at a standstill for months, is an easier alternative. And it's where he leads Sirius on; the colorful lights of the bar and its eye-popping decor, drifting past them as smearing as traffic signs in the rain.]
[Greed shoves his elbow into the outside console, turning the button for "4" yellow with a glow.] Figured this floor will be a little more quiet. It's still pretty empty, for the most part. [Save 'Lört, but the bird had a habit of being anywhere he wanted, when he wanted, no matter who took up residence.]
[The elevator chimes (offkey, grinding), and the former homunculus nudges one of its sticky doors open with the toe of his boot.] In the meantime, think about some things you may need. We'll get you settled in, and then I can see what I can do on my end, hmn?
I deeply apologize for the great inconvenience due to reaching out to you in the murmur. I foolishly believed that I had any right to tell you how to carry on with your day to day living and what you may be processing in your own time. A lowly employee like myself has nothing to say to their boss beyond "yes, sir."
I cannot promise that this will not happen in the future as I do not know what Sleep will have in store for us.
I also am uncertain if you can read this, at all.
Which renders much of what I am doing moot, but I believe you will understand the meaning behind what I have done.
Please understand I will work even harder for you, if you so desire.
Once more, I deeply apologize for my mistakes.
Kigai Yuuto
joke tag i will get something better later but i am feeling silly
[No, on second thought, he still (actually) can't fucking read this. The scribbles on the paper, the way they tie themselves together that's something close, but not quite, Xingese. And even then, he hadn't bothered learning it. No matter how many times the brat had tried.]
[So instead, he goes with the tried and true. An equivalent exchange written in chicken scratch that's no better, on a slip that had (once been) the former bar's balance sheet, slapped haphazardly atop Yuuto's door.]
don't know what you were trying to say, you little shit. i can't read that. but i know it's not xingese so i won't bother asking if it is. close enough i guess.
doesn't matter. whatever you had to say, save it. i didn't take it personally if that's what you're worried about. but if you wanna make it up to me
talk to schatz. ask him how our supplies are doing, and if we need more, make me a list. then i'd say we're even.
[ Yuuto glances at the letter that is pushed underneath his door.
He picks up, squinting at the letters. It looks like English but isn't close enough for him to be able to parse what it could say. However, he does get the impression that perhaps he has messed up --
-- and going to go have a sleepover at someone else's house until he's forgiven.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
telepathic message (text) ◆ week 2
so greed will feel a familiar tingle if he just so happens to be wearing his mask, blindfold, or whatever he uses. a crow flapping and perching on a tree branch, pecking at her feathers before cawing, to let him know she is here: ]
Hey.
no subject
[Greed sinks his teeth into it, tearing it from the neck with a soft plnk.] Pissant. [He starts, the tone of his voice wheezing like exhaust. It's affectionate, the way he says it - his grin, obvious and smokey through the Murmur.]
Sorry, haven't found anything yet. But something tells me that isn't why you're - [He spins his wrist, gesturing at nothing in particular.] - eh you know what I mean.
So, what can I do for you?
no subject
[and she was about to make her exit until she spots the sun gradually making its disappearance. groaning in frustration, jinx swallows her pride and pushes onward.]
Where are you crashing?
no subject
Oi, oi. Don't take it personally, huh? [He flits his fingers, sending a splatter of liquor speckling across the canal like a brief spit of rain.]
[His feet come next - the gurgle of vodka, all but sliding sleek over his boots.] Mn? [Using his pinkie, he digs at the back of his heel to peel away a soggy piece of paper.] Found a little spot in town. The Double Down Saloon.
Why?
no subject
no subject
[Because that wasn't the question he was expecting. It wasn't even a question he'd thought she'd ask. And as drips bounce and ripple off the water's murky surface, he doesn't hear them at all. All he hears is someone else. A group of people, hunkering down in the dim firelight of a lantern.]
[Greed slides his finger into the bottle.] Door's open, but the place still needs a lot of work. As long as that's fine with you - [Moving, the Sin drags himself up onto his feet.] - sure, why not. Can't promise it'll be much, though.
[The bottle swings, knocking once against his hip. Dnk.] Keep it. Whatever reason you got, it doesn't matter to me. Some secrets are better left that, right? [The quiet drops, and the former homunculus shows all of his teeth.]
Not exactly looking my best, so try not to hold it too much against me when I get back. [A little bit of liquor can only do so much, after all.]
cw: mention of suicide
It's whatever. I don't need much. Just a space. I've got my stuff packed in a bag already.
But.
Just.
[she bites on the inside of her cheek for a moment.]
If I start... acting really crazy. Or do something crazy like... trying to end my life in some way, I need you to kick me or knock my lights out.
I don't think... talking me down is going to work. Not when my...head is this bad.
[hence why she is going to him and not anyone else she cares about. they would want her to talk it out or gust out her feelings when... she is tired of talking.]
If you want to back out, I get it.
no subject
[His thumb finds his sunglasses and as he wrenches their earpieces wide, he pauses again. No, this might not have been the conversation he expected, but maybe he should have. Everyone has a story, after all. A history. Things that chase them, no matter how long or far they run.]
[The former homunculus flattens the forks of his tongue behind his teeth. He could easily say no. Could easily refuse her, and leave it at that. But even though his core may be gone, his nature - it won't let him. No matter how bitter he may feel about the whole thing.]
["If you turned your back on something you wanted - "]
[Greed leans forward, bowing into his sunglasses.] Yeah, I can do that. Just hope you know what you're asking. [Cold - that's his tone, now. Cold, but it isn't at her. It isn't even at anything she's hoping he'll do. It's at the idea, the very reality, that she even needs it to be done in the first place.]
[The Sin scoffs, and a bristle like shaken soot slinks from his nose.] Back out? Who do you take me for? [One press of his claws, and he slides his sunglasses soundlessly up his nose.] There's no regrets, Jinx. Not when it comes to me.
Go on ahead. Shouldn't take me long to get back.
action;
in time, she reaches the double down saloon with a suitcase in one hand and dragging a steel bat across the pavement in the other. there's a backpack clutching tight to her too, overly stuffed with who knows what inside. she is completely waterlogged; unlike her items, being an aquamancer comes with its nuisances, and one of many is continuously being soaked to the bone whenever she invokes her abilities. having her clothes and hair stick to her skin irked her in the beginning, but thanks to time, she has grown accustomed to the feel. she no longer has the urge to wipe the droplets from her nose or eyelashes with her palms or her forearms.
the bluenette pushes through the door, using her soggy shoulder while dragging her things inside. how funny her life is, though; she burnt down her home (the last drop bar) in zaun only for her to end right back into another one. jinx can't help but wonder if pubs are meant to be her true home no matter what world or dimension she crosses.]
[greed is right about one thing: the place does need a bit of love and care, except she isn't going to be the one to give it what it needs. getting attached to things or people is what her "curse" hungers for, and it has had its three-course meals lately. wheeling over her things to the bar, she takes her seat in the stool and lightly taps her fingernail on the countertop—a forced habit she did when chuck bartended and she wanted his attention for juice.]
no subject
[Greed twirls lax on his heel, narrowly avoiding a side mirror hanging off its car by a thread. He's not sure what might be waiting for him. There's a good chance she swore the whole thing off, instead turning to another place to haunt. He wouldn't blame her if she did. She doesn't know him, not really, and people like that - it's never easy to gain their trust. Especially if the world's been cruel enough to put her in the very situation in the first place.]
[So, when the door swings open, the former homunculus doesn't bother searching. More, he keeps up with the status quo of things. And as his hand engulfs the mask chained around his face, he tips his wrist, causing its metal clips to break free of his sunglasses. He sets it down on an old barrel close to the entrance, leaving its links to drop and jingle over the side. Truth be told, he wasn't lying when he said he wouldn't be looking his best. His vest may be clean, but what he's been up to these past few hours sticks to him like glue. Bits of grit stuff thick under his nails, a smear of oil and tar creases across his face. Greed grunts, shrugging out of his vest. It, like the mask, finds a home on the flat top of the barrel as he languidly strikes a match against the building's broken-brick wall.]
