Ascensionism

[ascnsionismx]

[LOGAN LERMAN, WITCH / NECROMANCER, CIS-MALE, 31, HE/HIM] MATHIAS ATTANO called into 333FM. They were a little bit INTENSE & IMPULSIVE at first, but we kept them talking until they got a little RESPONSIBLE & REASONABLE. Said they’ve been working as UNDERBOSS, and thinking about aligning themselves with THE DEATHRUNNERS since they have been living in New Orleans for TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS. Based on that alone, they give off huge COLD CRYPT, BLOOD STAINED FAMILY PHOTOS & FLOODED CHURCH vibes.

Mathias' beginning is largely obscured from the public. Most people only know the big details. Like how he killed his family at the age of eight with no prior signs to explain his behavior. What people don't know is that everything had been planned by the ones who ran the Deathrunners

After the murders, Mathias was taken away and molded into what he is now. The Higher Ups, as he calls them, trained him and fostered the magic within him. It was easy to allow necromancy to influence him due to his actions and closeness to death.

The higher ups wanted to make him the future leader and eventual new god of the Deathrunners, and they made sure to let Mathias know of their plans. Unfortunately, since he was so young he couldn't do anything about it.

During his training, he learned the ins and outs of the business, meeting with other gangs and establishing relations with them. At the same time his powers bloomed, often being too much for his young body to handle.

He took over the gang leader role of the Deathrunners recently, and had been making the necessary changes since then. One of the changes he implemented right away was having him not be the face of the gang. Instead, he asked his Underboss, Ricardo, to be the acting leader. In public, Ricardo is the one in charge and Mathias is just someone who works for him. Only the Deathrunners and other gang leaders know the truth.

The Higher Ups still work hard to eventually ascend Mathias, making him into something like a lich. It's not something he completely wants but it's something he cannot fight.

Personality:

Mathias is rather quiet, not speaking most of the times and just listening and watching. He doesn't use his powers openly often, wanting to keep how strong he is quiet. That being said, he can be very quick to anger or impulsive. This does cause him to come off as cruel at times, even more so if he gets under the influence of his powers. Other than that, he is a vey kind any loyal person. If you are able to get in his good graces, he does his best to accommodate and take care of you. He's often seen as tired and sluggish during business meetings, which most likely annoys the older gang members. He doesn't care though, Mathias knows his age makes them look down at him, but he cares little for the opinion of others.

Extras:

His magic causes physical changes to him (his hair and eye color changing, his body going through various stages of decay and rot). He has one big massive mark of decay on his chest that he earned when he saved his familiar a long time ago. It does grow the more he uses his magic too. When he is pretending to not be the gang leader, he hides his face behind a mask, the idea is to obscure everything about him so no one can learn the truth.

Twins Backstory

At the beginning, Life and Death were in harmony. Fate saw to ensure this harmony by picking two twins to carry on the powers and blessings of the God of Life and the Goddess of Death. They picked two young witches, a necromancer for the Goddess, and a witch of nature of the God. Together they were fated to be the avatars for each of their respective gods. Sadly, there were people with other plans. A shadow entity, made up of several individuals who helped operate the Deathrunners took interest in the necromancer. They longed to control their god, and deny fate. It was planned out in secret, with very few knowing. A bloody murder, taking out any witnesses, and also a kidnapping. The disruption of fate causing a chain effect that no one could ever foresee. Mathias unknowingly took his brother’s place, changing him in ways that defied nature. In order to keep the truth a secret, the higher ups planted memories in him, making him believe that he killed his family, that it was the doing of fate. Because of the change of what was meant to be, Mathias’ place in the world is unnatural. Those close to him are becoming slowly infected, since they were never supposed to meet him in the first place.

Connections:

TBA

[ascnsionismx]

Eclipsed

It felt like a never ending nightmare for Mathias. Hours stretched on and on as the status of his underboss, his best friend, was still unknown. He was the soon to be God of Life, a creature that was also well connected with death too. Still he couldn't exactly feel when someone died, that wasn't his domain. But he could feel the shift of the wind, the sudden void in the world. All he could do was wait.

