depraved.

[beltrial]

➢ daenerys:

              ❛ The honor is mine own to have, truly, to be welcomed so warmly despite the suddenness of my arrival. I would not have expected tale of me to reach so far beyond my own lands, though I hope to prove worthy of such admiration. I would be more than happy to share my tale with those willing to listen, it is the very least I can do. ❜

( my lady, the honor you do me by acknowledging my reign over these lands is far greater than any reception i could ever greet you with. the admittance of such fact is a testament to my disappointment. if my country could open its arms any wider to the mother of dragons, we certainly would do so ... though the upheaval between our higher powers is clear. your attendance in our court will do great measures to draw attention to the matters at hand in this empire, the return to our true form of governance. for that, i so humbly thank you, queen daenerys stormborn. i will certainly lend an open ear and an admiring heart to any story you have to tell. )

[beltrial]

➢ terezi:

1T W4SNT TH4T H4RD

TH3R3 1S SOM3 ONL1N3 D1R3CTORY OR SOM3TH1NG

BUT 1 DO NOT N3C3SS4R1LY H4V3 4NY STOR13S, UNL3SS YOU H4V3 4NYTH1NG SP3C1F1C YOU WOULD L1K3 TO H34R

W3 JUST D1D NOT G3T TO T4LK V3RY MUCH

( milady, i must again request that you mind your volume. surely you must know that a sacrifice in one's eyesight forces their other senses to equate to what was lost. i've some difficulty with rancor in such casual conversation, especially ones i do have such a great wish to enjoy. will you please indulge me? though, i find myself confused. on ... line? i have passed many a month in this city and i have yet to learn the colloquialisms of this present. what entirely does that entail, lady terezi? )

[beltrial]

➢ yuki:

"Haaaah so she was your mom, big bro? I don’t understand why such a mom would play with fire, hehehe well if she appeared to harm me I probably stab her eye like I did with my victims! I am a pretty strong ghost, big bro!"

( it is wise to view her as nothing more than the woman who birthed me, of course, for she was a stain upon my country, a devil in her own right, who sought to do no more than bring my world to ruin, and had every plan to use the country of my father and my brothers to do so. our lives equated to nothing more than pawns on a game's board, but she, the queen, fell to such a pawn's hand. i did well to wrench life from her hands, milady, but if she encroaches upon us from the afterlife, i do hope we i count on your skills as a ghost to return her to rest, as you have promised. )

[beltrial]

( by a show of democracy, would the subjects in favor of seeing the witch bleed out on the end of my sword once more please raise their hands? i will certainly make you a show of it, that much i promise. )

[beltrial]

➢ morgiana:

          The Prince who had once been considered a close comrade of hers now stood in front of her, eyes cold as if he had never felt anything for her. It was hurtful, to see him like this. The last she’d seen of him it had been him walking away, unwilling to speak and here they were again in a similar situation, but he seemed different this time. As if he had resigned to that fact that he no longer walked in the light and it pained her to not be able to understand. A sharp inhale is followed by his words and hands now ball themselves into fists as she struggles to find the appropriate words to say. Eyes that were usually indifferent to most things here now looked up into his own, ❝ Why? ❞ is all she could manage at first.

          ❝ Why do you feel the need to isolate yourself from me? ❞

he had loved her. it was true, in the past, hakuryuu had seen his future in the famalis' eyes, he had known his heartbeat in her smile, had felt invincible at her side. perhaps he still did. perhaps he still would. though, he had changed. he knew, now, knew that what became of men in love was weakness. it was the weakness that crippled his father, his uncle, his cousin, the familial love that tied them together had left his sister complacent for song long, had let his empire rot.

it was because morgiana was once his light that hakuryuu knew she was to be extinguished. he watched her, again, from behind cold eyes and a scarred guise, watched her pupils shake and her knuckles go white, though her actions warranted no reaction, only stone still resilience.

( for you, in respect of the past we shared, i will grant you closure before i will one day end your life. why? i have chosen this path, for in your kind i see no future for myself. )

[beltrial]

➢ byakuya:

"… And you confirmed that with a mere glance? You must have an eye for such a status that can only be found in those who live similar lifestyles. The overseers are especially arrogant in containing beings with such a potential under a single roof, stripping us of our ability as if that’s enough to discourage us from baring our fangs. Tch, a pitiful attempt at oppression."   

