CoffeeBlade @coffeeblades-askblog - Tumblr Blog

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> They regret it. Oh, Coffee regrets it. Fae sees the distraught look on Luce's face every time they close faer eyes, hears the heartbreak of her voice ring in their ears. Fae's slept.... once, they think. A nightmare from the start, red canon kill flashing with the last punch in the Pit, a monster where Luce stands, Skulk creeping through Logtopia, Rex dying.

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

> They huff quietly, glancing through the wood chest. More spruce is required if fae wants to keep warm. A storm's moving in, so they move quickly to retrieve faer axe from the Ender chest, settling its weight on their shoulders. Fae climbs the stairs, pulling on a bear fur jacket, then sighs as fae opens the front door.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> Faer eyes land on her. She looks just as bad as they feel. The knotted look of her hair reflects the snarls fae hasn't bothered to get out. Her rumpled uniform, wine stain on her shirt, looks only slightly better than their comfort sweater vest, unironed button-up shirt.

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

> It's likely a minor miracle she made it from Log to the Refuge without getting caught. Fae frowns, glancing Luce over. She doesn't seem injured. Not blackout, then. Or she's only been drinking since she got here. How long has she been standing at the door, they wonder idly. Couple hours?

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

> Fae picks their way down the stairs, brushing snow to the side with faer foot to clear a path. Coffee glances back to see Luce coming down as well, and pauses to make sure she doesn't slip before continuing around the side of the house to the wood pile.

> They put barely any more thought towards why Luce is acting so strangely as Coffee starts chopping wood effortlessly, faer signature weapon easy and familiar in their hands. The work lessens Chat's buzzing in faer ear.

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> Round one of the firewood is put in Luce's arms. She mutters something Coffee doesn't quite catch, but they're already turning back to chopping, so fae ignores it. Once they have a big enough stack (about twice the size of the one fae gave Luce), Coffee turns back towards indoors. They're careful going back up the stairs, nudging the front door with faer hip to go inside.

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

"You're out in the snow, staring at my door. The moment I step outside, you're erratic, twitchy, jumpy. You're talking weird. You say you want to talk to me. And now you're practically jumping for the door."

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

> Foolish. Yeah, Coffee certainly feels that way too. They strangle a huff, then disguise a frown as Floof leaves faer side to go sniff Luce. Damn wolf.

"I.....did promise. I just thought....."

> Thought she wouldn't blow up the White House. Thought she wouldn't blow up the van. Thought she'd be more rational, thought she'd think it through better-

".....Thought you would've told me."

> They sigh at the same time Floof plops its head on Luce's lap.

"I'm. A bit at fault for that too. I should've told you about accepting the invitation."

> Did you learn that TSchlatt can't swim from your experiments in that hidey hole of a lab you're in all day?!

"....There's no excuse for that behavior, I know."

"I thought you would've told me too." She answers back, slightly bitterly. "You're right, there isn't an excuse."

"I meant what I said. I can apologise, but I'm not taking back what I said. Because there is only one thing I fucking care about. And that's you."

She raises from the chair, brushing past the dog. She stepped forward, pressing a finger against Coffee's chest.

"It has always been you." She half snarls, half waveringly states.

"And I fucking hate that."

She shook her head.

"I hate it because it makes me feel stupid for believing things, that love, could be any different."

> Love.

> Oh. Right. That's probably why she's acting so strange. (They're impressed she's managing to touch faer without flaring red further, despite the simplicity of it.) Nevermind the fact Coffee never returned it. Nevermind the fact they still don't.

> Fae resists the urge to say "skill issue". That would probably be too far.

> They opt to move on and pretend Luce didn't just remind faer of that.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am."

> Coffee glances away, at the cowboy painting by the fireplace. Anything but to see the daggers again. Anything but to see that look.

Her stomach drops, Coffee's face doing the same. They turn away, they turn away from her.

Oh. Oh.

Coffee doesn't care.

Not in the same way she does. Never in the same way she does.

It makes her furious.

