come out of the shade

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

It felt like a rare opportunity to be in his home nowadays; not busy bristling within the barracks and preparing armor, weaponry, or refurbishing targets, not stalking the length of the Artisan’s Guild, checking over stalls and kiosks, or distracted by the call of another, lingering around for advice, sagacity, or just a listening ear. Once Amalia had left, another welcome distraction, he lingered around doing various other chores, before returning back into the confines of the house, the table now his workspace. Concentration furrowed along his brow, tactics and precision carved a niche in his movements, and for a lengthy amount of time he sketched and drew, hands outlining pieces and enamel on parchment, crossing out various designs or adding to the conflagration of conspiracies. He took various breaks in between, torn in the concept of agonizing over the details, or letting inspiration take hold, before finally settling back down into his chair and corresponding to the latter.

A hushed glow, a quiet fortitude, a laden set of prosperities and deep-rooted affections unfolded along his hands, and when they were finally woven and pieced together, interlocking, but also completely removable from one another, he gazed upon them for a great, long while. Silver, gold, ramparts, dedication, flanked, unguarded thing tucked along enamel and argent, and a great billowing sigh following thereafter, overthinking, overplanning, the calculations and devises flickering over his mind until they were an all-consuming venture, striving for perfection and uncertain if he’d ever cross that threshold.

The General’s eyes narrowed, before hiding and guarding, placing furtive, secretive stances and upheavals elsewhere, before shuffling the papers away or into the hearth’s reach, giving away nothing, nothing, nothing.

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

Obviously she can’t let herself find out about these new fancy tricks, of growing stronger like Deimos had said she would, without telling the man of them, now could she? Absolutely not. She makes a beeline to his home, imagining that he’s there when she hadn’t found him at the bakery, nor at the Barracks, nor walking the lines of the Artisan’s Guild. And so she finally makes it to his door, Auni in tow, knocking on the door briefly to announce her arrival before she opens it and slips in. Her icy gaze drifts around, searching for him, but Auni is first to bound toward where Deimos is located.

And she smirks, following the Luxere while remaining fully in her human form, focusing on him. Hope you don’t mind I dropped by. She tells him, and should he turn to look, he’d find a wink sent his way from her porcelain face, proud to be able to speak to Deimos and now Amalia in the ways they had spoken to her before. She felt included, as if she was worthy of it now, without realizing it. So she focuses on the things and items he’s crafting instead, the lift of her lips in a quiet smile, pulsating a feeling of excitement toward the Sword in what she sees.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

A hushed dominion settled over him, when everything was said and done, finalized, a stillness before any apprehension could press and extort; breaths calm and composed, giving away absolutely nothing as a knock resounded along the door. Found again, despite the attempt at seclusion (and he could remember a time when no one came towards him, when no one bothered, when no one even glimpsed towards his lurking shadow). His eyes flickered over to the table, to any ramparts or hints left within, but the secrets were cast, ablaze, and locked accordingly; and so he permitted the entrance without any other emotion segmented upon his brow, or bounding in his chest. The piercing gaze lifted as the door swung, he might’ve guessed who it was before Auni had leapt towards him, simply based on antics and upheavals, arching a singular brow towards Kiada while his hands scratched at the luxere’s ears.

The smirk might have said far more than she ever could – and then the following resonation within his skull did the rest. An alteration, a change, a position of strength she’d once harbored and harpooned and craved, now hers all the more. In response, Deimos shifted away from the kitchen, more towards the table, pulling a chair away, invitation expressed. Not at all. It was the truth – there were others he might have growled at to go away, mood soured by their essence, but never for the Harpy. A fair amount of pride pulsed along its deep rumble, for her, for all her achievements, for all the luster she’d gained after everything else scattered and scarred its way through her soul – tilting his head, bestowing a quiet smile of his own. “Congratulations.”

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

If there’s one person that Auni knows will give him scratches when he requests it, it’s Deimos. It probably makes him his favorite person, aside from Kiada and Seiji, and for it the Luxere regards him as being something special as he peers at him from icy eyes like Kiada’s, but far softer, far warmer. With it, Kiada slips in, shows off a small amount at the achievements she’s gathered in the last few weeks, smirking and looking to him with all the sense of accomplishment in the world.

She can feel the pride rebound back, and she makes no note along her face how close she cherishes it, but she locks it away within her, to think back on during her bad days when nothing seems to feel like it’s going right. And as the Sword pulls out a chair for her, she obliges him and settles in, Auni at her side like a loyal watch dog despite being everything but.