[The Sin taps a cigarette twice on the frame of the door before bringing it to his lips. And it's then, right then, that he notices it: the ticking on the counter, the drum of it, like an old, impatient customer. Greed's mouth stretches and as he tips the end of the match against his smoke, he inhales through his smile, forcing whiffs of tobacco to ribbon between his teeth.]
[He shakes out the match, tossing it to the floor.] Looks like you found the place just fine. Hope I didn't keep ya waitin' too long. [The match crunches under his heel and when he lifts it, only a scorch remains.] Don't suppose you're the drinking sort. [The place does need a lot of work, and most of its stock has already been picked clean. However, that doesn't mean he hasn't found a few things squirreled away. They're dregs in comparison to what he's used to. But even a little is better than nothing when it comes to the end of the world.]
[The former homunculus sidewinds around the edge of the counter to slip behind it; the run of his eyes, chasing her as he goes. As put together as she'd been through the Murmur, here - she looks like she's been drowned. Like the rain had come pouring down, and every shelter simply refused her or spat her out. It would be funny, any other time. How similar she is to them. To all of them, taking a gamble, and deciding he was the better choice.]
[Whatever humor there could be though, he doesn't find it.]
[Greed spreads his legs to drop behind the bar.] Eh, not working with everything I'd normally have, but - [The tips of his claws click through his supplies.] - well, whatever the case, I'm sure there's something I can find.
cw: schizophrenia + hallucination
still, the zaunite studies the former homunculus carefully as he maneuvers his way behind the counter, cueing her to shed her backpack off her shoulders then onto the table, the bag creaking a weighted thump.]
Nope, thaaat would be my big sis. When she's really down on her luck, that's where you'll find her. At the bottom of a mug or pit fighting. ...Juice is fine.
[as she reaches for the zipper of her bag, jinx pauses abruptly to smack her hand on the counter. ... how strange. but what makes it weirder is she then shoots a look to the left of them, towards nothing, with her brows raising as she scrunches up her face immediately after.]
What? There was a bug. You saw it there. I don't want it near my stuff.
[except there was no bug either. and just like that moment never happened, she returns to unfastening and rummaging through her backpack.]
no subject
[Greed's nail scratches against the tin tab, hooking it with a persistent whine.] Sounds like a lot of people I used to know. [With a purr on his lips, he tightens his knuckle, and the hard-sharp point of his claw pops the can open with a fzzt of condensed air.] Don't know how good it'll be, but -
[The rest of his sentence gets cut short - her unprompted smack, causing him to freeze mid-stand. It isn't in a startled way, nor is it fazed. More, it's in the way someone might stop in the middle of a conversation - one that's suddenly taken a wild, left turn. The former homunculus puckers his lips together and as he straightens his back, he sets the can down lightly on the counter. Its orange shell turns muted under the hum of his lantern; its trademarked logo, scuffed and worn.]
[With a jerk of the wrist, he plucks his finger out.] Ha - ! Can't blame you there. Wouldn't want anyone touching what's mine, either. But I'm not interested in stealing from you, if that's what you're worried about. [Though, she wasn't really talking to him, was she? No, it had simply been one of her ghosts. One of her ghosts lingering where no one else could see, and as he follows her line of sight, a brief frown tugs at his lip. There, then gone again.]
Gotta say, I do like your avarice. Not about to let anyone take what's yours, are you? [The former homunculus slumps his shoulders, turning towards the back wall. He ashes his cigarette once in a nearby sink, and something (something with too many legs, too many antennae) skitters out of the drain.]
So, your sister - she just as impressive as you? [The building might be on the shittier side of shit, but old habits - they're easy to slip back into. It's almost like being back in Dublith. Where the wee-morning hours ran long, and idle conversations burnt themselves out like waning, midnight oil.]
[Greed pushes the cigarette back into the corner of his mouth as he knuckles a bottle off the shelf. He unscrews the top with a practiced flick of his thumb, letting to fall to the floor like a single-dropped penny.] Ah, unless that topic's off limits -
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I... don't like sharing. Not if I don't have to.
[there's a hint of possessive twang in speech. because just the thought of having to split what belongs to her with someone else (particularly a stranger) brings slight sourness into her mouth. she's gotten a lot better about it, though; it used to make her stomach churn and had her fingernails dig into her skin. but thanks to her daughter, the idea of it only slightly repulses her. the next thing she withdraws from her pack is an explosive. like the gun, it's tagged, yet the appearance of it seems rather childish. hers, maybe? jinx sets that next to the gun. ]
Vi is the strongest person I know and has a hotter head than mine. [debatable.] She can make a guy three times my size cry for their mommy and whimper like some pathetic puppy just by throwing one punch.
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[Greed pinches his sunglasses by the frame, dragging them off his face.] And why should you? That's the thing everyone gets wrong about greed. That it's somehow bad to want what's yours. [A flake of ash unravels off his cigarette, drifting into nothing.] Never understood it myself. Humans have this idea that it's somehow a bad thing. That there's some kind of hierarchy to it. Way I see it, everyone has something they want. And if they say they don't? They're lying, simple as that.
[Finally, he opens his eyes and in the split of the mirror, the purple of them shines dim; their hint of red dropping down, down, down like a hot piece of sunken metal. The former homunculus inhales through his smile, and the cherry at the end of his cigarette hisses hungry at the paper.]
She can, can she? Ha - ! Sounds like my type of gal. Always did like a woman who could show 'em a thing or two. [He finishes his smoke with a deep inhale before tossing it into the bottom of the sink.] From what I'm hearing, the two of you made a pretty good team. [He doesn't have to guess, though. Something about the way she says it - Vi isn't here. And ah, isn't that one more thing she's lost along the way.]
[Greed lifts his gaze, and the slits of his eyes shake to slivers. The decorations on the gun, the explosives: there's a personalized touch to them. Something that defines them, that makes them hers, and for a second, the Sin's upper lip curls. Because he'd been the same, hadn't he? An alchemist who made things with his own signature, no matter how wild and ridiculous the end result could be. It pings at him in a way that's subtle. The notion of it, like a smell he almost forgot.]
[The Sin folds his sunglasses up on the prep station.] Y'know, that's some pretty impressive work. Gunna guess those are your doing - that right? [He thumbs behind him at the gun and explosive.] Gahaha - ! You really are full of surprises, Jinx.
[He takes the bottle up, lifting it towards his mouth.] Well, like I said. Don't worry about it. Not really a fan of using a gun myself. [Up, goes the bottle, and whatever's inside quickly drains down his throat. Gulp by gulp, it goes - that insatiableness of his, all but sucking it dry.]
[Greed sets the bottle back on the counter.] So, what's your plan, then? After staying here, I mean.
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her daughter attempted to explain to her once how people feel uncomfortable whenever she'd claimed things as her own, especially when it comes to people. that claiming takes away their freedom and independence—the very thing her city had been struggling for. but is it so wrong to be the first of someone you care for, and if that person decides to do something drastic like... bringing a love interest that could change the entire dynamic of your life and theirs, that you should have a say in it?
it's important that everyone gets along with everyone, and if they're no good for you, then they can't be good for them. after all, you were in their life first, and you should continue to be first. how is that possessive? how is that being greedy? ]
Yeah, well, my sis is only into women in uniforms, so you'll have to stick with howling and licking your own sacks.
[ how vulgar, but also a very, very subtle warning to not pull any moves on her. not that violet can't handle herself, but again, what kind of baby sister would she be if she wasn't overly protective?] — But good eye; when I'm not crashing parties and being the author of people's nightmares, I do artwork and invent things. And you're in charge of keeping them company and away from me while I'm... here. Dunno where I'm going after this; all of my best work is improvised.