"I love you. I have always fucking loved you!" She hissed.

"You have left a hole in me that can't ever be filled. And I hate that you don't care." She grows callous, lips pursed as she pulls back, rapidly shouting.

Maybe this was pointless.

"I shouldn't have come here! You clearly don't give a shit!"

> Coffee flinches. No, no, no, no. The voices crescendo into a shriek, spiraling around their head like Charybdis herself is creating the world's deadliest whirlpool over faer head. Total destruction wrought on their brain, hardly able to string a sentence together.

"....Who- who said I didn't."

> Faer voice shakes and falters. It's not enough. It's never enough. The sinking feeling in Coffee's stomach, they know oh so well. Must fae be reduced to just something someone wants in the end? A weapon, a tool, a crush.

> They're so lost for words, Coffee hardly knows what to say.

"Wh- what exactly do you want me to do, Luce."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

> Foolish. Yeah, Coffee certainly feels that way too. They strangle a huff, then disguise a frown as Floof leaves faer side to go sniff Luce. Damn wolf.

"I.....did promise. I just thought....."

> Thought she wouldn't blow up the White House. Thought she wouldn't blow up the van. Thought she'd be more rational, thought she'd think it through better-

".....Thought you would've told me."

> They sigh at the same time Floof plops its head on Luce's lap.

"I'm. A bit at fault for that too. I should've told you about accepting the invitation."

> Did you learn that TSchlatt can't swim from your experiments in that hidey hole of a lab you're in all day?!

"....There's no excuse for that behavior, I know."

"I thought you would've told me too." She answers back, slightly bitterly. "You're right, there isn't an excuse."

"I meant what I said. I can apologise, but I'm not taking back what I said. Because there is only one thing I fucking care about. And that's you."

She raises from the chair, brushing past the dog. She stepped forward, pressing a finger against Coffee's chest.

"It has always been you." She half snarls, half waveringly states.

"And I fucking hate that."

She shook her head.

"I hate it because it makes me feel stupid for believing things, that love, could be any different."

> Love.

> Fae resists the urge to say "skill issue". That would probably be too far.

> They opt to move on and pretend Luce didn't just remind faer of that.

"I'm sorry. Really, I am."

> Coffee glances away, at the cowboy painting by the fireplace. Anything but to see the daggers again. Anything but to see that look.

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

"It wasn't your fault." She wants to say it's hers, but she bites her tongue.

Lucy shuffled into the chair, glancing sideways back at Coffee.

"They're your kids too, Coffee."

She paused, lingering on the words for a long moment in the quiet, nothing but the nearby hearth flickering in the background.

"You promised. It's supposed to be us. Us against them, against everything else. So what if I... If I went against the plans we made with Crow. You promised."

There's emotion jumping up in her throat, strangling her.

She wants to cry but her tears had long since dried. Gone was the casual mood, snuffed out like a hopeful ember.

"I feel foolish." She admits like a sin.

> Foolish. Yeah, Coffee certainly feels that way too. They strangle a huff, then disguise a frown as Floof leaves faer side to go sniff Luce. Damn wolf.

"I.....did promise. I just thought....."

> Thought she wouldn't blow up the White House. Thought she wouldn't blow up the van. Thought she'd be more rational, thought she'd think it through better-

".....Thought you would've told me."

> They sigh at the same time Floof plops its head on Luce's lap.

"I'm. A bit at fault for that too. I should've told you about accepting the invitation."

> Did you learn that TSchlatt can't swim from your experiments in that hidey hole of a lab you're in all day?!

"....There's no excuse for that behavior, I know."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She blinks again, shoving her hands into her coat pockets.

"Yeah, okay. Let's talk." Lucy inhales, cigarette still pursed between her lips every few seconds. "I'm sorry."

An apology. A rarity. It's something, an olive branch.

"I regret what I said. They needed to be said, but I-" She swallows down a noise. "I should've said things differently."

> Coffee stills momentarily, surprised to hear the apology. Knowing how rare it is to hear. They run a hand through faer hair and chuckle awkwardly.

