Vermilion Center

Ever: Distressingly frequent. Usually brought on by poor choices— your current date excepting. But that's the risk of doing what's right, no?

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Vermillion PMC

Luciana: "Well that's... distressing. Yes."

"And what was that about- Oh Arceus it is a date."

She just kind of sits there with a Thousand-Yard Stare as if Ever had just told her she was adopted.

All are significantly abnormal in a normal world... All are significantly normal in an abnormal world.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

-After a moment, she returns with two cups.-

Scarlette: ...Dear gods, Ever, what did you do.

-She holds out one of the cups for Luciana-

Scarlette: Pumpkin spice, just like you asked.

-She smiles, and winks.-

Vermilion PC

Ever: Fighting for love by daylight, hmm? Sailor Moon makes a lot more sense now.

(to Scarlette) I told you. Best wingenby. Have fun, you tw—

-they check their phone and nearly choke on the hot chocolate that they somehow have-

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Vermilion PMC

Hraesvelgr: <Consoling: It would have happened at some point.>

Luciana reaches out and grabs the offered latte, slowly coming back down to earth as she takes a drink.

Luciana: "Oh, yes welcome back, thank you."

All are significantly abnormal in a normal world... All are significantly normal in an abnormal world.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basemsent

-Moments after her last text, Scarlette's phone explodes with notifications.-

-It's a few minutes more before Ever's phone buzzes.-

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Levi takes a break from discussing which outdated videogaming related ephemera to take with him to Lucius's cave abode (at the moment he's tossing up between the Atari Jaguar, the Neo-Geo and a copy of Melee) to pester his boyfriend.

Levi: Hey Stumps, what are you doing~

I'm having to learn to pay the price

-Scarlette smiles, briefly glancing at her phone but opting to wait to respond to Lucius until after.-

Scarlette: No prob.

-She sits down, taking a sip of her own drink.-

Scarlette: So, Mason mentioned you're getting dragged into this whole J-Team mess too, huh?

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius almost jumps a good two feet in the air at Levi's surprise remark before falling back down on the mattress.-

Lucius: N-nothing! I mean, uh, I was just texting a friend of mine. So nothing important, is what I meant to say. I just wanted to know how her d-date was going, that was all.

-He almost seems to consider continuing along that same line of conversation for a second, before suddenly changing tack.-

Lucius: Hey, babe... just curious, but what would you say the relationship between me and Xy is?

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Levi raises his arms and shakes his head.

Levi: Oh! I wasn't gonna pry on your texts! That's your privacy, and I respect it.

He then things.

Levi: Uhh.... Boyfriend by proxy... Boyfriend-in-law...?

Levi's voice raises a semitone higher at the end of that sentence.

Edited by PippingFool on Oct 1st 2018 at 2:55:23 AM

I'm having to learn to pay the price

Vermilion PC

Dunsparce didn't stop being a thing or anything.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius goes very red as he reaches out to wrap his arm around Levi.-

Lucius: Ah, r-right. That makes sense. I was just wondering because... well, I mean, you're still the first person I feel like I've ever had a real relationship with. And not just because of... well, y'know, but also because I just feel so comfortable around you. I feel like I can say what's on my mind and just be myself when you're around, and I hope I'm able to make you as happy as you make me.

-He gives a smile, which falters slightly as he turns away.-

Lucius: All that said... is it wrong to still have feelings for someone who you don't think you could ever be in that place with?

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Levi blushes at Lucius's wall of schmaltz and sap, before chuckling and giving him a hug.

Levi: Awww, babe. You're adorable, you know that~?

Levi gives a quick peck to Lucius's temple, before casually leaning on the back of his bad hand.

Levi: Take it from an old codger like myself who has been around that particular block a few times. Yeah. It's almost kinda natural in a way, you develop feelings for someone who you know won't reciprocate - at least not in the way you want. Whether it be because they're already taken, circumstances making it impossible (or at least undesirable), an incompatibility of sorts or just because you know that a full relationship... may potentially bring out the worst aspects of a person and just not be healthy.

Levi meditates on one of his few words of wisdom before perking up in curiosity.

Levi: Why do you ask, Stumps?

I'm having to learn to pay the price

???: BECAUSE I WILL NOT LET HIM!

-A white and gold blur plunges through the dark cloud and land in front of Ludmilla, taking the Shadow blast head on as the figure's red eyes glare daggers at the Criminal.-

Ren: What... What are you doing here!?

-The Mega Aggron-like figure calmly stands to his full height - with Ludmilla's head barely reach his shins. Wearing a white coat with golden blades on his boots and wielding a dual-bladed weapon with a golden ring connecting the blades, the wandering demon - and the friend Ren has not seen in over a year - speaks with the deep and regal tone Ren remembers so well.-

???Izanagi-no-Okami: This is a mental landscape, and one of many that make up the greater collective. It is not impossible for me to sense you and to come to aid you in times of great need.

-With a slight bit of snark- I believe you were casting something?

Ren: -exhaling in relief- Glad to see you've loosened up a bit.

-Ren raises his staff as the energy in can absorb peaks.-

Giresta!

-A wave of white and silver energy that heals a moderate amount and grants a strong regen effect spreads out from Ren. While the definitely affects Ludmilla, Izanagi-no-Okami, and Ren; only those who heeded Ren's shout and actually got closer to him will also be affected by the healing wave.-

-Ren's armor mends as his wounds heal.-

Ren: -to Izanagi-no-Okami- You sticking around?