And wait he did.

Eventually the worse came and a body was delivered. The initial shock hurt. Seeing death still hurt. To know that death was still a possibility was a hard pill to swallow. But there was still a body. All eyes were on Mathias now, as if there was a silent expectation for what their leader would do. He was still weary of over using his magic, afraid of what would happen. This was his friend though. He had to try. In front of everyone he placed his hands on the charred remains of his friend and did what he was put on the Earth to do.

Mathias had been taught how to compose himself, how to present himself to the public. It was very important to the people who raised and made him that their creation was seen as perfect. So when he felt the resistance and fizzling of his magic, there was just the slightest twitch in his expression. He tried again not changing his posture, not letting anyone know that this was another attempt. Again he was met with the same wall and blockade. Then he tried again. And again. Again. Again. Again. As it went on that composure chipped away and crumbled, leaving only the sight of a man crying over his first best friend's lifeless charred body.

Oh the pressure of failure. The crushing weight of what this was. The painful reality and acceptance because Mathias knew what this was. It was the same kind of wall that kept some lands sacred, where the dead buried beneath their soils could never be risen again. A magic that went against his existence. He looked up at his people, his eyes wide with a fearful panic. Sadness, anger, pain. "...I cant do it".

The cries and wails echoed through the Bayou.

Time kept going even as his life stopped. There was no comforting Mathias now. What had happened was irreversible. Someone had sought to harm them, and they had succeeded. The sorrow was immense and Mathias had to drag himself out of bed every day to try to be strong enough for the rest of the gang. Deep down though, there was a seething sickness that was infecting him. It kept him up. He didn't sleep. Nights were spent trying ever form of magic he was capable of, every ritual he knew, to bring his friend back. But it never worked. All it did was make that fever burn hotter and his anger sharpened into a spear pointing in one specific direction. There was only one group that was capable of blocking his magic. One group that had been at odds with him for so long.

So as the funeral Mathias planned and financed for his friend marched down the streets of New Orleans, the first official declaration would come too:

To any and all Deathrunners. To all who believed in him and the ways of Life. To those whom no longer wish to be apart of the torturous cycle that death has created. Innocent blood has been spilled, and the people responsible are still walking around. Their mockery will be tolerated no longer. All Lightless members are fair game and their deaths would be considered a tribute and sacrifice. The God of Life will come. And with that, a war against the ones who took his friend and the end of suffering.

[thegraveyardshifts]

The idea of resting was laughable right down, and despite Mathias' ask and gentle coaxing, Maddox wouldn't stay down. They had to act - no, he had to act. "I can't rest," Urgency filled every newly independent cell within his body, bracing himself temporarily on the wall and taking a few deep breaths in to steady himself. There was no bond, the only thing commanding Maddox now was himself. That was something to dwell on later, what freedom truly meant.

"I fear for his safety," That was better than blurting out what a severed connection meant. That the last time it had happened, his witch had nearly died and now -

Mathias didn't need to hear it, not until it was confirmed. Maybe there was another explanation, the undead terrified to cling to such hope in case it was ripped away from him. "No. I need to go," It didn't matter if he was tired, body shaking from the sheer amount of magic that had been used to cut and fully seal away the bond between summoned and summoner.

I'm not sending you alone. He wanted to go alone, he was strong enough to take on any witch, litch, vampire, wolf, anyone that would seek to harm...even if it meant he forfeit life. It would all be worth it for Ric to be safe, and alive.

"Tell whoever to meet me at Ric's place. That's where I felt him last, before..."

[ascnsionismx]

"Madds..." Mathias said, tired but in a warning tone. Because if Ric was in danger, throwing more of his people towards that force would just put them in danger too. "Do you think you're in any shape to help him? I-I know you're worried, I am too.".

The necromancer winced, fearing for the worse. He of course knew what a broken connection meant. Even if he tried to come up with every other possibility to avoid the most likely probability, there was no avoiding the truth. He looked around his office for a moment before going to his desk. He rummaged through the drawers, searching for something specific, and when he found it, he pushed all the papers aside and placed it on the surface. It was a small mouse skull.