( ser, i am sure you are aware that such is a quip i know not how to entertain. a child of high born status is raised around only those are worthy of treading in their sanctum, are they not? it is a process of imprinting upon others of their stature, i suppose. it takes not talent to identify one of blue blood, only instinct. however, i must agree, for a man who has set foot upon the fields of war knows many ways to show his true strength, regardless of whether or not he still maintains such supernatural gifts. they may dull our weapons and nullify our power, but such false gods could never tear from us our wit, our tactics. that, however, does not remove the insult that such oppression has left for us. )

[beltrial]

abrideoffire

( i have entertained many visiting nobles, my lady, but of all the company i have shared, i have yet to lay eyes upon a dragon in man's skin. it is truly an honor, daenerys targaryen. i look forward to nothing more than hearing stories of your travels, if you would grace me with such a privilege. )

[beltrial]

justicescales

( lady terezi. i see you have taken it upon yourself to find my place of residence. your company is welcome, if you've stories to share. )

[beltrial]

serene-order

( it is true, then. those who oversee this charade favor subjects of high birth. i find such a revelation laughable, at best. 'what is a king to a god,' they must think. when mere humans play such a role, there is naught but trouble to be wrought. )

[abyssalribbons]

Emperor and Empress || beltrial

[beltrial]

➢ riful:

The Abyssal One was enjoying her day out, walking across the city as she always did. She didn’t understand what the people in this city did for fun. She was too old for drawing and playing in the woods as she did as a child, and she could not hunt like she did in current times. She’d tried the libraries, with very little success. People had told her that the flash boxes were fun as well, but she didn’t trust them. If she couldn’t understand technology, what use did she had using it? The city was boring, in those regards, but she enjoyed walking around it. She saw new things every day.

Today was one of those days. As she headed through Sector One, the Abyssal One noticed a boy. He was very different from the people she knew back home. It wasn’t about appearance, it was simply about the air he had around him. He reminded her a bit of Isley, or of the men of the Organization. He had that type of putrid aura, and to the monstrous girl, that was enough to get her attention. As she watched more, she saw other things.

It wasn’t often one saw a man with a wooden arm. Riful was curious. Just what was this boy? She’d never seen a fake wooden arm before. She was sure the boy would get slivers. Still, he was interest. Too interesting to let watch away, so she whistled in his general direction.

“Do you know where the library is?” Riful asked, hiding her ulterior motives under a question she wouldn’t mind getting the answer too. “I went out to grab a snack, but when I went back to check out a book, it had already moved. Do you think it is in this general area?”

mapping the city's landscape was a tactical necessity to the young emperor, for, in the long expanse of time since his feet had left these lands to the moment he had been forced, knowing that his freedom equated to that of a slave, to walk the floor of this cage once more, the landscape had changed. the field upon which his battles in this city would play had grown, the terrain had shifted, and the strength of the masses had truly grown into something greater than a challenge to overcome. 

his campaign dawned upon a new day, a new trek through the city, into the heart of the first sector, whose terrain shifted as if driven by a mage's illusions. it was here that he spent his greatest time in study, noting carefully the patterns and times upon which the landscape changed. it was where he stood again today, notes in hand, taking in the phenomena of a presently coalescing street.

how curious it was, the young emperor noted to himself, before words of a feminine pitch drew his gaze from his object of study. a cold gaze met another so coyly curious, a highly held chin turned to take in the sight, cocking ever so much towards the scarred side of the boy's face. it was not the disturbance that left hakuryuu's gaze ambling curiously, nor the nature of his company's question, but the cold sensation that stuck to his skin in her presence.

he'd imagined, humored the thought only momentarily, that if he held the gift to see rukh, this woman's certainly would have been stained black, black as his own, black as his partner's.

it was a rare occurrence, but from his lips, did riful draw a smile.

( i apologize, my lady, for as long as i have studied this city's changing layout, i have yet to lay eyes upon an athenaeum within this sector. have you, perchance, searched for what you sought in those known as the fifth or the sixth? )

[beltrial]

➢ yuki:

"Is that so? so big bro’s auntie was the one who made you that scar, big bro? And what happened to her? she got burned while playing with fire till she became ashes?"

( nay, milady. she who committed this crime was far closer to me than a sister of my predecessors. she was my mother. though, child, it seems your eye sees none, you have seen the truth. the heathen was punished for her crimes. one can rest assured, she will not appear in this place to harm you. )

[beltrial]

➢ yuki:

beltrial

"That scar looks pretty bad, big bro..were you trying to play with fire or something?"

( it was not big brother that wished to play with flame in such a way, young lady. a very mean auntie found she loved playing with it all too much. )

[beltrial]

coraille

in their past experience, she'd have never found him looking down, not at her, not at anyone, from his height, from his position, and certainly not the pinnacle of his ego. yet, through narrowed eyes and along the straight curve of his nose, he dipped his pupils, lowered his gaze though his posture remained taught and tall. she was the lesser, an obstacle to be cut down and trodden upon as a means to his end. and for the first time in her experience, he looked down upon her.

( it would be within your best interest to remove yourself from my sight. )

[beltrial]

➢ mystique:

beltrial

        “What an expansive scar. I do so hope you’ve gotten your revenge on whoever did this to you.”