“Thanks. I don’t know when it happened, but… I’m glad it did. You were right.” She rumbles, waving a hand in a rather off-hand manner before something about his thoughts and what not distract her. “What are you working on?” She asks, tilting her head and glancing from the hearth to him.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

The affirmation that he was right sent a surrounding essence of superiority, teasing, and taunting, made entirely in jest, because there’d been few times anyone had ever said such a thing to him. He’d chisel it in the back of his mind for leagues and fathoms, pending circumstances where he’d revert to foolishness and idiocy. His hands maneuvered away from Auni’s head and over to his own chair, pulling it aside, sitting within, fingers busy with portions of left over metal. He said naught more on strength, on much of anything really, knowing full well to delve and lurk in those catacombs again would be an effort of decay and melancholy too – certain she’d be able to conquer no matter what she put her heart and soul into. This had just been one of the first of many steps. The nuances of cycles. The rush of capability and ability. The feeling of success, that he hoped she’d bind herself to, grasp, hold, tether a line, relish in those sentiments and outcomes, so she could rampage towards it again and again.

Upon other notes, he rose from his seat, grabbing hold of whatever snacks were left on the counter – some bread, some scones, proffering them back along the table, slanting the piercing shade of his eyes her way at her innocent inquiry. “Secret.” A devilish smirk thereafter, a diversion of Reaper tendencies still alive and well, occupying and distracting while the cloak and daggers curled and contorted themselves along the entities and vestiges. “What are you up to?”

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

And there it is, the teasing and devilish smirks of the Reaper, hidden behind the masks of Swords and Shields, of lives and worlds lived years from now, of lives lived and died in, and she can’t help the roll of her eyes as she crosses one leg over the other and focuses on him in her own quiet amusement. “A secret that even I can’t know?” She offers, a dramatic pang of offense crossing her face in sheer amusement before she waves her hand and passes it off.

As for what she’s up to? Well, many things now. She looks down to her hands, fingers running along the callouses of her hands as she focuses on the things she’s been doing. “Well, the Guild is up and running as you know. And Wessex came by to see me, told me about a few of the creatures in Halo.” She pauses as she tilts her head to think back on it. “And… I danced with a man named Harper at the Glade, though I’m truly no good at dancing. Give me a fight and I’ll have some finesse, but dancing? Terrible.” She chuckles softly before shaking her head and looking back at Deimos with a shrug.

“All in all, not much.”

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

The Reaper hoarded secrets and information for an eternity, kept them under lock and key, never pried from his lips unless it was for a manipulative means. Spilling anything to him was likely a safe bet, but it also meant he wasn’t about to be forthcoming in his own predilections; such was the case now. If she was offended by not being in on the furtive, specious deliberations, his shrug noted his indifference, his rogue, ruffian snicker indicated his taunting. Almost aloof, he raised his head to gaze elsewhere, perhaps along the hearth, where the papers had long since burned away any evidence of his plans. “You will know eventually.” Just not now – proffering her the slightest boon, then applying the pretense of nonchalance and apathy, hands pulling apart some portions of bread while she spoke of the things and events surrounding her life.

He’d already known about the Guild, had assisted in its opening, but the Wessex contribution again was a curious one – had the Wraith intended to join, meld some of her actions into the monster hunting ministrations now? His eyes narrowed briefly, on the table rather than the Harpy, his calculating nature taking over. “Is she going to continue her involvement?” Mild curiosity, uncertain of how to weigh Wessex’s actions as of late; circumstances sometimes headed to the greater good, others circling the drain, inspiring vehemence. The other notions spiraling thereafter, of a man named Harper (pondering if this meant he had someone else to hunt down, only on mere speculations and intrigue, of course) and their dancing (and Deimos was fully aware of the potential road to other revolutions there). The Sword arched a singular brow, containing all those small nuances and bemusements along the teasing lines and measures, other notions conspiring beneath flesh, blood, and bone, but left unsaid. “They have their similarities.” A shrug for her too; both capable of maneuvering with finesse of bloodshed, ruin, and battlefields; less inclined to waltz near ballrooms.

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

She makes a sound akin to a scoffing sound, before it devolves into a smirk of amusement. “Fiiiiine.” She whines, understanding the need of some secrecy at the end of the day, but yet still wanting and craving to attain knowledge others do not. In a way, it makes her special, and that’s all she’s really craving nowadays. A need to be noticed, special, seen and sought after.

But he asks her what she’s been up to, and she obliges, listing out her fairly boring life all things considered, until he questions whether Wessex is continuing her work in the Monster Hunter’s Guild. To which, Kiada nods slightly. “I am considering sending her to Halo to seek out dragons.” She says thoughtfully, a hand reaching up to rest alongside her head, fingers tapping along her jaw.