"You're not at fault. It was..."

> They sink into the chair behind faer, gesturing for Lucy to sit as well.

"I'm sorry. I should've known something was wrong the moment TSchlatt asked me up to that stage and locked T0mmmy in. I..."

> A slow breath in, then one out. Coffee's hands are shaking, they tense them to stop it.

"I shouldn't have been so hostile. I should've considered things better, once we were back in Log. I shouldn't have....."

> Don't you want revenge, Lullah??

> The cold, yet heartbroken look in Luce's eyes. The daggers of her expression, poised against faer.

"I should've remained level-headed."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She bitterly grumbles. "I'm not scared. You fucking left and I-I didn't come to fight, Coff."

Gods, she wants to fix this.

She desperately wants to fix this.

"You..." She stills, mood shifting. Her wings droop too. "You left, Coffee."

The only relationship not built on responsibility and shaky alliance. She wants to fix it.

Because the only thing she had ever wanted, since she was a teenager, was Coffee.

"You seem disinterested and upset with me. If you want me to go, I can go."

"Upset?"

> Coffee runs a hand over the top of their braid, grimacing slightly at the knots under faer fingers.

"I am, a bit, still. But...."

> Do you want me to leave?!

> They need to talk that out, Coffee knows it. If they want to remain allies, keep an eye on Luce and the kids, return to Log, finish preparations.

> Fae doesn't like to admit when they're wrong. Coffee knows fae'll have to, in this conversation. They don't want to be needy even more than that, but...

"I don't want you to go."

> Faer eyes widen slightly once it's out. The words are softer than they anticipated, more hesitant. Fae meets Luce's eyes a moment before quickly looking away, chuckling nervously.

"No, we need to talk about... that. What happened, that day. It's. It's better to just air it out."

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

"I'm fine!" She snaps back, huffing up the stairs and shoving past into the main house.

She grumbles, dumping the piles of wood onto the floor in the most inconvenient spot for Coffee.

Maybe she'll get to see Coffee bend over like when the Void and-NOPE!

Bad thoughts! Terrible, terrible, naughty thoughts!

What the fuck is wrong with her today?!

Five days. Five fucking days. That's how long it had been.

Lucy couldn't even last a godsdamned week without Coffee.

She quietly groans into her hands. She should just leave. This is pointless.

"Enjoy your wood!" She says, chipper. Oh shit, too chipper. No, no, backtrack. "Uh, I mean, it's whatever."

She kicks a chunk of ice off her boots, motioning back towards the door and taking a step backwards to it.

"I'll just go-You probably have better things to do than talk to me right now, and like, I saw Rex in the stables and I'm sure he doesn't want me around and I... Uh..."

She blinks.

"Why are you staring at me?"

> Coffee can't quite figure out what's going on with Luce. It's bothering them. Faer head tilts as her face randomly flares bright red, watching her twitch nervously, act disinterested.

> Her question snaps them back to the present, and Coffee realizes they've been staring too long. Fae blinks, surprised.

"Why are you acting so strange?"

> It's out of their mouth before fae can stop it. Coffee puts their stack of wood down, neatly, in the proper holder, and starts moving the wood Luce dumped unceremoniously on the ground as well.

> Fae frowns.

"Did you just come to fight, and remembered what you made me do the moment you saw me, or what?"

> Bitterness creeps into their tone. Fae hesitates, but says it anyways.

"Are you finally scared of me?"

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She almost skids off the steps, boots absolutely not built for snow.

Lucy regains her balance before Coffee notices, back turned as they start chopping a few logs under an alcove just a few paces away from the porch.

Don't stare at fae's muscles. Do NOT! Lucy, don't you fucking dare-Fuck, she's doing it.

"Uh, so the weather? Heh..." She scratches the back of her neck. "How's the snooo-Oof!"

There's firewood shoved into her arms, boots sliding again before she steadies herself.

"Rude."

> They throw a glance back at Luce, half-struggling to climb the stairs still.