"I know...I know okay just wait for one second, please. I-In case the danger is still there, and you need me, take this. It'll alert me and I'll be there". He held the skull out to Maddox and frowned, "It'll be Kaz. I figured you two would be the best to track him down. Bring him home, okay? I'll do whatever I can after that".

[daily-men]

LOGAN LERMAN photographed by Mert Alas for Michael Kors' Spring 2025 Campaign

[thegraveyardshifts]

These were not strings taken and severed individually, each snap felt like a gunshot through the bond a summoned and summoner shared - no, someone held those red strings together and sliced through them all in one fell swoop. The eternal slumber raced towards Maddox, ready to once more feel the cold embrace of stasis death, waiting in Her slumber till another necromancer said the magic words. What would the world be like this time? How different would it be?

Mathias said something yet, they were heard as if thick cotton, his head lolling to the side. The precipice between the two states of existence and not balanced on a knife edge that, for once, Maddox was trying desperately to hold onto - he had to get to his witch, he had to try and fix whatever was happening before it became too late...even if, it already was. Such a thing couldn't be imagined. Not yet.

Blunt nails dug within the skin of his chest, painful, as if keeping him grounded here, within this world and time. A hand on his elbow, pulling him away from the cliff carefully at first but then dragging him back. An electric shock that re-started the heart as Mathias' magic cauterized the sacred bond like forged a hundred years ago. Maddox's eyes rolled back from where they'd stuck behind the sockets, the undead taking a sharp and gasping breath akin to a reverse death rattle, body arching upwards.

Many thoughts happened in rapid succession. Where am I? Swap, it smells humid and fetid. Alive? Yes, breathing. Who is the young man with blood dripping down his pale skin? Summoner - no. No. Mathias. Friend, leader, witch and young god. This is New Orleans, only a brief few moments have occurred between a frightening end and being brought back.

"Mathias?" He voices, as if unsure, chest rising and falling in rapid succession. "What's - what's going on? Your nose - are you alright?"

There is a hollow feeling within his ribcage, where the link between himself and his witch once sat. His witch. Maddox makes a sudden move, trying to stand with all the grace of a newborn fawn, stumbling again as his body readjusts to life.

[ascnsionismx]

Worry crept into Mathias' heart and mind. Worry over Maddox and of course his friend. What happened to Ricardo that would have caused their bond to break. Was he okay? Did he need help? Mathias wasn't in any shape to help, but maybe if Maddox was feeling up to it, he could send him. Maybe Kaz too.

He wiped the blood from his nose, trying not to look so scared. This wasn't good. None of this felt right. Mathias' mind raced as he tried to think of ways he could get in contact with Ric quickly, or at least get a status on him. There was nothing he could do though.

"I'm alright..." Mathias placed his hands on Maddox's shoulders to keep him from moving too much. "Careful, you gotta be careful. Rest for now, please". He had made Maddox anew, granting him life again. The shackles were broken, and he could now live however he wished. If the undead wanted to leave, no one could stop him. He could do whatever he wanted without asking for permission.

He looked around for a moment, trying to get a sense for what just happened before looking back to the other, "Maddox...I think something happened to Ric. I don't have any way of getting to him though. But I don't want to send you if you're not feeling completely healed up. And I'm not sending you alone either".

[thegraveyardshifts]

There is something akin to excitement bubbling under Maddox's surface at being allowed to show off the new arm, ready to throw off his shirt so Mathias may examine every inch of regenerated skin when such an emotion is quelled within an instant, for something greater begins to set in. Dread, growing dread, so heavy in the air it makes his dead flesh prick into gooseflesh, makes him salivate as if he's going to vomit at any moment from the sheer, crushing anticipation of something bad -

"Do you feel that?"

And yet, he knows that Mathias doesn't, because nothing has changed within this room, between them. There is the low chatter of others outside the office, the constant shrill cry of the cicada and rustle of trees with the breeze - further afoot, the sounds of the city. If it isn't here, then it's coming from within, yet they aren't his emotions. They lay atop the dead flesh like a second skin, each moment an uptick more as whatever's being felt. The moment it hits Maddox - that it's the bond, that these aren't his emotions but them being felt by the witch that summoned him, it's simply too late.