It doesn’t last long, not as she tells Deimos of Harper and she can see beyond his silence at the inquiries, passing it off with a roll of her eyes. “That was the last time I saw him, but he is amusing.” She comments with a quiet laugh, eyes narrowing as she looks to the Sword then with his comment of ballrooms and battlefields having their similarities. “I suppose, but I’m still pretty bad at it.” She comments with a hum of brighter laughter.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

His taciturn nature served him well at this juncture; Kiada’s reluctance, petulant whining, to give in evident, but didn’t alter the Sword’s mind. This one was kept close to the chest, locked and held, until some specific day or moment. The beast didn’t even snort at her contrarian efforts; allow her to either speculate or cast it aside, and he was intending for the latter, brows lifting slightly before notching into the other information passing within their midst.

Wessex and seeking out dragons – an intriguing concept, and it made sense given the Ascended’s predilection for not feeling the cold, and her ability to disappear at a moment’s notice. A lighter note settled into his throat, less grumbling, more of a rumbling, amused tone, content for the moment to preside in musing speculations, rather than settling into any other concerning folds. “What are you seeking out dragons for?” Hoards of treasure? Intrigue? Curiosity? Because one could, and they were legendary things most beings scrambled towards, enamored, bewildered, or strung along by the notions of power?

He made note of Harper being amusing, but said naught more either – letting that drift off into either oblivion or some intertwining nature, keeping close tabs on how many times the man’s name was brought up or if she feigned disinterest. Kiada had already had a string of bad luck with most relationships – Deimos wisely refused to bring up Ru’in – and instead, furrowed his brows for a moment, pondering over intervals lost in the past seasons. It might’ve been an abrupt, swift, change in subject, but it’d lingered and pressed over his mind in those hours where he was otherwise unoccupied. “Did you lose your armor in the fire?” Many of the munitions he’d created and contorted for LongNight occupants in the guild had been utterly destroyed; swept away when monsters breathed mayhem, menace, and he’d been forced to ensure its demise. The Sword’s eyes had been downcast, roaming along the table, before flicking the piercing gaze back to her, waiting for the answer.

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

The question of why she seeks the dragons, is one that she somewhat expects. She’s not necessarily trying to go and hunt them, or really encounter them at all. She just wants to find out about their size, their habits, how different they were compared to the ones that resided here as companions – she thinks of Adam briefly and his companion – before spending time to find out if it would be necessary to even attempt to try and gather the treasure.

But if the treasure is what she suspects from Wessex’s description, she thinks it might be mage glass. And neither of them want that in Zariah or Neron’s hands. “I think their treasure might be mage glass, and just want to confirm it.” She says quietly, a very Rexanna speculative look crossing her face at that before she shakes her head. “Other than that, just information as to what their like. Temperaments, things of that nature.” She finally breaks into a brief smile.

But the next question that reaches her causes her smile to falter. The armor that he had made her, lost and perished in the flame of LongNight, frowning at the remnants of the Monster Hunter’s Guild that she had used to rebuild, for the bodies of those that had perished over the dark week. “I did.” She frowns before her icy gaze slips up to meet Deimos’ face. “I’m sorry.” And she feels bad for it, for having not thought of it as she had tried to put out the fire before Hotaru drug her outside and forced her to leave.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

Mage-glass again, with the potential of dragons hoarding it – based on its rumored strength and capabilities, the item would be a grand thing to hold, to have, and something Zariah, or any other vile, tyrannical sorcerer, should never snag or ensnare. He nodded at the potential, musings and machinations pondering over the likelihood of more descents into calamity for these treasures – how many of them would want, would crave, would yearn for more pieces of power, of might, of fortitude, of ways to be better than others, of ways to topple towers, of ways to divide kingdoms. If it was worth it in the end, to go digging for the fortune, or to continue harboring, harpooning, their own means, measures, and Machiavellian qualities of fortitude.

His eyes on the wooden resin of the table, he missed her faltering smile, lifting his gaze back to her only when the next set of intonations flickered over. “It is fine,” fine that the metal was scorched in the flames, that it too was eaten, swallowed, and consumed; better the protective forge he could easily remake, than Kiada herself. He wasn't angry, irate, or upset about the destroyed, melted, molded filaments. The Sword wouldn’t have thought of it either – only grabbed whatever was on his frame, his figure, his bag, Zuriel, and marched straight toward the flames in effort to save people, not wares, not buildings, not munitions. Those could be replaced.

The lengths of his curiosity had only been instilled so he could practice the fine art again, with a twist, if she accepted. “Would you like more?” The boundaries of his capabilities were already searing and simmering below his skin, emboldened, daring, ready, willing, waiting, because now it could be better, bigger, grander, and stronger.

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

He assures her in his own way that it’s fine that she’d lost the armor, that it had burned. It was likely still covered in that tar-like fluid, dark and hidden in the shadow of a crevice, burned up and melted as soon as the heat of the flames reached it. It was probably better this way, in the end. And so she nods to him, icy gaze lifting in a quiet understanding of the events that occurred that day, of how they’d all tried their best, of how he had been the one to demolish it once everyone had gotten out so it wouldn’t spread to the surrounding buildings.