"Need me to take some of that?"

> Faer eyes catch on her boots. Aha. Of course she didn't prepare for the weather. They'll get her some new boots for the Refuge, for after all of this is over.

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

She really really wished she was drunk right now.

It would be a good excuse. A good reason.

But her last bottle before Crow decided to bootleg her some more in a few days had shattered across her desk, ruining a handful of notes and her good coat.

She was drunk earlier though, drinking since the Void decided to release it's talons in her.

Until, the wine shattered and Lullah pulled the whiskey bottle out of her cold fingers, slumped across her desk, sobbing.

There was some sad sobbing and ruminating over bittersweet memories. And photos.

Okay, a lot of sobbing. Like a lot of pathetic sobbing.

She blinks, once and then twice, slowly, listening to Coffee.

"I can help. With the, uh, wood. Yep. Let me help." She lingers for a moment. "Let me help."

> Luce does not look well enough to lift an axe. She looks borderline to passing out as Coffee steps closer to move down the stairs.

> But, then again, when have they ever been able to say no to her?

"You can help carry, I guess. Don't need to chop too much."

(Gayblade Obliviousblade Gayblade They really are married Look at that blush guys Gayyyyyyyyyyyy)

> Chat's just bein' weird, as they always are.

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

"Uhhhhhhh."

She stood there, for a very very long moment.

She hadn't been handling things well.

"I-Uh... Uhhhh."

She's staring.

Mostly not trying to look at Coffee's forearm muscles as they flexed with the axe in hand-Seriously, stop fucking looking! What is wrong with her?!

Fuck, now she's looking at Coffee's handsome and well-tailored vest and outfit and-

"H-Hey." She stumbles into what she hopes is a cool and relaxed pose, taking a drag of her cigarette.

"I, uh, came to talk?"

> Luce's acting weird. Coffee notices that instantly. Her eyes are darting everywhere, never staying anywhere too long. They didn't scare her that bad in the argument, did fae?

> Or is it just that she's drunk off her ass. It's probably just that, actually. Nothing more. Would explain the stumbling, the weird look on her face, the awkward way she stands.

"Come inside."

> Coffee doesn't mean to be gruff. The last thing fae wants right now is to scare Luce off. They force faer posture to soften, axe to lower, tilt their head towards the warm heat of inside the cabin.

"I'll be in in a minute. Need to get some wood before the storm hits."

#the voices say #coffee goes haeh?#aftermath askboxes

She's standing in the snow again.

Because just like last time, her own hubris has come to bite her in the ass.

No presidential suit , just an increasingly damaged duffle coat, a spare since she had shattered a bottle of wine across it and her desk, cigarette burning between her fingers.

There's a whiskey stain on her shirt, hair loosely tied up, the long, long braid down her back hanging together by a literal handful of hair strands.

She's once again standing on Coffee's porch, staring at the door. She's not chastising herself on getting over herself and knocking this time.

She just waits, leaning over the railing and smoking.

@lucifermarigolds-askbox

(Divorcedblade KEKW Depressedblade Admit itttt)

"Not divorced, chat. That requires marriage."

> They're in a bad mood. Fae's been in one for days, actually. Since the Void, since the contract, since the argument.

"Do you want me to leave?! DO YOU WANT ME TO LEAVE?!?!"

> Coffee couldn't quite sleep after that.

(An axe never falls far from its wielder)

"Shut up, chat, nobody likes-"

> And she's staring at faer, and oh how self-conscious they feel.

"-You."

> Coffee's voice wavers, and fae swallows to steady it. It still breaks as they speak again.

"Lucy, what are you doing?"

SHRINE shrine shrine we like the shrine- it could be better- fae is still- prometheus- little axe- blood- shrine shrine shrine- running away- divorced arc L L L- divorcedblade- shrine- blood for the blood god-

I'm not runnin' away, we're workin' on the shrine. It's under construction, ya impatient little shits. It's not gonna look as flat as this when it's done, it's gonna have personality-

Chat. Chat I'm not divorced. This wasn't a divorce. We're takin' a break, ya shits. T0mmmy doesn't want me in Log. I'll go back, I'm not lettin' all that prep work we've done go to waste.