Izanagi-no-Okami: -raising his weapon- As long as you need me.

Ren: Just like old times then.

-Ren nods as he tries to bring forth Reynart, but his Persona failed to manifest. Ren shook the surprise out of his mind. There would be a time to think on that later.-

Edited by keys2tkingdom on Oct 1st 2018 at 11:46:51 AM

PEFE HQ, Foxtime

The Zorua trio look around in awe. Strelitzia looks interested, though to a lesser extent, and Kaden and Akira just look kinda nonplussed.

Daydre looks similarly nonplussed, but mostly because she's been living here for the past few weeks.

off the shits

Countryside Estate

Helena approaches Lowell's workshop.

Helena: Darling, I have terrible news.

Lowell: If it's the issue with us wearing out hammers hitting those toys, I've solved that. It seemed much easier to smash them with a block of Lowecrete.

Helena: Yes, about that?

Lowell: Also, I have heard about Sylvestre deciding to take a long holiday. And you are right, it would do him well to do a bit of soul searching to rekindle his creative fires.

Helena: That's highly unusual coming from you, but it's pleasant to hear you being an attentive parent for once. But Sylvie's a big boy now and he can take care of himself. And it's not about him, either.

Lowell: Then what is it?

Helena: I had some of the shards spectroanalyzed. The toy company that makes these plaything made them out of a peculiar polymer that they bought from one our portfolio companies. Specifically, one of your polymers.

Lowell: Lowecrete? Impossible.

Helena: Or one of its ingredients mixed with base plastic.

Lowell: True. A crafty way for those wretched sneasels to go around trademarks while peddling inferior imitations. I've better things to do with my time than pursue petty litigation... though a genius of my caliber could create a superlative new plastic mixture. The patents and royalties from that alone could be enough to buy that moon of Jupiter you want.

Helena: Oh, darling you hopeless romantic. I want all the moons of Jupiter! (Or maybe just the four large ones.)

Lowell: My dear, you've more than earned your place in the family tapestries.

Edited by MasterJayAM on Oct 1st 2018 at 10:42:39 PM

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius giggles and flushes red at Levi's affectionate forehead kiss.-

Lucius: Hey, I am not adorable. I'm drop-dead gorgeous and you know it.

-His expression becomes more pensive as he considers Levi's advice.-

Lucius: Yeah... yeah, that makes sense. As for why I'm asking, it's... well, I'm still new to all this stuff, and I just don't know what to do with all these feelings. I could just repress them like I usually do, I guess, but I'm already repressing plenty as-is.

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Levi sticks his tongue out at Lucius.

Levi: Hey! You can be both adorable and drop-dead gorgeous. I'm living proof of that~

He chuckles slightly.

Levi: Well, if you stuff a bag with too much junk, it starts to burst at the seams. Sometimes you just gotta take some shit out of it, yannow? Grab life by the horns and shake it until it moos~

I'm having to learn to pay the price

The Black Crystal

-The storm clouds simmer.-

-The Criminal brushes his hair back.-

-Ludmilla scrambles back out of the way, back to Deziree.-

-...-

-...-

The Criminal: ...

-The Criminal stares at Izanagi as the tension in the air heightens.-

-...-

-...-

The Criminal: Hello... Father.

-A peel of lightning cracks the sky.-

-

-

-

-

-

Magatsu Susanoo

Phase 4

   Anger   

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius grins back at Levi.-

Lucius: That is certainly true~

-He gives Levi another peck before his expression becomes more pensive again.-

Lucius: ...I think I lost the metaphor towards the end there, but I can see what you mean. Again, this whole "emotional honesty" thing is pretty new to me as well. I would blame my father, but that's the cop-out excuse for stunted development. This is all on me.

Edited by Herbert40k on Oct 1st 2018 at 5:16:09 PM

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

Levi giggles at being pecked.

Levi: Aw! You're suck a sap sometimes, you know~!

Levi gets a lil more serious, but not losing the jovial and casual edge.

Levi: My advice Stumps? Just, don't fall down into the pit of eternal self loathing. Once you've convinced yourself you're bad, you stunt your own growth by believing you can never truly get better. As you said, you're new to these things. No-one is ever good at anything when they're new to something! You gotta keep at it, but you do get better!

Levi punctuates his pep talk with a dopey grin.

I'm having to learn to pay the price

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius smiles back at Levi.-

Lucius: Thanks. For what it's worth, I do think I'm a better person than I was this time last year. Not that that's much of an achievement, mind, but I reckon I've been improving and getting better bit by bit, day by day, ever since I met you.

-He smirks.-

Lucius: Plus, you can't deny that there were some things I was pretty good at even when I was new to them~

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement.

Levi places his bad hand over his heart.

Levi: Babe, I love you and all that. But. No. You were awkward. Very, very awkward.

Levi leans in forward with a slightly bawdy smirk.

Levi: That doesn't they weren't fun times or that I didn't enjoy them~ After all, you did have such enthusiasm for the topic and were so willing to learn~

I'm having to learn to pay the price

Embedded Tower, Levi's Basement

-Lucius goes very red, stifling a giggle as he does.-

Lucius: H-hey! I'll have you know I'm a grade-A student. In fact, I'd even put myself forward for some private tuition after class, if you're willing to give me a few lessons~

Trans rights are human rights. JK Rowling preaches hate. If you sit at a table with five bigots and say nothing, there are now six bigots.