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[Not that he would know, personally. Like everything else, whatever buzz from the liquor he's had before has been slim at best. A fuzz until that 'Stone of his kicked in to burn it all away.]
[Greed lets his chin fall and in between the tightness of his grin, his laughter sneaks on through. It's soft in the beginning - a little hiss, curling from the corners of his mouth in drifts of smoke. The former homunculus slaps his hand violently on the prep station and as he tosses his head back, the bark that comes out of him is loud. It echoes in every bottle, every shard of glass, like a roar. The wheeze of it, breathing out sooty and pitched.]
[He settles, and the flicker inside the lantern swaying between his horns dims with him.] All right, all right. Don't have to tell me twice, Bluebird. [He raises both hands up in mock surrender, and a drip of gold wax plops from the lantern's cage, staining the floor below.] Can't blame her, though a shame she only goes for the ones in blue. Never been a fan of the government myself.
[Which shouldn't be surprising. Men like him, monsters like him: they don't really do well with law and order, do they?]
[Greed laces his ankles, folding his arms across his chest.] Sounds like someone else I used to know. Tended to add his own flair to whatever he was making. You'd probably like him - he's just as much of a pissant as you. [He starts, the admiration in his tone curt and to the point. The Sin arches his eyebrow and as his lips curl, he gives the roof of his mouth a long suck. His pause, amused.]
Oh - ? Is that right? Giving me orders now? [His tail wanders at his side - lifting, drooping, then arching again.] Sure, why not. But keep in mind who you're talkin' to, hmn? Never been very good at following anyone else.
[Still, she's here. She's here for one reason or another and as the Sin settles his palms back on the prep counter, he sluggishly pushes himself forward. The backs of his heels, clicking twice against the floor's worn wood.] Eh, don't worry about it. Not like I'm going anywhere anytime soon. I'll hang onto 'em until you're ready.
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Early afternoon. The sun is still high up, so there's time for this side trip. After preparing what he needs, Caelus heads out on a skateboard and beelines for Paradise Lost. Prior, he had to look up the location and ask for assistance among his roommates, as he can't read the local languages. Now with direction, he soon arrives at the… incredibly red entrance of The Devil's Nest.
Well, a fitting name for the look of this place. At least it's easy to find because of how much it stands out. It looks like a public establishment, so he doesn't knock when he enters. Maybe there'll be a bell at the door to signal his arrival for him. He leaves his skateboard somewhere near the door, then heads further in. Fully curious. ]
… Hello?
CW: Mild Mutated Animal Description
[It gives its wing a short preen, making its feathers plume out like static before they flatten down again almost unanimously. All in all, it doesn't seem bothered by the sudden visitation. No, instead, it's more calm, unfazed. As if it's either been waiting or expecting for someone, anyone, to come waltzing through the door.]
[The toucan picks mindlessly at its foot, tearing off a flake of skin. It's easy work, all things considered. And as its wiry, split tongue lashes out, it throws its head back in celebration - the clap of its saw-toothed bill, echoing through the bar like spent brass.]
[And ah, if that just isn't a calling card - ]
Oi, oi, oi. What is it, 'Lört? [The ceiling above groans, and the former homunculus languidly begins his descent down the stairs.] Less you've got something for me, I'm expecting a little company - [The Sin's voice rumbles the closer he gets. It snakes through the building like a pulse. As if it's coming from everywhere and no where as drifting and dreamy as the years of cigarette smoke clung to the walls.]
[Greed winds around the bottom of the staircase and as he catches a face (an unfamiliar, unknown face) in the lenses of his shades, he pauses - the length of his tail, coiling soundlessly against one of the flight's crooked, lopsided posts.] Oh, ho. Guess you found 'em before I did. [He hums, and the toucan takes off, disappearing to perch on one of the many exposed pipes hanging from the ceiling.]
[The former homunculus flattens his hand on the railing, pushing himself away from the steps.] You must be Caelus, that right? [He doesn't bother looking at the other man as he moves.] Glad to see you found the place. Though, I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. [Turning his back, the Sin slinks behind the other side of the bar - the scorch of his heels, leaving behind a light, dying trail of soot.]
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It's not that he's afraid or anything. It's just his sympathy crawling at the back of his mind. This world has suffered so much, and he can't get used to that idea at all. There wasn't a day when he didn't think about the future of this ruined place. Maybe it's idealistic of him, but he doesn't want to give up hope. He wants to believe that things might still get better for those living here. If there's a chance that he can help make that happen, he will take action at any time.
Those are his thoughts as he watches the bird fly away. Then, his focus shifts when he hears an unfamiliar voice. He recognizes it, but it's unfamiliar in the sense that they're still both strangers to each other, and he doesn't know what to make of this person yet. Still, being himself, he tries to give a friendly smile regardless of whether the man is looking or not. ]
Don't worry, I just arrived. And yes, it's me.
[ The trailblazer looks around a bit more, out of precaution, since he did promise to be careful. But he doesn't want to be rude either, so he shortly walks further in, taking a seat on the bar stool beside the counter. ]
Nice to formally meet you, Greed. So, was there something you couldn't tell me on the Murmur?
[ There has to be a reason the man wants to see him personally, right? ]
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[Greed straightens his legs to a stand and with a snap of his wrist, the can hisses open; its artificial juice, dripping red-thin over his claws.] Good. Would be a little rude if I left you waiting, hmn? [He tips his hand, taking the tab clean off on the crook of his claw.] Yeah? Well, it sounds to me like I owe you a bit of an apology. Think you and I got off on the wrong foot. Sorry about that.
[He sets the can down in front Caelus, swiping away some of the spillover with his thumb.] That's simple, but we'll get to that. [The former homunculus nudges the can forward on the point of his knuckle.] There was a reason I came in pretty hot there. You could say I have a bit of experience with alchemists and homunculi. But first thing's first - you said something before. About how someone from your world made a Philosopher's stone.
[He pulls back, then; the subtle clap of his heels, clicking sharp on the floor.] It's probably different where you come from, but like I told you, it takes a lot to make a homunculus. And usually, you'd need a Philosopher's stone to do it. [Almost as if he already has the place memorized, the Sin settles the small of his back into the prep station behind him, leaving both his hands clamped on its lip.] So when you said you did it without one, you got my interest. Most alchemists I know didn't even think a homunculus could exist, let alone make one. Call me impressed.
As for your question - [Trailing, the former homunculus bows his head. He lifts his hand to his face slowly and surely; the pace of it as if he's waiting and holding out the minutes for every second of their worth. Greed fans his fingers and as he frames out his sunglasses with his thumb, the tattoo across his knuckles seems to broil against his skin. His own, personal red letter, marking him for what he is.]
[He folds his sunglasses up. Clp.] - it's a little personal, and information's still worth a whole lot, even here. Call it a guarantee. [Slumping his shoulder, he sinks one of the earpieces of his shades behind the collar of his shirt.] Because what you were talking about - you're looking at one.
[Greed tilts his head and as a smile begins to stretch along his jaw, he eases his eyes open. In the bar's low light, the slits of them breathe wild; like a big cat feverishly stalking a potential prey.]
Homunculus. That's what I am. Least, before all this.
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[ If the topic of alchemy is something sensitive to Greed, Caelus would understand the sharp reaction upon hearing about it being mentioned. Maybe the man couldn't help himself? But rather than speculate, Caelus would prefer to hear the reason if possible. For now, he listens wordlessly to what Greed has to say first, then nods in appreciation when he's offered a drink. He doesn't want to interrupt the man, so he says a quiet "thank you."