Luce and I argued. Like adults. That's a normal adult thing to do. I walked away to cool off. That's a thing people do. That's a thing normal people do. I am a normal person. I'm allowed to walk when things go to shit.

I'm allowed to walk when I'm disregarded. When I'm not treated like a person.

Not to mention chat, you're forgettin' a crucial part of a divorce.

Marriage.

You shits know why that ain't happenin'.

Now hush, and let me work.

#the voices say #coffee goes haeh?#aftermath askboxes #signed by the blade

bloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutl

oh prometheus... running away from the death of another innocent, another child, slain by your hand?

bloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutl

you can never escape your fate... the axe doesn't fall far from the wielder.

bloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutlbloodforthebloodgodblutblutfutetutl

I didn't- please-

Chat. Chat. Chat please. I'm not- running away. It was a strategic retreat. T0mmmy doesn't want me in Logtopia. I can- I can take some time at the Refuge. Continue preparations. Finish the shrine, yes, you love the shrine. You want me to finish the shrine, don't you? This is the perfect opportunity to do that.

I'm NOT- the axe. I am not a weapon, I'm not, I'm a, I'm a person, just like them. I didn't- I didn't want to fight anymore, but I just needed to be left alone. That's all I want. I just want- quiet. Quiet, calm, time away. I can get a little of that, right? Just- just a little bit?

I can breathe? Right?

Oh, gods. Oh, gods, what have I done. T0mmmy- Tahlullah- Luce-

It's- everything. Everything is falling apart. I shouldn't have- snapped. At her. I shouldn't have said all of that. I could've just taken it.

I deserve to take it deserve deserve the pain deserve it

I- I didn't want- I didn't-

Please, it's. It's no use defending myself from this.

I deserve it.

#the voices say #coffee goes haeh?#aftermath askboxes #signed by the blade

herladyshipdeath

Footsteps with no sound enter the temple of Death Herself. The grass does not bend, and yet the door opens, the seal breaks, and a voice rings out for the listener to hear.

“Coffee, child of Blood and Keeper of Voices, heed my warning and take comfort in my words.”

“An Angel of Death is Falling, and we fear the destruction he may bring if left unchecked. She wishes you well and safety. Her protection be granted unto you in your endeavours. The Lady is… burdened with worry. The domain in which you stand is shrouded. Death understands, and she grants you, Keeper of the Voices, the strength and wisdom you will need.”

The prayer falls to the floor, pages empty. The Lady, Goddess of Death, has heard them.

#coffee goes haeh?#technically cause this was an ic ask #featuring lady death and blue!#aftermath askboxes #signed by the blade

bloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgod

oh little Axe... you did so well.

bloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgod

Your patron is pleased, Prometheus.

bloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgodbloodforthebloodgod

Please, please, please stop it. I- I can't, I can't, that wasn't me and you all of you know it!

I didn't- I didn't want to kill Tommmy. I didn't, I really didn't. Something happened, something made It take my agency which means somebody must've hit me right? On the head. But who would do that who would know to do that and then do it on purpose? Or was it an accident? Oh gods, I wonder if Timeza's okay, nobody said anything about him I didn't hurt him did I? Is he okay? Is Dragon okay? Is Rex okay? I haven't seen either of them, I need to find them, please oh gods let them be safe and unharmed.

This is such a mess. This is such a mess oh gods I hate this server I hate it with all my heart.

#the voices say #coffee goes haeh?#aftermath askboxes

It wasn't your fault he was killed.

I-

...

It was. Oh, it was, it was, it was, it was, how stupid of me! As soon as Timeza said my name I knew something was wrong and then- then the next thing I know I'm back in Logtopia and I'm being accused of killing Tommmy and the worst part is they're right! It was- my hands that did it. That loaded my brother's crossbow, that shot Tommmy, it doesn't matter if it was It or not that was me, that was my body oh gods....

