a little bit of sugar, lots of poison too

INDIE. SEL. PRIV. MULTI. OC. ✲ read rules before interacting ✱ #ensxrcelled ✎﹏ summoned by aries moderate-activity carrd || thread tracker

[ensxrcelled]

— INDIE , SELECTIVE , MUTUALS-ONLY , MULTI-OC RP BLOG

◤ ORG. EST. 2016 || GMT-6 ACTIVITY: low-moderate INBOX: open MEMES: accepting ◢

╳ DARK THEMES PRESENT TW: violence, sexual assault, domestic abuse, child abuse, ptsd, death, gore, etc... ╳ Personals && Minors DNI

✎﹏ summoned by  Aries ( 27, she / they, GMT -6 )

— 【 ✧ carrd ✦ 】 — 【 home ✦ ask ✧ mod ✦ muses ✧ rules ✦ inbox memes ✧ opens ✦ headcanons 】

[ensxrcelled]

;;sorry things have been pretty quiet over here. life got a little chaotic but I'm trying to chip away at my responses little by little! hopefully I'll be back into the swing of things again soon

[ensxrcelled]

;;small update but work's been... chaotic to say the least and I have another surgery scheduled for July 13th so I've been trying to prepare for that to the best of my ability. I'm still chipping away at responses tho! thank you everyone for being so patient with me~

[luvccubus]

The past few months had been nothing but ripping of flesh && attempted invasion of their body, even their own family couldn't lay a hand upon them. The girl's touch was nothing but gentle, yet Cupid's entire body screamed as if it'd be hurt. The thought that they should push her away came across their mind, but they couldn't bear to do more than they had already done. In the end it had been humans that'd destroyed the Lady's cult, but Cupid had been the one to take her greatest asset.

Cupid took the potion gratefully, taking a long swig before shuddering as the bitter taste hit the back of their throat. They didn't want to speak on what happened, how their brother had been tempted, how badly they had failed as an older sibling, but they had been unable to help Eros on their own. An external force was needed.

❝ The Goddess of Pestilence introduced him to some human, ❞ Venom was clear in their voice, ❝ Eros got into some online relationship with a human in her cult && that human invited him to one of the nearby towns to visit. He was gone for months, turns out he was so blinded by love that she was able to influence him using his boyfriend. He gave him access to a place in the town where the most influential humans prayed to her.❞

They were thankful Eros was out cold, if not he very well could have lashed out at the girl. No, not him, the thing that controlled him, the thing the goddess had used to make him a weapon. His muscles still twitched involuntarily, pink eyes opening briefly only to roll back into his head. Cupid's hand rushed forward's to take his trembling hand in their own.

❝ A...parasite of some kind. One made especially for gods, ❞ They could still see its likeness, the same as the Goddess', carved into the stone of the town's church, ❝ I think it attaches to the nervous system && allows her to control him. He turned into some kinda...centipede monster. I...had to rip so many legs off... ❞

[ensxrcelled]

A parasite attached to their nervous system? "That's... delicate work," she almost breathed the words, quiet as a whisper. Delicate but doable. The exact location was still unknown to her but Raythe had always praised her steady hand when it came to crafting potions and inscribing spells. Though she was no surgeon, she was confident in her ability to at least try to remove it with as little damage as possible.

"Alright... I'll try..." Lavina steeled herself and began a sweep of his peripheral nervous system, sending careful tendrils of magic along the nerves. Coming up empty, she swallowed and moved onto his central nervous system, taking extra care in her search. One wrong move could do severe damage this close to the brain.

Careful... Careful...

A start jolted through her as something dark and slimy brushed along her magic. Though the distant look in her eyes hadn't disappeared, a startled look had crossed her face. The thing -- the parasite -- it made her ill. What a grotesque feeling. It was wrong. Very wrong. Although, now she knew of its location.