Greed confirms his history with alchemists and homunculi, then the explanation that the practice is much more difficult in his universe. Caelus isn't surprised, considering it's similar for his own. There's something just too strange about Sleep's world, blessing (or cursing?) them with unknown powers that they can only scratch the surface of. Who knows what else an Artificer is really capable of? Only through time will Caelus know.
But what does surprise Caelus is Greed's admittance that he's… an actual homuculus. Or was? He's something else now? ]
… You were one? Sleep changed it? Are you… an Offering?
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Hmn? Sorry, not sure what you're talking about. An Offering? [Greed starts, his finger tapping slow at the underside of the counter.] As far as Sleep's concerned, I think it's pretty obvious. [He turns his wrist, prying two of his claws off the prep station in a silent gesture. The wings, the horns, the long chord of his tail: those hadn't been there before, no matter what his name suggests.] Didn't have these back where I'm from, if that's what you mean.
[The former homunculus lets his arm go slack, causing his hand to hang limply over the counter's puckered edge.] Don't think it matters, though. What does is that you can make a homunculus. [He thumbs his pocket to pull out a thick, stray splinter. Greed bows his head to pinch it between his teeth.] That the only thing you can do? Or has our friend here given you other abilities?
[Because if she has? If there's someone here that knows a little about alchemy? A bit about transmutation?]
[Oh, oh. Does he have a few ideas in mind.]
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[ It's okay, Caelus doesn't mind teaching Greed the formal terms. He might as well teach him while the chance is there. He takes a small sip of the juice first before continuing to explain. ]
To my understanding, Offerings have physical changes. And Tokens have magical changes. I'm a Token, so I still look like myself, but my friends who ended up as Offerings gained several new physical features, such as… well, your case.
[ Pure skill aside, being an Artificer is part of the reason why anything that Caelus crafts ends up quite powerful, including his attempts at performing some alchemy. ]
Hmm, you were tuned into my conversation earlier, so I thought you managed to pick the details up. But yes, I have other abilities from Sleep, such as generating electricity and enchanting objects with magical energy.
[ "Don't think it matters, though. What does is that you can make a homunculus."
Greed isn't even hiding the fact that he has ideas. Those expressions speak for themselves. But Caelus will wait until the man brings it up himself. ]
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[Maybe gods (or those that think they're gods) could still have a sense of humor, sick as it is.]
[The former homunculus pinches the splinter hanging off his lip, running the underside of his claw up the length of it.] Your friend, huh? Someone I might know? [He doesn't know everyone here. However, there's still a possibility.]
[Though, if he's actually looking for an answer, he doesn't take the time to wait for it. Greed's smile preens tight on his face - the sliver of it made sharp by the points of his teeth.] Mnn. What can I say? I prefer hearing it face to face. Makes it easier to tell when someone's bullshitting. [The Sin lifts his eyes to still them on Caelus; their slits, contracting to the barest hint.] See, I didn't ask you to come here for nothing, friend. I've got some ideas in mind. And since I couldn't do alchemy back home, that's where someone like you'd come in.
[The former homunculus pushes himself off the counter, and his heels slap against the floor with a punctuating thwack.] I don't know about you, but I'm not a big fan of our pal running things around here. Never been too good at taking orders from anyone, let alone someone who thinks they're some kind of god.
So - [His moves his hand as he talks, twirling it on the slack part of his wrist one time, two times, three.] - why don't you and I make a little deal? I'll teach your homunculus everything it needs to know about being one. And in return? I'll show you how to do some alchemy I know from where I come from. A little test to see if it'll actually work, and to find out if those new abilities of yours can make some change around here.
[One minute he's at the prep counter and the next, he's practically leering over the bar. Leering with all of his jagged teeth, his slick smile, and a promise humming in his eyes as red and dull as a fuse, waiting for a spark.]
[Greed tongues the toothpick, pushing it up against the roof of his mouth.] It's a fair offer. But I have a feeling I know your type. I don't expect you to have an answer right away. So, think on it. Might end up being worth your time.
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[ Because Caelus is a very social person, always striking up conversations whenever he can. It wouldn't be surprising if Greed knows some of his friends. But that also means it's hard for him to name anyone so randomly, because there are too many to name. He decides not to, thinking it's enough that it comes across that he loves befriending others.
Then, Caelus quiets down when Greed starts dropping the real details, looking rather pensive as he hears all of this out. Knowledge of alchemy from another universe. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't interested. Of course, he would be. But what does he have to do to receive it?
Making a change, Greed said. But can Caelus truly make a change all by himself? Impossible. He doesn't think he's strong enough for that, especially as his abilities as an Artificer are from Sleep herself. Would someone power-hungry like Sleep truly allow him to do anything against her? Certainly not. ]
… I don't exactly agree with Sleep myself, but I doubt I'm strong enough for this. I'm still constantly learning about my new powers here. What exactly would you have me do?
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[But what is it? What's his phrase again?]
["Nothing's impossible."]
[Greed's tail loops behind him, twitching as jaggedly as an impatient cat.] Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. Doesn't hurt to try, hmn? [He taps the counter with his claw as if to add to his point.] We won't know unless we give it a shot. Worst case, it ends up being nothing. But if it does work, well - it would be worth it, don't you think?
["What exactly would you have me do?" he asks, and the former homunculus sluggishly slithers away from the counter; the pull of his torso, a snail's waiting pace.] That part's simple. It'll be easier to use the Murmur to do it, and I'll show you something easy first. As for the rest? [Greed turns his wrist to splay his fingers out in a wide, spiraling fan.] You can leave that to me.
[Because he knows the laws, he knows the rules. And payment for something like this?]
[Oh, will it be personal.]
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That's why he's always cooperative when good chances present themselves. But… this one, is it a good chance? How large is the risk? What if Sleep catches wind of all this and punishes them all for it? However, if they're constantly in fear, then that's exactly what Sleep wants. It may be worth trying at least once. He lowers his head a bit, staring at the partially drunk juice in his hands. ]
… Okay.
[ Worst case ending up as nothing seems way too unlikely, but Caelus will pray that it is the case. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt because of their attempts. Once he agrees to do it, he lifts his head, looking quite determined. ]
I'll do it. What's the plan, then?
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[Then again, it's in his nature. If she brought him here, then she shouldn't be all that surprised that this was how things were eventually going to fall into place.]
[The Sin's eyes go heavy and as a soft, stretched whistle slides over his teeth, the corner of his mouth screws up tight into his cheek.] That's it? You're just gunna accept? Ha - ! [He keeps his laugh short, waving at the air with his hand.] I gotta say kid, you're even more impressive than I first thought. So be it, then. It's a deal.
[He folds his arms across his chest, leaving his claws to drape over his elbow.] Give me a couple of days. I'll reach out to you. [He stretches his fingers up to tap the mask dangling halfway down the center of his chest.] Like I said, we'll start with something simple first. One of the basics an alchemist might learn. Once you think you've got the transmutation circle right, we'll put it to the test, see if it actually works.
[Greed pries his nail off his mask, making the chains quiver like a front-door bell.] And just to make sure we aren't missing anything, make me a list of some of the materials you usually use. [He touches the inside of his cheek with his tongue, tasting nothing but the same dryness he's come to expect.] As for what I'll bring, I'll save that for when you're ready.
[Their business done, the former homunculus tilts his head, shooting Caelus a wink. It's dastardly, playful. A devil's smile with all the sincerity of sin, sin, sin.]
Until then, Caelus.
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This is why Caelus decides to take his chances, especially since it's something not easy for others to pull off. If he can do it for others' sake, then he will. ]
I understand. I'll be waiting, then.
[ Before standing up from the bar counter, Caelus finishes the juice, then starts writing the requested list on a raccoon post-it note that he always carries around. It's written in childish-sounding English because he's still learning Earth's languages slowly. But he's come a long way from studying them since his arrival here, so it should be legible enough. It's basically the same materials he mentioned to Lortel from that earlier broadcast.