It should matter but it doesn't. Everybody just- I'm I'm I'm just a weapon to them. They matter to me but I don't matter to them. To- to Luce, to Lullah, to Tommmy. Crow was, Crow was helpful for a change but I don't know why she was there too. I'm so out of the loop.

I should run I should hide I need to figure out whats going on. I need to get past this, and back to preparations.

That's all that matters.

#the voices say #coffee goes haeh?#aftermath askboxes

"Why would you let her out? I know Lullah has left the ravine, don't you know its dangerous out there? Don't you know she's gone back to that awful nation that she's exiled from? What were you thinking?" >She's angry, she's been angry for weeks now it seems, irritable and sneaky and sly for weeks.

"You put her in direct danger of every single one of the plans we've discussed! That wasn't part of any plan!" > Her tail was lashing behind her and her ears were pinned back. She had her mask on but her emotions could never be any more obvious.

-c!crow's-askblog

> Coffee doesn't turn as Crow approaches, merely staring at the wall of their bedroom. This should've been her first hint that something was wrong. The second is the way faer posture is wrong, in a way unexplainable but for that they look like fae should have wings. And the third?

> There's blood on the floor.

> Coffee chuckles, and that's not Coffee alright. The voice is deeper and drips with a tone they never take.

Want to try that again, little foal?

(@crows-askblog)

>She immediately stills before taking a step back. She nearly trips over her boots in her attempt to get away.

>She hates this thing, its awful and horrible and it scares her, the spot on her forehead where her horn protrudes aches with the memory of her dream.

"My apologies." >She tries her best to keep her voice even and from wavering. "I wasn't aware it was you. It was Coffee that let her out not you, I know it. You don't like to get involved do you?" >She does her best to look at the god before her, not in the eyes no - that could be seen as a challenge but after talking to the gods before she knows it's rude to not look at the person you're talking to. "I'll come back later, I don't want to interrupt whatever it is that you're doing." >Her mouth is dry.

> The Blood God's expression is of the cat that caught the canary. A wide smile does It throw in Crow's direction, head tipped. It knows how much It scares her, and It revels in it.

Oh no, do not leave yet, little foal. We have much to discuss, do stay.

> The door closes and latches behind Crow without Blood moving a muscle.

I hear you have been up to some very interesting endeavors as of recent. Little, mortal, foal, getting involved with the big kids. Becoming one of my darling's. Tsk, tsk. If you wanted to be like my Avatar so, you should have made a deal with me.

>She startles as the door latches, she wonders if there is any other way out of this conversation. "I wasn't aware of you and the Void's.... relationship." >She felt like her skin was on wrong. "I didn't want to be an avatar, I don't want some god to take over my body like how you take over Coffees... It's creepy. I can do enough things on my own, there's nothing a god can do through my body that I can't."

>She was sure of herself in this. She's a skilled warrior and a more skilled talker - in most instances. When gods weren't able to look right through her.

Oh? You mean to tell me you can do this?

> Blood holds up Coffee's arm, which has a lengthy, unnaturally straight cut in it. Crow is able to watch as the blood on the ground and on Coffee's sword, discarded to the side, climbs back up the god's leg, to the wound, before the cut closes.

I thought not.

> It laughs at the look on Crow's face.

And if you did not wish to be an Avatar, you should not have chosen my darling. It goes through... more Avatars than the average god. Some of which are my fault. When the current one dies, it will upgrade you, how exciting is that!

> Blood grins menacingly.

>She's instantly on edge with that information. She swallows down the rising fear. "I'll deal with that when I get there, you seem more cruel than the Void from what I've seen... What could you possibly do for me that would have more pros than cons?" >She crossed her arms, her tail wrapped around her legs in some form of self comfort.

"From what I've seen you only cause pain and suffering, even for your avatar."

> Blood laughs, black irises red sclera boring at Crow.