His... head? The base of his skull, to be exact. That complicated things a bit. How exactly had that Goddess gotten the parasite into him? If it were through his nose or mouth then it would have had to make its way through his organs to get to the central nervous system. Her lips pressed into a thin line and a furrow found its way between her brows. She'd have to make an incision if she wanted to extract it.

Like a pianist playing an imaginary piano, Lavi's fingers twitched lightly in the air, dancing above his body as she worked out the best way to go about removing this horrid thing. "I... I'll have to cut it out..." Gesturing, she instructed Cupid to turn his brother just enough for her to use her magic to make a small incision on the back of Eros' neck.

"Be... prepared," she said, voice a bit shaky. "I... don't know what'll happen... when it's out." If she didn't kill it during removal. "Keep him as still as possible... please." Slowly, delicately, she cut, eased, sliced, and pried the creature away from Eros' nervous system -- doing her best to avoid any unnecessary cuts. Too shallow and it wouldn't budge, too deep and she may damage something important.

Once she was sure she'd properly peeled it away, she coated the system in a film of magic and extracted the parasite like a plant whose roots she didn't wish to damage. Though an excruciatingly slow process, it eventually popped free and she allowed herself to breathe once more as the dark mass writhed along the floorboards as if in search of a new host. Lavina panicked.

Quickly withdrawing her magic, she snatched an empty glass jar from a side table and slammed it atop the creature -- trapping it. Sweat trickled down her temple but at least it had been removed. "There," she sighed. "How... how is he?" Casting her gaze back to her patient, she searched blindly for something to seal the jar lest the creature break free. Upon finding the lid, she made quick work flipping the jar and sealing it shut, inscribing a sealing spell just in case.

Ew... It was much uglier in person though no less grotesque. Her magic recoiled away from it and was glad when she finally set it aside to clean and close the incision she'd made. "We can... lay him back down now... I'm all done."

She imagined it was just a waiting game now to see if she'd done it correctly or not.

[ensxrcelled]

❛ We’ve met before, right? ❜ (for Raythe!)

@luvccubus | ❓

He'd heard that one before. Had even used it on a nymph or two from time to time when the fancy struck him -- though he wasn't too proud of it. Still, that didn't mean they hadn't met him before. He had met a lot of creatures in his time -- especially before his fall.

"Have we, now?" he drawled, sweeping his gaze over their form. Nothing stuck out as notable to him but there was still the chance that he hadn't been paying attention before. Did they want something from him? He wasn't in the business of favors and if they wanted in good with his family, he was the last person they'd want to ask.

His eyes narrowed a fraction before closing them and sighing, rolling his wrist in dismissal. "Maybe we have, maybe we haven't. What's it to yeh?"

[ensxrcelled]

"Do you ever have the feeling that something's happened before, except differently?" (for Lavina!)

@magnusalterum | ❓

The young girl stared at the stranger for a moment, unsure of what they were asking. The same thing, but different? There was a word for that, wasn't there? The humans used it often in a similar sense.

Deja vu.

Though, that wasn't quite right. Deja vu was the feeling that something similar had happened before -- not that it had happened differently. And yet... why did she understand exactly what they were referring to?

"Of course," she then said, a soft smile gracing her features. "Sometimes... it feels just as natural... as my magic." Perhaps it was the way magic coursed through all things -- those things then cumulating into her very core. Something somewhere had happened almost one way but was unfolding before her in a different way. Maybe the magic recognized that even if she didn't. "A... ticklish feeling... isn't it?"

[lured-into-wonderland]

“Of course.” – Nunnally’s words came quickly, and were accompanied by a smile. But they were not meant honestly. Whether the princess could sense it (or not) was of little importance. Emilia would not call it out; that would be ill-mannered. Right? Their lives were full of lies, half-lies, and half-truths, with genuine truth appearing so rarely that most had long forgotten how to recognize it among the rest.

If Nunnally was stung (and she was) by the other’s next words, it did not show. The same polite smile remained on her lips, her brows did not furrow, and her posture stayed relaxed. Another lie, delivered (too) lightly.