When finished, Caelus moves off from the bar stool, and leaves the note on the counter. There are also a few pieces of candy beside the note. A little something for the juice. Equivalent exchange! ]
Take care until then, Greed!
[ With that, Caelus turns to head out. He waves to the toucan on the way out, grabs his skateboard by the door, and quietly leaves. ]
Week 1 of Take Aim & Give
What've you been plotting, Greed? [ No lead-in, no soft entry—she goes straight for the question. ]
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[Now, however, he plans to drop it. To drop it and let the whole thing go up, as he laughs in the face of it all.]
Caught that, did you. [His voice is level. Level, calm, and as smooth as it's ever been.] Or was it schatz that tipped you off? [There's no venom in his voice, though. Actually, it's almost fond. A devil's admiration, purring its quiet, sweet nothings.] No point in hiding it, then.
It's time our friend learns just how touchable she really is.
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But—oh. Her heart thumps. She sits up, leans into the connection. He's got her undivided attention. ] How are you going to do that? [ A beat before she adds, her brand of fiery determination flooding through: ] And how can I help?
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[It seems Silco had made good on his end. And ah, is it just one more thing he'll have to thank the man for someday.]
[Greed flattens his hand over his knee, pushing himself upright.] It's something from where I come from. A little bit of counter alchemy and what the ones from the East call alkahestry. [His mind wanders, then. To his fingers, sticky with something. The Sin rubs his thumb and as whatever it is slowly begins to fleck away, the corner of his mouth pulls to the side; his slice of teeth like a short knife, wet clean.] Depending on how it's done, you can purify and heal some of the damage left behind. It won't reverse the mess she's already made, but it just might put a damper on the next, stupid fucking idea she gets in her head.
But - [The former homunculus hums. He shakes his wrist, and the sensation from his side is a drip. A drip, a smear, painting itself on the pavement.] I need Tokens to do it. I can teach them some of the basics, see what works and what doesn't. Homunculi can't do alchemy, Shar. And even in this new body, that hasn't changed.
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All right, I'm in. [ There's no hesitation, no pause to weigh it out. Greed hasn't given her a reason to doubt him, not once. He's willing to drag the Order through hell for her—she can be one of the Tokens he needs to make it happen. ] I'm willing to do just about anything to piss in that bitch's Cheerios. [ If it rattles Sleep, it's worth it. Whatever it takes. ] I might not know anything about alchemy, but I'm a quick study.
How big of an area are you trying to purify? Have you tested it yet?
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[That wouldn't be very fair of him, would it?]
[Greed touches his lips together, tasting their lick of copper.] Only if you're sure. Though, something tells me that I won't have to ask you twice. [Because there's no hesitation. No pause, no second-guessing as she mulls it over. She's already made her decision whether he likes it or not.]
[A laugh (low, deep, resounding) cooks in his throat like a quake, and the former homunculus rolls his foot out on his heel.] Hoping to do a little more than pissing in 'em, whatever they are. [He lets it come through simple at first. A basic outline, sketching itself like neon, flooding a tube.]
We're starting small, first. No reason to blow the whole thing just yet. Least, not until we figure out how people's abilities here work. [As for the results, they're still in the air. A work in progress, heading to one, singular conclusion.]
[The Sin slaps the toe of his boot down and as it cracks off the concrete, a reaction forms in the back of his mind. Of the lines drawn, of a payment secretly made, and of a lashing current, nipping back at its source.]
[If Sleep wanted to play her games, she was going to learn some rules. About equivalent exchange, and the price that came with it.]
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Cheerios. Breakfast cereal. Hard to have a good day when someone pisses in 'em. [ The explanation comes quick, almost casual, despite everything hanging beneath it. She just wants to get under Sleep's skin, to be a problem. Even if it doesn't land exactly how Greed hopes, even if it's smaller, more contained, something is still better than nothing.
A circle within a circle. A triangle nested inside another. Sharon knows ritual work when she sees it. There's meaning there, layered, even if she doesn't fully understand it, but as the shape of it settles in his thoughts, more starts to click. It isn't so different from what the Order used to carve out—circles, triangles, runes, words in languages she never learned but still remembers.
If it were anyone else, she'd hesitate. ]
Tell me what you need from me, and you've got it, Greed. [ There's no pause, no second-guessing. She'll do whatever it takes, and if nothing else, it'll give her something to fill the empty space of her days. ] I know you're ready for whatever she throws back at you, which is good, but... [ Her voice tightens just a little. ] You should know you're putting your Tethers at risk. Last time someone really pushed her, she cut every single one.
[ It rings clear in the connection: this isn't meant to be a deterrent. ]
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[The Sin's eye narrows, chasing a shadow on the wall. And maybe, it's all her tricks at the end of it, but he can swear it's close. Close to a face that's also too young in his years. Too young to have seen some of the things he had and to have gone through just as much, only to come out on the other side missing a whole lot more than he started with.]
[Something snaps (a line of a different kind, a tether by a different name), and it's agony. A plea, yelled by the same face, at the moment when he had to make a horrible choice:]
["But I do. No, wait. Don't do this - !"]
[Greed tests his shoulder.] I'll be fine. Always am, kid. [Not the whole truth, but the kindest honesty he can afford.] As for them, what happens? [The unspoken part is said out loud through the Murmur. Its silence, screaming for an answer.]
["You'll be fine, right? You'll all be fine - "]
As for your part, I just need to know what you can do. Leave the rest to me. [It's his final say on the matter. Any concerns about him, any worries - he'll take care of it as he always has. As he always does, burying it so deep, no one will ever have a chance of finding it.]
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The shout cuts through their connection, something desperate lacing the voice, and then Greed insists he'll be fine, as if he's experienced a pain like the snap of a tether before. Sharon bristles at that, eyes rolling despite herself. Kalmiya hadn't been fine. She doesn't think Greed will be either, not if it comes to that. ] Pain, Greed. It's like having a piece of yourself cut out. [ Her voice steadies, firm despite it all. ] We'll be fine. You will too. It'll just suck.
[ They'll deal with it. She doubts he's tethered himself to anyone who can't handle the fallout, and she'll be there to help put things back together, same as she always is for those who matter most to her. ]
I'm an Illusionist, Greed. I make people believe what I want them to. I can slip into someone's mind, flip the right switches. Make them see what I want, feel what I want. [ A beat, soft at first, and then it grows sharper. A blade between her teeth. ] I can hurt them without ever laying a hand on them. Hide them from the world.
[ Pull a veil over anyone's eyes. ]
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[And hasn't he always said it? It's always better to keep things simple.]
[Greed feels out the roof of his mouth (the grooves, the bump, the faintest sting of something melting), and his smile slowly spreads across his face. A challenge, not to Sharon, but to Sleep and anything she may have planned in the aftermath.]
Wouldn't be the first time, Shar. But it doesn't matter. [The Sin fans his fingers across his thighs.] As for you, Bluebird's already made sure there will be more at the 'Nest. If you need 'em - [His thought trails off. A thread, unraveling itself to nothing.] - you'll be fine, as you said.
[The people here, he's finding, are giving in so many ways. Comfort, friendship, business. Changing the topic of conversation so he doesn't have to go too far down that road. The former homunculus tilts his head as he tries to chase the image of her through the Murmur. Of course, Sharon would have an ace up her sleeve. Something kept hidden until the moment was just right. To say he's impressed wouldn't be doing it justice. He's intrigued, he's interested. But above it all, there's admiration from his end. The feeling of it like the light stroke of his forehead touching hers and bringing the only kind of warmth a creature like him could ever hope to share.]