Clearly you have not seen enough of my darling, or you are more ignorant than I expected. I am... straightforward with my expectations. As such I expect mine to meet the requirements I provide them.

> It leers over Crow, height difference contributing.

But you cannot change your mind now! Not without my lovely darling's permission, no, no. You, little foal, have backed yourself into a corner, what a surprise.

> It drawls the last word, hundreds of voices with the exact same tone and rhythm.

>her ears pin back more, the voices hurt them. She retreats further, backing towards the locked door.

"I'm not your partner's avatar yet though- and you guys aren't the only gods I talk to, I know your game you get into peoples heads."

>She takes a breath, trying to steel herself.

"So far it's been more straightforward than you anyway."

So far, and is that not so lovely.

> Blood's tone is almost a coo. It's very clearly enjoying scaring the absolute shit out of Crow.

Oh, little foal. You have no clue of the future which lies ahead of you. Your allies thin with every step you take. Perhaps it would be better if I were to just end you now. A mercy, if you will.

> Every step back Crow takes, Blood draws closer. It stands over her now, reaches out slightly and pats her head. It's harsher than Coffee would ever try, and far more condescending.

But I was never one for mercy.

> And that is the end of it. Blood closes Its eyes and then Coffee's body is collapsing to the floor, the heavy aura of divinity disappearing as the latch audibly unlocks. Coffee's dogs, having sat in the far corner this whole time with their ears flat, come bounding over to sniff Coffee and Crow, two of them automatically snuggling up next to the unconscious Avatar while the third wags its tail at Crow, looking for pets and attention.

>She relaxed only slightly as she realized the god was gone but it quickly morphed into concern for her ally.

"Coffee!"

>She pushed the dog a little so it wasn't in her face as she tried to shake Coffee awake and check faer over. Her heart was still pounding and her hands still shaking.

"Coffee wake up!"

>She never had had to deal with this, not with the whole passing out thing at least, she'd never seen Dragon or Lucy pass out. The dog kept nosing at her and finally she sat back, giving up on trying to wake up her friend. Coffee had to be used to this right...? She scooted back to give fae space as she pet the dog that had sat with her.

>At the very least she could watch over faer while they were unconscious. At least be there when they woke up.

> It's a good ten minutes before Coffee stirs, groaning quietly. The dogs become excited and start nosing at them. Fae huffs as they sit up slowly, rubbing the side of faer head where it whacked against the ground.

Eugh, the least It could do is lay the fuck down first, even if it's not the bedroll-

> They still, then Coffee's head snaps to the side to look at Crow. Faer tone is confused.

Crow? What are you doing here? Was starting to think you didn't like Log anymore, you don't visit anymore it seems.

"I came to talk to you but then you weren't you."

>She shifts uncomfortably, her fingers still carding through the dog's fur.

"Never said i didn't like log, just been busy... I have a country to run too Yknow."

>There was no bite in any of her words, she seemed pretty offset by the whole interaction.

"Are you alright? That was a pretty hard fall. I think I have some health pots or regen- if you need them of course."

> Coffee nods, running their hands through faer hair.

I'm alright, nothing I'm not used to. Thank you, though.

> They glance at faer arm, frowning slightly before returning their attention to Crow, smirking slightly.

I thought it wasn't a 'country'.

> The bit makes faer shoulders relax some.

What did you need to talk to me about, my rival?

"Slip of the tongue, it's just an occupied territory."

>She waved faer off. It felt wrong immediately going into arguing with her rival right after she just saw them possessed by a god she loathed.

"I think it can wait. Just wanted to check in I guess."

>She didn't meet Coffee's gaze, she was afraid that if she did she'd only see black sclera. It's not like Coffee could tell any way right? Her mask was on.

> Coffee narrows their eyes at Crow.

You're a bad liar, you know that?

> Faer expression is dead serious for a moment, then they start giggling.

Fine, I suppose. It can wait.

> Coffee scratches the ear of one of the dogs. It leans into faer touch like it wasn't cowering while the Blood God was here.

It didn't... ah. It didn't say anything stupid to you, did It?