“And he is so right. You look stunning!” – the very idea of borrowing something from Emilia, and actually wearing it was insulting in itself – “And I couldn’t. Not really. Now I am more inclined to wear what my fiancé likes… and he seems to prefer blue and silver on me... and less excessive fashion…” – if you wish to play this game, I am more than happy to; Nunnally thought to herself – “And you cannot imagine how much fun we have choosing matching attires.”

But the matching pink diamond in Emilia's ear didn't go unnoticed; the very same Rikuto wore. And it hurt more than anything the princess had said so far. How could he? How could Rikuto still wear it now, when he was engaged? And even if he lacked social awareness, the princess should have known better. Emilia’s-dear-childhood-friend was soon to become someone else’s husband, and a well-mannered young lady ought to acknowledge that.

Yet the worst part of Nunnally was… happy. Happy that the princess had not removed it. Because now it had become her own move. She would not leave things as they were. She would speak to her fiancé, and make sure Rikuto stopped wearing that piece of jewellery. And perhaps –  (just perhaps) – that small gesture would make Emilia feel as miserable as Nunnally did now.

That is…if he would listen to her at all. Oh, why was life so difficult!?

“Most certainly…” – Nunnally replied – “I could use some of your help. It will take some time before we, I mean Riku and I…learn each other’s preferences…” – a warm smile followed; this time more genuine, as she remembered her conversations with her husband-to-be – “Perhaps you could advise me on what he likes… You see Riku spends more and more time with us, with my father and me, and I would like to ensure the food is to his liking.”

“And I am afraid he will be too… considerate to truly voice his honest opinions.”

[ensxrcelled]

"Oh dear," Emilia's laugh startled out of her at the thought, though it was not directed at her. "I'm afraid he's not one for fashion. Color schemed, perhaps, but if you were to wear what he liked, that man would have you in paint-stained jeans or overalls -- not to mention casual clothes as far as the eye could see. You'd never see another corseted dress or heel again." Words spoken from experience, to her chagrin.

The veiled insult toward her own fashion went ignored, having no shame for the way she dressed nor her inclination toward such clothes. Instead, she tucked her hair behind one pointed ear and propped a hand atop her hip. Human schools and living outside of ' proper society ' -- as some would call it -- had taught her better than that.

Had Nunnally not heard of Emilia's so-called reputation since her return?

"I imagine a lot of the decisions are one-sided, am I right? Choices presented to him that make him look uncomfortable only for him to end up choosing the safest option?" All venom had drained from her tone, speaking more like an old friend than bitter love rival. She had forgotten in her reminiscing that they'd practically been at each other's throats.

Another chuckle left the Princess with a slight shake of her head. "Sometimes I wonder if he truly is hopeless when it comes to these things."

Remembering herself, Emilia blinked. "Food?" That wasn't what she'd expected. "You do know he grew up... less than wealthy, don't you?" she said, choosing her words carefully. "He'll eat just about anything when it's offered to him."

The reality of the situation settled over her like a heavy, wet blanket and she wiped the smile from her face. This wasn't right. She should be better than this. If she wanted to remain in Rikuto's life, through any sense of the word, then that also meant playing nice with his soon-to-be-wife. Not lobbing barbs at her. "Though, if he were to have a favorite food... I suppose that would be... stew. Of the Irish variety, specifically, but any stew will do."

A handmaid at her side whispered something in her ear and she nodded in response, stepping forward and hooking her arm through Nunnally's. "Alright! I've got to get out of this dress and we clearly have much to talk about. Come, come." Pulling the young woman along, she admitted, "I don't much like you or the fact that you're taking Riku away from us -- but I can acknowledge that those two are probably one and the same. Also that this is all ridiculous and childish."

Emilia glanced to the side and shrugged. "I'm sure you have questions so ask away. If they're within my power to answer, I'll do my best."