He wants to say Ric yet, cannot speak, for the moment Maddox's own panic sets in, pain erupts within him. The undead stumbles backwards, crashing against furniture as it spreads hot and fast, lighting up every dead cell within his body before leaving them completely burnt out. The problem with that chimera venom, what felt so long ago now had been a slow descent into death's cold embrace, each part of the body shutting down with Maddox awake to feel each moment till he himself was put out of commission but this? It's fast, robbing every sensation from him. The undead convulses where he slides to the floor, unable to voice to Mathias what's truly going on.

[ascnsionismx]

Mathias had his hand reaching out towards Maddox, a gentle gesture to take the undead's hand in his. "Feel what?" He asked. He didn't feel it, Mathias wasn't blessed with the sense of death nor the sense of life. A terrible fault in his wiring he though. But what he could feel was the slight change in the air. Like a crucial component that made up the molecules of oxygen suddenly went missing. Like the Earth's axis was tilted ever so slightly. It was off.

His eyes went wide as he saw Maddox stumble back, and Mathias swore time slowed down. He ran out from behind his desk and rushed over to the other, placing his hands on him to hopefully keep Maddox from thrashing around too much. That was when he felt it.

Mathias had been taught the ins and outs of necromancy. How to make undead, how to destroy them. He learned of bonds and how they worked. An invisible string that puppeted an undead and connected them to their creator or summoner. A very important string that would make them crumple to the ground, lifeless, if ever cut. When he put his hands on Maddox that was the first thing he felt.

His bond was cut.

There were very few things that could do that. Mathias was quite sure Ric wouldn't have done that on his own, and this didn't feel like a magical interference. It felt too final. A sinking dread filled his heart, but Mathias couldn't focus on that. Right now he needed to help Maddox and fast. "I'm sorry" He said quietly, "I have to do this quickly, it might hurt". It was still exhausting for him to use his magic but this was an emergency. Mathias focused, using his powers to push into Maddox's body, removing the magic that had once reanimated him and replaced it with one much different. One that granted him a freedom he never had. No longer would he need a bond. A free man. It wasn't easy overwriting what was once there, and Mathias felt his nose start to bleed and drip down his face. His fingers dug into Maddox's chest, as if they were trying to break through the skin and muscle.

Something had happened, he needed to help Maddox first. But something had happened.

[thegraveyardshifts]

"I do not wish to disturb," The undead prefaced quickly, noting the sheer amount of papers that stacked neatly upon Mathias' desk, quietly wondering what sort of paperwork had to be done when one was the head of a gang. It was another question for another time, however.

"I just wanted to...say that I am back in action, so to speak," Maddox glanced over at the recently regrown arm that had come back in the exact condition it had left. It did make him wonder about other parts of himself...what would grow back? Everything? How much injury could this body take before it regenerated no more?

"Anything you require of me, I'm now equipped to fulfill,"

Despite being so formal, there was an ease around talking to Mathias - call it the dog, waiting to be told to sit, so it may receive praise. He did respect the young man who, at times, seemed to carry the weight of all their futures on strong shoulders.

The undead felt he owed him something great, that could never be repaid. It was the same feeling he had for Ric, an unpayable debt just for being kind.

[ascnsionismx]

"Honestly, a good conversation would be better than looking at words on paper right now".

He gestured for Maddox to come closer, "Oh yes your arm. Come let me get a look at it". While Mathias was very familiar with the workings of the undead, as he had made many in his years, he was still so fascinated by their abilities. Being able to regrow limbs was something so spectacular, a feature that one would never consider would be possible for those who had been dead once. Regeneration seemed to be saved for creatures who still had beating hearts, and yet the undead were just as capable. They were just as worthy of life as any one else.

"Hmm, well there are a few tasks I need done, but since things are slowing down, they aren't very intense I'm afraid. It's been quiet, but as the saying goes, it's always quiet before the storm right? What would you like to do?"