[Greed dips his chin, and the laugh that curls out of him is soft; the wheeze of it, an odd combination of steadfast and resigned.] Oh, ho, ho - ! Glad you and I are on the same side then, Shar. [And he means it. Power like that: it could easily break even the strongest men in half, given the right ammunition.] All right, then. Let's see what you can really do. Think it's about time Sleep learned we aren't the types to be easily fucked with.
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Bluebird—Jinx, obviously—is making sure the Nest isn't empty. Sharon isn't entirely sold on the idea of strangers settling in that close, not yet, but she'll deal with it. They don't really have the luxury of being picky. They need people. People willing to stand against Sleep. Hopefully, everyone Jinx pulls in falls on the right side of the lane. ]
Let's keep it that way, yeah? [ She says, tone light, almost teasing, but there's an edge beneath it that doesn't soften. She hasn't crossed that line yet, hasn't killed for someone's devotion to Sleep, but she hasn't ruled it out either. If it comes down to it... she'll do what's necessary. But one of the last people she'd ever want to turn on is Greed.
A faint smirk touches her lips. ] I'm always down to show off for you, Greed. Can't promise it'll mean much against something like Sleep, but maybe. Hopefully, you'll find a use for them.
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[Still, he manages something for her. A smile, less sharp, more purposeful, trying to plant itself into the top of her head.] Uh huh. Got it loud and clear, Shar. Like I said, I would hate to get on your bad side.
[Just as quickly as his presence is there, it leaves again. A shadow on the wall, returning back from the window it crawled from.] Ha - ! Well, then, sounds like now's a good a time as any. As for what it will do against her, it doesn't matter. Anything is better than nothing. And who knows? Maybe you'll be able to give the old hag a taste of her own medicine.
[The delusions, illusions, she's pulled out of them, again and again. He can't help the sick satisfaction that writhes at the idea. At the possibility of turning it against her, leaving her down on her knees as she clawed her own head in two for a change.]
[The Sin's tail wanders out behind him (a noose, waiting for its neck), and his teeth settle together with a finalizing snap. Rck.] Meet me here. [He starts, and the location slips through their tether. He'd seen the garage a few times during his travels. A building, mostly collapsed, but with enough floors and wreckage to keep parts of it still standing. It's as good a place as any. And while they may have to deal with a host or two along the way, it's not as if Sharon hasn't proved already that she could hold her own.]
[Greed opens his wings, trapping a gust between them, and his hand wraps around the mask latched over his face.] Just tell me when, and I'll make the time.
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A taste of her own medicine, he says, and Sharon can't help the faint curve of her smile—thin, fleeting, almost ghostlike as it flickers through the psychic link. There's nothing she wants more. It's what she's done for decades: giving people back exactly what they've handed her, letting them feel it in full. And with Sleep? She'd go to nearly any length to make that happen. ]
All right. [ The thought brushes after him. ] How about tomorrow, then?
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[But he doesn't. Not now, not when they're close to actually landing a blow or two of their own. And hasn't he said it before?]
[How it's better, easier, kinder to keep it simple.]
Tomorrow. [Greed lifts his shoulders and as the fur of his collar fans across his neck, he lets a few sensations bleed through: the stale tobacco clinging to his vest, the soft tickle, touching his jaw. The safety of claws and their promise to rip the throats out of the shadows, chasing at her feet.]
[The former homunculus adjusts his sunglasses, and the line from his end dims down to a light, breathing coal.] I'll take a look around beforehand. Make sure there aren't too many Hosts crawling about the place. In the meantime, watch your back, Shar. Don't know how much of it she's already caught onto, if at all. Better to keep your wits about ya, just in case.
[With that, he tests his wings. And as the skitters of his handiwork skip down the street, the Sin lets out a heralding bark. His laughter, a thunderclap, aimed right at the source.]
[No matter what the results may be, there's no doubt in his mind that him (that them) were at least going to give Sleep the wake-up call she deserved.]
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Don't worry, Greed, I will, but... I don't think we have to worry about her right now. She'll only care once we actually succeed; until then, she'll see all these plans as something cute. [ There is a bitter edge to it. Sleep doesn't see them as a threat, not really. Just small, harmless things playing at something bigger. ]
mid-april; event ; "i'm mean now" (telepathic message) | keeping promises
[ His tone isn't any different than it usually is - friendly, airy. Living in the Nest means that he gets to see things that he "can't ignore." However, this sort of talk is better in a chat like this than in person. ]
The face you've been wearing lately doesn't seem like yours.
Are you all right?
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[They didn't need it. And he could handle it, would handle it, like he has a million times before.]
M'fine, you little pissant. [His face might not be, but he is. Fine, he means. As fine as his head will let him, at any rate.] Tch. Saw all that, did you? She really does have bad tastes -
[He stands, feeling the cool of the floor between his talons, and for the first time in a while, the former homunculus holds a breath in his lungs. In his mind, his hair is too long, his body is too slender, and the coat he's wearing is frayed at the tails. Two years of being on the run and a world-ending scenario would do that to a jacket.]
- just restin' up, is all. Been busy these past few weeks. You know how it is. [Again, he isn't lying. He had been busy. But he's dodging the truth of the matter as he's wont to do. Better to avoid the complications of it all.]
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[ Yuuto can admit that he doesn't quite feel like himself, but that is about it. His words about the same. The tone is about the same. Yet he is the one that's needling Greed under the guise of being polite and concerned. ]
I've heard about how busy that you've been. Something that may spill back on me which is why you had Silco-san offer his protection, right? Well, those plans don't concern me, either, since I wasn't part of them...
[ He is offering a smile. ] ... however, you're certainly suffering. If you are, and don't want us to worry, could you do a better job at hiding it? [ A soft laugh. ] But I do believe Greed-san is someone who doesn't want to be alone even if he says he does, is that not right?
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[So, he levels himself to his feet, even as he feels the snap of a coat that isn't there, slithering between borrowed legs he abandoned on a similar gamble.] No, it isn't. And who said anything about it being painful, Suits? [He snaps; a warning, clipped on the tips of his teeth. The cigarette waiting for him tableside easily finds a home between his claws and as his mouth wraps around it, he imagines his face split down the middle. Both halves dangerous, even if the latter could be easily mistaken for innocent.] Ha - ! Is that right? Sounds like schatz made good on his word, after all. Call me surprised.
[He snorts, and whatever is left of Ling Yao fades away in a skitter of ash that'll never see the light of day.] Tsk. I'll keep it in mind, demanding little shit. [The former homunculus flicks his eyes towards the door and as the red of them bleeds halos, he lets himself swallow up the tobacco. The slowness of his drag, savoring every scorch it'll give him.]
Mn. Maybe, maybe not. But that's a secret. [He pats his foot, spreading his talons along the floor, and one of the exposed blanks squelches in response.] What? Can't get enough of me? [He winks through the Murmur. Unpolite, unbothered, and all the bit of sin he really, truly is.] Didn't take you for the sort, Yu.
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[ Taking a seat in his room, he crosses one leg over the other. Resting his hand on his knee, he continues to radiate his usual friendliness. Regardless of how his intentions change, he is still a cheerful person. ]
You've gathered so many people and want them to be safe. We are part of your collection, then? I'm touched to be part of it, and I agreed in part, but doesn't that make things uneven for you? [ He interlaces his fingers. ] Everything is an illusion, after all ... even if we are close together, there may not be any security.
Even though you are right next to us, you may not be able to save anyone.
[ He smiles yet again. ] Wouldn't it be better to come clean before you regret?
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["Careful, careful. You might just end up regretting what you're asking for yourself."]
[Greed crosses his legs and again, the familiar form of Ling settles over him. Not as young as the kid was then, but somewhere in the middle. An illusion of 30 or so, yet timeless all same.] Mn. The name is Greed, Yu. I won't abandon what's mine so easily. That's all there is to it. [Mindlessly, he thumbs the butt of his cigarette, letting its stray ash pepper through the floorboards.] And no, it doesn't. It's as fair a deal as any. You all, here, working for me. You've made good on your end, and me, mine. That's just how it is, nothing more.