Ah, and he thinks he isn’t worth anything to anyone.

As he offers her the question of whether she’d want more, she stills slightly in the slight fidgeting of her fingers along her wrist, gaze lingering on Deimos with a small growing smile. “I’d love that if you're up for it.” She says easily, moving to stand in case he wanted measurements. And perhaps, while he works on crafting it, she could supply some form of tea, or snacks, for all the work and everything he’d given her.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

Whoa, you let your feet run wild

Time has come as we all go down

The echoes, the cataclysm, the mayhem, the destruction, still bounded and resounded in his ears – sometimes in his sleep, sometimes in the corners of his eyes, sometimes in the fire coursing, seething, just under his skin. How he’d admired the projection of menace, of malice, of power, of distinction, for a few moments before everything went south, before monster claws and glinting fangs reminded him that no matter how much of those flames he’d controlled, he’d contorted, it didn’t matter. For an individual who’d always savored the ripple of ruins, the tides of ruthlessness, it had been bizarre to find it so heartbreaking; but only because of the people it’d uprooted, only because of the lives it’d scattered. Had he been capable of doing anymore he would have – apologies extended to the alchemist and the Fallen Star, repairs and rebuilding made, cleaning and burying applied. And still, it didn’t feel like enough. Maybe it never would, and he’d have to live with the hollowed sanctions of dust, ash, and cinders, all coiled amongst the rest of his bitter, rancorous memories.

But she accepted, and it brought him out of the hellbent, soulless unraveling, standing before her with a scrutinizing eye again, taking and casting measurements in his head. “Good. I want to try something.” The slightest of smirks found their way to his mouth, better moments ricocheting and bounding; LongNight’s precision not cutting through the glory and triumph of orchestrating something magical. Amalia’s little charm had its containment of starlight, a shield, a protective barrier and boundary, representation of her, and perhaps he could do the same for Kiada.

He didn’t grant her this secret either, maneuvering to sit back down and work while she tended or committed to some other actions. Concentration poured and pooled in his stoic features, an analyzing, a fissuring, a bounty of gilded ether presiding between his hands, as if carving and wielding, as if brandishing hot iron, as if forging something entirely new to the surface. It took shape in bronze form, a breastplate meant to wrap around her entire torso, protective and strong, sturdy and dependable. Along the front of its metallic regions, he scorched little brands of fire and flames, reeling along the bottom as if they were a sea, but currents of infernos instead. Across the sides makeshift luxere antlers embedded, incised and meant to resemble Auni’s, and the back ensued patterns of both, wild stags and the conflagrations in between. He didn’t cease there though, and it would be a furtive measure until she tried it on – a layer of enchantments and invocations stored within, pulsing, pervading, until they reached a designated point.

Then the golden adornments through his palms ceased, and Deimos wiped his brow where a layer of sweat had collected; invocations set to rights, burrowed and buried. He glanced towards her, hands extending the material, the armor, the guarding adornments eager and ready.

--

Deimos has created:
Shifting Armor: Bronze breastplate armor that shifts and shrinks with an attuned's animal forms.

Yeah but for the fall—oh, my—

Do you dare to look them right in the eyes?

DEIMOS

KIADA

the harpy

She arches a brow toward him with quiet wonder. “Okay.” She admits a bit surprised, seeing the edges of a smirk gliding along his features. She can’t figure out what he wants to try, unless it’s something like the charm necklace they had made for Amalia – where the charm had a second use. She wonders what he might add into her own, but she leaves him to it with her own devilish smirk – letting him gather the measurements he might require. And as he sets to work, she moves toward his kitchen, heating up water and making some tea, searching the cupboards for cups to put them into, and returning to the table with mugs in hand and disappearing only briefly to attain honey and sugar.

As she begins to sweeten her tea, she finally takes a moment to look at the armor he’s built – spotting the pieces of her etched into the bits and pieces of the bronze armor. Luxere antlers, to Auni – who’s dozing by the hearth like a glutton for the heat – fire, like the ones she bore upon her spine back in Helovia. The ones she had both adored and hated. And she can’t help but to study it in awe, intrigued and surprised that he’d put so much effort into this one when she’d lost the other. What if she lost this one too?

She pushes it aside as his own oceanic gaze drifts back to her icy ones, reaching out with the breast plate, ready for her to try it on. And so she does, standing from her seat once more to grab it and place it upon her body, above her head. It fits snugly, once she settles it on along her shoulders, feeling the way the metal isn’t quite too cold, isn’t too warm, and how she can breathe comfortably within its confines.

“It’s…” She says, throat swelling slightly with emotion. “Wonderful, thank you.” She says, finding its fit to be better than the previous one, easier to move and work within, easier to thrive within. But when it comes to what other capabilities it may have, she doesn’t know. She won’t know, unless he tells her or she attempts it regardless.

all bright things must burn

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3