"Not any more than what it usually says..." >She shrugs, really trying to play off how much it had put her of kilter. She opted to just divert all of her attention to the dog. She preferred cats personally.

"Sorry that I've been MIA for so long, I meant to come back sooner. I wish I could say I came here just to hang out and talk to you guys."

>Her tail curls around her as she sits crisscross on the rough stone.

> Coffee snorts at their rival's first comment, but looks sort of suspicious at the second.

'You wish.' Indicating you didn't.

> Fae sighs, drags a hand down their face.

Look, Crow, if you came to talk about Lullah, I can't. Okay? Everything you could say, Lucy's already said to me at least four times.

> Coffee's tone turns almost shaky.

And I'm not justifying myself to you when you knew where that poor child was this entire time and didn't do a damn thing about it.

>She bites her tongue and looks away for a moment, trying to compose herself.

"Lullah is in more danger now, she's hiding somewhere in Manburg, Coffee if they find her they'll kill her. I know it was wrong to keep Lullahs location from you but it was for her own good."

>She sighs.

"I assume Lucy has told you that as well too. I'm worried about her... what happens if Connor or anyone else finds her? I'm worried they'll make an example out of her if she's caught."

>Her ear twitches and she picks at her nails. She isn't lying here and she hopes that her rival can see that too.

"Will you help me look for her? We wont bring her back here- I have some places she can stay where she'll be safe and well and out of harms way."

> Coffee's eyes flicker at Crow's sincerity, but they ultimately shake faer head and turn away.

If you truly believe Lullah was safer in that- prison on a heart and a half and three rotten flesh to sustain him, I can't trust you with that judgement, nor their present location.

> They look down at the dog in faer lap and pet it, letting the dog stretch out all over them.

I don't like keeping things from you, Crow. But I will not allow further harm to come to that child. She is eight. He has no place near a battlefield, no place in this godsforsaken pit of despair, no place near you or Lucy or myself or any person on this server. If I could send them off-server, I would've done so long ago, but I can't. Something bigger than all of this is happening, something worse than Manberg, than Blood and the Void, than any individual conflict or hatred or any of that.

> Fae stands shakily, clearly still feeling the concussive effects of slamming into the ground.

Crow, I need you to trust me and come with me.

>Her shoulders instantly bunch as soon as her rival requests something as big as her trust. This is Coffee though. But neither of them seem to trust each other and are in the same boat. She gently nudges the dog away from her and stands before trying to brush off any dog hair.

"Alright..."

>It's all she can say. She wants to argue for Lullah but it's obvious that it's pointless. It's like arguing with a brick wall.

"My offer still stands, I have a lot of bunkers and safe houses she would be safe in. You won't trust me with that information but I want you to pass on the message that if he's ever in danger there's a place for him... I didn't know it was that bad where Lucy put her... if I'd known I would've helped."

>She makes a point not to look at her rival as she speaks and readjusts her mask.

> Coffee hums in acknowledgement. They have no plan to tell Lullah about Crow's message. Something about all of this just feels.... off. Crow's sincere, but fae's met her before. She's very good at making it realistic when she's lying off her ass.

> You'd think an immortal would get better at lying over the years.

Right this way.

> They lead her away from Logtopia, from the light and the buttons and the horrors of an unexpected exile. Coffee climbs the stairs quickly, used to the precarious situation by now. Fae brings Crow a distance away, then quirks a smile at her.

Ready?

> They mine a few blocks, letting her into a large, smooth stone-walled room centered around a cobblestone table. Blueprints sprawl everywhere, a map of Manberg rests on the wall. A half-eaten steak sits on the table next to a flowerpot with a young cornflower sticking straight up. A chalkboard against the far wall, covered in Coffee's handwriting with observations, Player schedules, to-do lists. Lanterns flicker overhead. Hundreds of hours must've gone to this room, and based on the look on Coffee's face, this room is very personal to them. When fae speaks again, it's with a grim tone.

Welcome to my work room, Crow.