[The Sin runs his hand through his hair (short to his fingers, long to his touch), and he places the cigarette back on his lip; its burn making a shadow of his face to hold both him and Ling as one.] Between me and Sil, we've got it taken care of. Even if she does bite back, you don't actually believe we wouldn't have additional firepower, do you? [He chases Yuuto through the Murmur. With eyes bright, burning, and as scorched as a two-pronged fork, dipped in the mouth of a vat.]
Oh - ? And what would I regret, exactly?
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Greed-san. You may lose all of your tethers. Silco-san said he would assist you if something might happen. I'm sure the rest of us would feel like doing something for you, as well.
[ However -- ] It would be easier to just harm what you care about than to cause you pain, if you ask me. You are our leader, after all, and it seems as though you are willing and able to take in everything that may befall you. [ And it seems like he has a lot of faith in Silco, as well. Yuuto has no opinion one way or the other, but he simply feels like saying: ]
It feels as though you have a lot of regrets that you're running from, is all.
[ Another smile. ] I don't know what they might be and it's none of my business. [ His favorite line. ] Unfortunately, you're the one that is suffering and so I felt I should, at the very least, say... you should stop running.
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Yeah, I've been warned. Wouldn't surprise me if the hag decided to pull a stupid fucking stunt like that. But it wouldn't be the first time. [He's sure it won't be the same, but the concept isn't a strange one to him. Back then, he'd had Lan Fan do the dirty work. A call to her, over the shoulder he shared with the very face he's wearing, barking his final order.]
[He pockets his hands, feeling slacks that aren't leather, and the snug of a coat, gripping his shoulders tight.] Yeah, well, you can count on schatz for one thing. He knows how to get the job done. If it's necessary, he'll let you know. He owns half the place, Yuuto. And credit where credit's do, the man's got a talent for getting things done.
[The Sin walks, tossing the memory of a ponytail over his shoulder.] Sorry, that's something I can't do. Hurting mine is the same as stealing, friend. Don't think I need to tell you what that means, hmn? [The trail of his cigarette burns smoke between his fingers; a lacework of blue and silver, finding themselves in the dark.] Oh, ho - ! Leader is a strong word. Boss is more like it. I'm no hero, Suits. Don't start getting this wild idea in your head that I'm anything other than what I am.
[Running, regrets, and oh, does he have a few. He ran for 100 years, and two more on top of them. A fugitive that belonged no where and would end up in exactly the same spot he started.]
[Greed pinches his cigarette between his nails, grinning into its fumes.] And what do you think I'm running from? [His tone shifts again. Dangerous, sharp, and as cutting as the crooks of his claws, hovering over his face.]
Go ahead, and spit it out. Told you before there's no point holding anything back with me. And I think we both know how bullshit you can be sometimes. [It isn't mean how he says it. More the kindness of a criminal, passing along his admiration.]
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[ Because he isn't that cruel. Kicking someone while they are down is against his sensibilities. ]
Rest assured, I have already accepted him as another employer. [ He interlaces all his fingers save his index - those he lightly taps together thoughtfully. ] I have not seen what he can accomplish and so I'll just have to believe what you say, Greed-san.
[ A neutral response to the boasting of Silco. ]
I believe you are far more human than you believe yourself to be. The Sin of Greed has more humanity than he's willing to admit. Because to admit would mean that he might end up hurt.
[ His voice shifts to something sympathetic, something kind, but it is only something. ]
I believe you're running from something painful and attempting to soothe yourself here to avoid acknowledging that agony.
[ Lifting his head, he looks up - like he's making eye contact. His gaze calm, serene, gentle; friendliness baked underneath the resolve. ]
To protect yourself, you should try to come to terms with it... or you'll always be running scared... afraid that it will show up in the new horror Sleep decides to show you.
[ A slight pause. ] It is why your face doesn't know what shape to be, isn't it?
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Do you, now? Think you've got me all figured out? [The Sin's eyes turn, and a whiff of heat floats past his face; a sigh of steam, peeling off his skin.] Dunno, Yuuto. Takes a lot more than that to hurt me. [Physically, anyway. He's not going to get into the details of the rest of it. Not here, not with him, not with anyone. Sleep's already done enough damage, pulling out some of his secrets. And avarice, ah. How it does like to hold onto what's his.]
[Which may be why he meets Yuuto's gaze through the Murmur without a hint of hesitation. As he leers forward, wild as ever, like a fire-line of brush, inching towards a main road.] Comes to terms with it? GAHAHAHA - ! [The former homunculus throws his head back, false ponytail and all, as he barks smoke at the ceiling.]
You sure got some crazy ideas, Suits. Just what do you think I have to come to terms with? I don't really care what she does. She's just another dwarf in the flask, far as I'm concerned. [A tell, perhaps, of how far his defiance really goes. Whatever he means.]
[But then, Yuuto shoves in the pick, and the Sin bows his head. His smile never leaves (couldn't, really), yet the tension of it: it's forced. Forced because he knows no other way to be, no other way to react, no other way of understanding, save the pulse of his want, pounding constant behind his ribs.]
[So, he gives a simple answer:] It's because it was the last one I had. [Ah, and that's a truth he hasn't shared with anyone.] Call it an old memory.
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[ Interlacing his fingers, he believes this very much to be true. While he can't do anything about the physical state of Greed; he is certain he could peel away his smile. ]
But I'm not that mean.
[ A dismissive reply, even though he is attempting to kill him with a million tiny, little cuts. ]
However, as you are asking me, I believe it's something too painful to name or even talk to anyone about, which means it will one day choke you.
[ His head lifts to meet his "gaze" through the Murmur. His smile just as placid as ever, just as empty, just as friendly in its emptiness. Still, there is something sympathetic in how he talks to him. ]
I'll call it an old memory, then.
[ A beat. ] How long do you intend to be mired in your old memory?
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You think so, huh. [Greed wanders, numb, and his claws find the comfort of a shallow glass.] All right, Suits. Call me curious. [The tips of his nails circle, then; their points, running the rim like hooks, dragging loathsome on the floor.] How do you think you can hurt me? Ah, but be careful. You might not like what I have to say, after.
[A warning, though, it's a mild one. He's already claimed the man as one of his. And there still are rules, after all.]
[The former homunculus lifts his drink, taking in the faint smell of smokey scotch. He's pulling from the top shelf today. He deserves it.] Mn. Good thing I don't have much of a gag reflex then, huh. [He lifts the glass to his mouth and as he breathes against it, it's fire. Fire and brimstone, baking into the surface like boiled lead.]
As long as the hag wants, I suppose. Don't exactly have a timer for this sort of thing. [With little ceremony, he throws back the liquor; every lick of it, sucked to the bone. Greed tosses the glass somewhere and as it screams on quickly drying sweat, he tips over his hips; the lean of his body as hovering as a vulture, trying to peck itself in, in, in.]
How long do you intend to ask questions you might not like the answer to?
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Don't ask me to hurt you then threaten me with a good time.
[ His smile returns just as friendly and pleasant as always. He retracts the feeling of him reaching out to literally poke the bear, as it were. ]
I'm one of yours and working with you under my own volition, of course. [ A soft laugh follows after. ] If you vanish from this place, if you die, I am certain there are those that will mourn that passing but I'm afraid... I will forget all about you because your memory isn't worth holding onto after you're gone.
[ However, that is how he feels about anyone. Even someone he attempted to save the life of. He doesn't dislike anyone. ]
You're just a life of one sin who burning ever so brightly yet obviously crying out for something he doesn't have the courage to name.
[ Again, his hand lifts as he lightly chuckles. ] I don't know what that might be, but I do think it's painful to watch.