[thegraveyardshifts]

@ascnsionismx

Things have begun to still again, the fervor from the risen dead has become merely a simmer as life returns to New Orleans - though, this doesn't mean things are okay. It seems lately that whenever the dust appears to settle, something more monstrous appears from within its wake. Maddox has a simple, straight-forwards mission today - to find Mathias, show him that the full extent of his injury is healed (what a marvel to, skin smooth and fresh looking...yet, still carrying those little white scars that patchwork him together. Odd, the undead surely thought such things would disappear. It felt slightly hollow, noticing them, knowing that the limb would never truly belong to him). And - that he is ready to receive duties, to help the Deathrunner's restore a tarnished name. "Mathias," The undead has been lingering much more than usual around the HQ, usually due to sulking. No more, however. "Could we speak, please? If you aren't too busy,"

[ascnsionismx]

Everything was quieting down, which was somewhat common during this time of the year. Gangs seemed to calm themselves around the holidays, and Mathias did find that funny. He didn't use this time of rest to rest though, and instead used it to catch up on work he slacked on.

Piles of paperwork that sat on his desk were starting to slowly decrease, and files got organized and put away. Who would have thought being a gang leader involved so much paperwork. Territory lines, proposals, deals, blank checks, etc. It was everything he had to keep track of to make sure their gang stayed up and running.

He picked his head up from his ledger when Maddox came in, "I'm never too busy for any of you" He said. Mathias always made time for his members. They were his first priority, The undead was also very important. He had helped greatly during the jazz festival, and for that Mathias was very grateful. Also, he held a special place in Ricardo's heart, which Mathias wanted to maintain.

"What can I do for you today, Maddox?"

[ascnsionismx]

[notpedropascal]

LOGAN LERMAN BY RICKY ALVAREZ FOR BUSTLE

[sanguisxferox]

Knox grins and nods in response. Whenever Mathias eats them doesn't matter as much as knowing they'd made him a happy or at least brought a smile to his face.

At the moment, Knox was doing nothing else than running a diagnostic and checking cables. Though, when Mathias talks of forgotten payment, Knox suddenly laughs. "Please tell me it's not that for real?" That ain't something the technician ever touches—it's above his pay grade. And just then, the diagnostic is finished and it's saying that all is well and maybe to check with provider. "Mother fuckers!" He exclaims before realizing he's with his boss. "Err sorry about that, sir."

They grab their equipment, storing everything carefully before standing back up. "Thanks for that! Some people are really doing their best to make our work more difficult right?!"

[ascnsionismx]

"Not everything in our job is fixed by plugging in wires or running diagnostics" Mathias mumbled. He learned that rather quickly when he was in school. It was also the answer he gave when he had his interview, which he was sure got him the job in the first place. "But you should have come to me first before coming in here on your own. Server stuff should really be handled with a supervisor present" he said while fussing with the hair on the back of his neck. Mathias wasn't a fan of being a boss, not at his age. He did his best to lead, but he certainly hated bossing people around.

"Other peoples' incompetence is what pays our bills unfortunately. That is the nature of our job".

[niallhoranhasthat1thing]

Logan Lerman

5th Annual Academy Museum Gala | October 18 2025

[sanguisxferox]

They smile at the reply; happy that their boss had seen it. Knox doesn't do it to lick Mathias' ass—it's really just to show his gratitude. "They're as good as they look—the pastries, I mean." When asked about his presence in the server room, the technician sighs. "Yeah—I don't know what happened yet, but a lot of Product Management's emails are down. Started with two and now it's more than half the department, so I'm checking now to make sure it doesn't bleed into the other departments. I already filed a ticket on top of theirs to accelerate things.

Knox had checked everything in order like their protocol requested, but after trying everything twice, the server room was the only option left for him to check. "So here I am, running diagnostic on their server and jalf tempted to check if something wasn't plugged properly." Knox explains calmly, but there’s a bit of frustration at being unable to find the problem already.