        The woman didn’t pry. Mostly because she didn’t care much about the mortality of humans, or what appeared to be human. Other parts because, well, at least one hundred years of being the colour of the ocean certainly always had its moments of prying questions. She also knew how most people with afflictions such as that usually didn’t want to speak of it. Then again, there were those macho men with their war stories but he seemed not the type.

her comment upon his scar had certainly been far from curt, as all other questions had been, yet it was worded in such a way that the young emperor ceased his advance away from the blue-faced woman, holding himself still and proud as she wondered over the state of his revenge.

( indeed milady, i can confirm that i have taken such actions. )

( though it would not be out of place for a man to find himself unnerved by the brash nature of such comments from a mere passer by on the street. please, milady, enlighten me to the state of your being that grants you the right to verbally question the scars of a stranger, a clear noble, no less? )

[beltrial]

➢ judar:

   《۞》⁓ Comfort. There was genuine comfort in knowing that his candidate of choice—no, his brother in arms—was alive and well. While obtaining great success within the city walls through his own erratic, tyrannical outbursts, there was also great loss. Individuals he had known prior to being abducted within the city had blessed the warped metropolis with their presence before, including Hakuryuu, who probably did not recollect anything. Hovering cockily, Judar snickered in amusement.

"Oiii, get that stick outta your ass! You act as if these beasts are a match for me! You have nothing to worry about, Hakuryuu. All of my abilities are unlocked!"

among his forced company, the temper of a stoic prince had soared. in the presence of his 'priest's' insolence, hakuryuu found himself suffering even greater discontent, betrayed not by his posture or the flames in his eyes, but the way his fingers, even those wooden and void of warmth, closed and knit about the girth of his rudimentary pole arm. he remembered many things, this city and the insolence of his partner included.

( i have nary a doubt in your prowess or your status, you fool, though i certainly would not rely upon your powers as a means to an end i could not achieve myself. you insult me, offering to your king the position of a damsel entrapped by the chaos his own rescuer created. again, i will say, quiet your shouts and cease your insolence. it certainly suits you, but it is nothing i want in a situation such as this. )

[beltrial]

enkiengi

he dressed in fineries reminding a young emperor solely of home. such was enough to draw the stare, if only momentarily, for a man hidden behind the guise of a dragon and the flaming flesh breathed from its open and arced nostrils. attention directed towards one arguable greater in renown than himself was ripped away, then, directed back to a focus and contempt of the others in the room. a greater gaze was paid to the events displayed relics and treasures than to those in attendance, a folly, for sure, for a royal to bequeath his subjects in such a way, but on such a night, he'd had no cares.

an unfamiliar feeling of being watched in turn brought his attention back towards a foreign familiarity, as his lingering attention had clearly been met and accepted. it was in that moment hakuryuu was joined in company by a king of kings, a man whose title he had yet to learn.

as was customary for his people, the emperor greeted the king with a bow of the head, curtained behind a fist meeting an open palm.

( forgive me, if my lingering gaze brought forth any offense. )

( your choice in fineries has simply brought forth memories of my homeland. for that, my gratitude must dubly be expressed. such is truly a rarity in these lands. )

[beltrial]

➢ lancer:

beltrial

♘ ; His eyes could not help but stare at the boy’s scar,lips tugged to a grin as he was curious about the story behind it. The city was full of unusual people from all over ; Lancer himself was just about as odd as everyone else. Weather was a little nippy when the winter breeze came along , but he didn’t feel too much from it though he was cold . " Mind if I sit here?" Diarmuid approached the boy who seemed to be enjoying himself; alone on the park bench. “No one ought to sit alone.” A warm smile and a court nod, a hand touched the back of the bench when he approached.

a scarred brow rose as the other approached, for the first feature of note was a warrior's physique, obvious even in the lithe way that future company approached. it was not the other's armor that gave him away, only the clear-cut view any bystander would have had of the way the man's muscles coiled and sprung with each movement. it was a body type similar to his own, the condition of one who practiced and excelled in use of a polearm, and it was that, initially, that attracted the young emperor's attention and intent.

it was lancer's courtesy that drew a soft smile from hakuryuu's lips, the general consideration of the gesture and honor in the intent that left hakuryuu bracing one fist against an open palm, shoulders arched as his upper body bent in slightly, head only so softly dipped in a bow, a traditional sign of thanks of his people. the warrior who formed the young man's audience made clear his honor, was well-versed in his chivalry, and such was greatly respectable.

( my thanks for your consideration. i would be quite the imbecile to turn away an offer of this kind from one of your honored station! it truly would be my pleasure to spend my time in the company of a fellow warrior. )

( with whom do i share this honor? )