[ However, it isn't just Greed. ] Everyone's running from something, I suppose... but you should try to make it a little less obvious how much you're sprinting. [ And he interlaces his fingers and smiles. ]
I suppose I'll keep asking until you decide to turn around and face me.
[ A casual reply. ]
Take Aim & Give, Beginning of Week 1
The comforting presence of his tethers now made his soul ache and he left his bookstore before any of them came looking for him. The more he isolated himself, the more he felt himself slip away. But where could he go where he wouldn't hurt anyone else? A memory guided his steps to the Devil's Nest, his loneliness pulling across their tether as he approached Greed. His eyes were partly clouded with darkness as he struggled not to lose himself to his wraith's nature.]
Can I stay here for awhile?
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[Greed's eyes turn to the door (daggered thin, running red, waiting), and a frown digs into the meat of his cheek. Their last encounter had been what feels like months ago. Two men, lost in a sea that drank everything they were only to spit it back up again. Honestly, he's a little surprised to see Sirius. He figured the man had decided it wasn't worth the trouble. Too much uncertainty or, perhaps, too much second-hand knowledge that the bar in question could bring more bad than good.]
[The Sin slinks out of his place on the bar stool, one heel first, then the other. He can only take a wild guess as to why the man showed up here, now, of all times. Something isn't right. The calm of it all, holding like it's readying itself for a storm. But he's aware that prodding won't do either of them any favors. Wanting dogs rarely needed the push, and he's not sure how hard Sirius can actually bite.]
[So, he steps forward; his hands in his pockets, his tail making screws around his thigh, and his wings as thin as they can be, planted at the strong of his back.] Ah - ? What kind of question is that? [He purses his lips, showing off the faintest hint of a smile. Kinder on better men, but as close enough as he can get.]
Oi, oi. Don't be stupid, Sirius. [The former homunculus eats away the space between them. With his heels, his body, and the drift of tobacco, long-since spent.] I told you, you could. And you might not believe me, but I've made it one my rules never to lie. [However, he is looking the man over - the run of his eyes, checking to see if there's any hint of physical damage.]
Got plenty of rooms upstairs. Think you can walk on your own?
(cw: undead and fungi body horror)
He also didn't have anywhere else to go and the quiet gratitude in his expression was reflected by the hesitant warmth that flowed through their tether.]
Thank you. I didn't mean to doubt your word. I just didn't want to impose.
[The darkness that bled into the edge of his eyes stopped its advance as Greed's tether helped ground him. Greed's scrutiny however stirred the wraith's nature inside him and the black bandages around his arms discreetly loosened with a predatory aggression. The movement revealed a small glimpse of something glowing underneath his bandages.
With a small wince, Sirius struggled to control the wraith's violent impulse that momentarily clouded his mind.]
Yeah I can walk. I'm just tired.
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[Greed pockets his hands, and the tip of his tail licks off the floor. A waft to taste the wood and scorch the dust settled between the boards.] Save it. That thanks. Wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it, Sirius. [His tone is light, yet there's a scratch to it. The barest hint of a bite, twitching at the forks of his tongue and pressing hot behind his teeth. How long was his list going to get? How many more names was he going to have to add? Of the people he knew, of his, and all life owed them, time and time again.]
[It's a later conversation. Or maybe, it will never be one at all. He's always made it a point not to pry too much if he doesn't have to. It had to be because they wanted to. Because they wanted to lay down their confessions and let sin, sin of all things, add them to a pile that he would collect on later.]
[Greed irritably snorts, yanking one of his hands out of his pocket.] Yeah, I'm sure you could. Seems to me you've already had a time getting here, though, hmn? Figured you're owed the favor. [He extends his arm, then; an elbow, should Sirius decide to take it.]
When's the last time you ate?
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But that was later conversation, one that he might be willing to have when the wounds from the dream weren't so raw. He wanted to, but he needed more time.
He was too tired to argue with Greed's observation and he gave in with a ghost of a smile.] Fair enough. [The aura of cold that radiated from him hungrily wrapped around Greed's warmth as he took his arm, taking advantage of his exhaustion to lean into the other's comforting touch for a moment. His eyes narrowed slightly at the question.]
I'm not sure. Several days maybe but I don't need normal food anymore.
[He craved something else and a shadow crossed over his expression. When was the last time he had that?]
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[Still, it's all semantics at the end of the day. He understands, even if he doesn't have the whole picture yet.]
[Greed hums, guiding Sirius as gingerly as he can up and away from the bar proper.] That right? Something from before, or is that thanks to our friend here running the place? [Friend, he says, yet his tone says otherwise. How it rattles on the forks of his tongue like a lick of hot-ready venom.] Doesn't matter. First, let's get you upstairs. We can get to all that later.
[One day, he's going to have to thank Jinx for her efforts. The elevator, which had been stuck at a standstill for months, is an easier alternative. And it's where he leads Sirius on; the colorful lights of the bar and its eye-popping decor, drifting past them as smearing as traffic signs in the rain.]
[Greed shoves his elbow into the outside console, turning the button for "4" yellow with a glow.] Figured this floor will be a little more quiet. It's still pretty empty, for the most part. [Save 'Lört, but the bird had a habit of being anywhere he wanted, when he wanted, no matter who took up residence.]
[The elevator chimes (offkey, grinding), and the former homunculus nudges one of its sticky doors open with the toe of his boot.] In the meantime, think about some things you may need. We'll get you settled in, and then I can see what I can do on my end, hmn?
a letter slid under his door
「マーマー」を通じてご連絡し、多大なるご迷惑をおかけしましたことを深くお詫び申し上げます。私は、あなたの日々の生活や、プライベートな時間に何を考えているかについて、口出しする権利があるなどと愚かにも思い込んでいました。私のような身分の低い従業員が、上司に対して「はい、承知いたしました」以外のことを言うべきではありません。
「スリープ」が今後どのような展開を見せるか分かりませんので、このようなことが二度と起こらないとはお約束できません。
また、あなたがこれを読めるかどうかさえ、定かではありません。
それゆえ、私の行動の多くは意味をなさなくなるかもしれませんが、私の行動の背後にある意図については、ご理解いただけるものと信じております。
もしあなたが望まれるのであれば、私はこれまで以上に一生懸命働きますので、どうかご理解ください。
改めて、私の過ちについて深くお詫び申し上げます。
麒飼 遊人
Translation: Salutations, Greed-san.
I deeply apologize for the great inconvenience due to reaching out to you in the murmur. I foolishly believed that I had any right to tell you how to carry on with your day to day living and what you may be processing in your own time. A lowly employee like myself has nothing to say to their boss beyond "yes, sir."
I cannot promise that this will not happen in the future as I do not know what Sleep will have in store for us.
I also am uncertain if you can read this, at all.
Which renders much of what I am doing moot, but I believe you will understand the meaning behind what I have done.
Please understand I will work even harder for you, if you so desire.
Once more, I deeply apologize for my mistakes.
Kigai Yuuto
joke tag i will get something better later but i am feeling silly
[He can't fucking read this.]
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[So instead, he goes with the tried and true. An equivalent exchange written in chicken scratch that's no better, on a slip that had (once been) the former bar's balance sheet, slapped haphazardly atop Yuuto's door.]
don't know what you were trying to say, you little shit. i can't read that. but i know it's not xingese so i won't bother asking if it is. close enough i guess.
doesn't matter. whatever you had to say, save it. i didn't take it personally if that's what you're worried about. but if you wanna make it up to me
talk to schatz. ask him how our supplies are doing, and if we need more, make me a list. then i'd say we're even.
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He picks up, squinting at the letters. It looks like English but isn't close enough for him to be able to parse what it could say. However, he does get the impression that perhaps he has messed up --
-- and going to go have a sleepover at someone else's house until he's forgiven.
Weh-weh. ]