[ascnsionismx]

"I'll try them during my lunch" Mathias said. Most likely he'd eat them when he got home. His lunch breaks were usually working lunches where he shoved bits of food in his mouth while writing emails or worked on reports. hearing the situation did sound pretty serious, and a server issue could have very well been the problem.

The company was rather high tech, thanks to the big bosses (not that Mathias would give them too much credit as to not boost their egos). Still, issues like these still happened, which is why their department existed. The way Knox was describing it though didn't sound like a server problem, and the last thing Mathias wanted was for them to accidentally cause one, which would have him here over the weekend. Mathias pulled out his phone and typed away at it for a moment, his eyes flickering across the tiny screen before sighing, "That all seems possible...Or perhaps...did we forget to renew our license? Because that would also cause emails to go down, considering the other office apps are down too". he held up his phone to show Knox.

"I'll call purchasing and tell them they fucked us again. I told them to put it on an automatic renewal".

[sanguisxferox]

—Server Room. Afternoon (Ferox LLC)

It's just like any other day for Knox, but it's not—fucking Halloween! Everyone is excited and loud; which just makes him want to hide further into a corner until his day is over. He'll force himself to attend the party for 15 minutes than leave as fast as possible. At least, he currently has some work to do in the server room so he's far away from people.

"You lil fucker!" He growls to himself before he realizes someone had walked in.

"Oh! Hello boss!" They greet; smiling suddenly. Knox is thankful that Mathias had given him a chance after so many people hadn't—too concerned about his medical situation. "Did you see the box on your desk?" After learning that his boss liked sweets and pastries; the technician had taken the habit of discreetly bringing some from time to time to his box to show his gratitude.

@ascnsionismx

[ascnsionismx]

The amount of tickets Mathias was drowning in was laughable in a mental breakdown kind of way. Of course everyone suddenly had issues with their tech on the holiday week. Probably ghosts, probably zombies. Or they accidentally let their kids use their work laptops as a cutting board for their pumpkin carving, and the veggie guts got lodged in the usb drive. Or they had too much to drink while partying, and suddenly their work phones were taking a nose dive in the jungle juice. Honestly, Mathias wasn't paid nearly enough to investigate, he just fixed shit.

He had spent the first half of his day managing, assigning, checking in, the usual. And by then he needed a break. So he dragged himself out of his tiny office and decided to take a walk to one of the quieter rooms in the building. Despite the heat and buzzing fans, the server room was rather peaceful. Perhaps it was the promise of an eventual heat death or explosion that caused Mathias comfort there. He was surprised to see Knox there, and for a second he pictured his calendar trying to place the other's work day.

"I did, thanks. What are you doing in here? Was there an outage or something? The maintenance was done five weeks ago. You know we got techs that do this, I'd rather have you doing helpdesk stuff rather than in here".

[ascnsionismx]

Mathias joined the company two years ago as a nepo hire more or less. Although he proved he was deserving of his place rather quickly

He became the department head of IT, despite not actually liking the field of work. His act and knowledge of it betrays him a lot.

The 8 out of 9 hours of his work day he is very tired and over it.

He does his best to stay strong for his department though.

[undead-jude]

Jude looked at Knox and nodded quietly. He could hold Mathias while Knox cut the fabric away. So they could see the extent of the rot and the damage. Jude reached for Mathias as the younger man spoke, he carefully craddeled Mathias so Knox could cut the clothing up the back and they could easily peel it off. He listened to Mathias talking about dying. Slowly decomposing while still alive. How could this be something Mathias' god or power or people needed? What kind of ritual sacrifice was this? And Jude found himself silently praying again. A prayer for protection. A prayer for divine intervention. He spoke again his his namesake. Hope of the hopeless... pray for us.

"Hey Mathias..." Jude spoke gently but firmly as the younger man looked down and began to cry harder. "Look at me. Don't look at yourself. Just look at me okay?" But at the request for a promise that was impossible for Jude caused him to pause for a moment. Jude looked at Mathias and said, "You are not a dog. No one needs to talk about putting anyone down. But I will promise you that I will not let you slip into the dark alone. Body or soul." Jude would not promise to hurt or kill Mathias. Because it would have been a lie. And he was not going to lie about that. Not even now. He looked up at Knox, "Bandages?"

@sanguisxferox

[sanguisxferox]

It ain't faith, though it might be foolish hope, but in all that darkness, Knox needs to hold on to a lifeline as impossible as it may seems. He shakes his head. "No, you decide when it's time. Not them never them." He whispers back; pushing all the confidence he has into those words, before very delicately giving Mathias' forehead a feathery kiss.

Just as Mathias looked down and Jude startef to talk, Knox reached carefully for the necromancer's chin and lift it up with a gentle push of two fingers. The request goes against everything that he is, beyond his rank and responsibilities. This is just him facing the reality that as someone overprotective, being asked to hurt someone that matters so much to him is excruciating.

"I can only promise to keep you in the light as long as I can." Cause if Mathias falls, Knox won't have a choice but to follow. But later, he needs to talk with Jude about powers and truly explain the bear's meaning and what he's felt. Cause someone needs to know, someone who'll understand the gravity. Though, if Mathias needs to be stopped, he'll make that sacrifice, because no one else can. He just cannot swear on it, cause he ain't sure if any of them will be alive by then, last night had been a reminder of that.

Knox nods at Jude, standing back up after cutting through all of Mathias' clothes. They get out to fetch a box with many rolls of bandages. He gazes down at it, feeling Mathias' mental and physical pain and his own lingering one—a singular sob escapes him before he reels himself back and away from that emotion. He cannot go there, not now. Knox rubs his face, takes a deep calming breath before picking the box. He needs to be here for Mathias, be a rock. Breaking down is for later. The box is so tempting right now, but he doesn't touch it. Just calm yourself—he thinks, careful not to project his emotion.

They come back to the bathroom, ready to clean and bandage the rot. There was a time when it would've healed on its own, but no more. They'll do their best to cover it so Mathias can look at himself again.

[ascnsionismx]

If his skin began to slough off, Mathias honestly wouldn't have been surprised. The Higher Ups never told him what this would be like, and why would they. Ascension wasn't pretty, it was never meant to be pretty. As Jude held him Mathias tried his best not to curl into the vampire. He wished he could just curl up and hide from the world and fate. His clothes were cut from him, and the cool air hit the wounds making him hiss.

Mathias shook his head at both of their answers. Not a dog. Sure, but wasn't dog just the word god backwards? He sure felt like a dog. A dog who was leashed and caged all his life, forced to fight and obey for masters who just wanted to use him. Being put down like one would be more of a mercy than this.

He gripped Jude's arms and put his head in his shoulder, bracing himself for the pain of his wounds being cleaned.

@undead-jude

[kazimir-voronovitch]

"Not my favorites." Kaz replied. At the mention of Sebastian Kazya tilted his head to the side and nodded. It had been the same for Kaz growing up. You didn't want to end up on in the crosshairs of a hunter. Best to deal with it as quickly as possible. His good eye focused on the journal and reaching out took the offered book reverently. Homework. Kaz frowned looking at the journal for a moment before looking back up at Mathias. He wasn't exactly known as the most studeious of their lot. But if that was what Mathias wanted, he'd do it. Kaz opened the book and flicked through the pages with their thumb for a moment.

A predatory grin spread across his face as Mathias explained. Kaz would become the hunter that his god needed. The sheer difficulty of some of it thrilled them. "Every single one?" Kaz asked it, his words heavy with the meaning, even the ones that belong to other gangs? The unaffiliated would be easier pickings. The ones that were members of the Nameless or the Lotus Eaters would prove more difficult. Kaz nodded, "I will do it, Boss. Might take me a little while. But I can do it. Or I will die trying."

[ascnsionismx]

"Every single one" Mathias said. He didn't need to go into details of what he meant, because it was clear Kaz understood. Eventually they would find who did this and the nightmare would be over. Mathias didn't care how long it took either, nor what it would do to his reputation. The necromancers of the city needed to know not to mess with him anyways.

He smiled at Kazimir, "I know you will. But let's hope you don't die. I really want you at my side for a long time, Kaz. You've been nothing but great to me".