[lured-into-wonderland]

Nunnally didn't expect his reaction. What she had said was nothing more than an ordinary truth. Something everyone knew. So, why did Rikuto respond like that? As if it had never applied to him: either the right to expect things of others, or the obligation to follow expectations himself. And yet, given his social standing, it wasn’t as though there were not many above him who could demand his obedience.

Even as Nunnally tried to make sense of him, she couldn’t quite grasp what he was trying to communicate. If he didn’t want that… then what did he want?

“Be myself?” – she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them. What did that even mean? Who was she, really? She had learned to bend to others’ expectations so long ago that she had nearly forgotten what it meant to simply be herself. And even if she knew where that true self was hidden, she had sworn never to let anyone get close to it – “But you don’t know me… what if you don’t like the real me?”

The question wasn’t as involuntary as it might have seemed. Nunnally wanted an answer; though hearing her own words aloud made her uneasy, and she hurried to add – “But still… others, society, and…” – your father –  “…my father would expect something else.” – he understood w.h.y this marriage was happening, didn’t he? What was he even suggesting? No!; it didn’t matter. She wouldn’t dwell on it now. Or ever.

“With you?” – she asked instead – “Will you go to balls with me?” – surely, Rikuto understood she wouldn’t be expected to attend alone anymore. She had no desire to stir rumours that might cast either of them in a poor light. Whatever her reservations, she had accepted him as her future husband – her father had deemed it right – and she was determined to make it work – “I wouldn’t go alone.” – Nunnally added, making her meaning clear. He needed to understand how things were (now). He wanted to, didn’t he?

She smiled when he said her name. It sounded… nicer than she had expected.

“Thank you.” – Nunnally nodded, partly in appreciation that he’d followed her request, partly in response to his compliment about the colours – “I think we’ll look lovely. You’re…” – she hesitated – “You’re a very handsome man, Riku.” – but instead of answering his final question, she tilted her head slightly and returned it to him: --

“Is there anything you’d like to know?”

[ensxrcelled]

They'd both been forced to conform to an ideal image of themselves rather than be able to express their true selves or feelings. No matter the station, people will think of you whatever they so wish. It didn't matter it if was true or not, as long as you fit that image. Despite their vastly different upbringings, they were much more similar than either of them probably cared to admit.

"We won't know if you never show me." That was what getting to know each other was all about, after all. There was no way she could keep a mask on around him at all times. Eventually it would fray or crumble away. True colors had an odd way of bleeding through, even if that person did everything in their power to contain them. "How am I supposed to get to know you if you only show me what you think I want to see?"

Her words held some truth. If her father was the one that filled her head with such nonsense then he would also likely be the one to expect such behavior from her. "Then start with it's just the two of us." There may be expectations of them but... "If there's one thing I don't want, it's you thinking you have to pretend around me all the time. That's got to be exhausting."

Tipping his head, he listened carefully as she tried to explain her request. Balls... They were far from his favorite thing and dealing with the people at them... "I'll go," he decided, not wanting to upset her anymore in this moment. "If I'm able, I'll go to all the balls that you want. Promise. Though," he flashed her a small smile as a pinky was extended her way. "I do hope you'll have some mercy on me. That sort of thing isn't something I'm... used to."

His lips turned up slightly at her compliment. Either it pained her to say or she was just as accustomed to saying it as he was to receiving it. "Thank you," he said quietly. "You're very beautiful as well."

Having the question turned on him had been unexpected. Rikuto gaze off in the distance. What did he want to know? A knuckle was pressed to his lips, thinking. "Do you like art?" he asked, then, turning his attention back on her. People often hid their true feelings in their expressions -- their eyes -- and he wanted to carefully watch hers.

[ensxrcelled]

🤏 / for both luzitheo and laithray

@suizokukans | ❓

[heartbloomd]

Most people, including his own mother, forget that he's blind at some point of another—-so a reminder never hurts. And even when they do remember, they're not omniscient; how are they supposed to guess every little thing that would bother him? Les has long since learned to take it in stride, patient and willing to explain this or that, even when surface-level anxiety bubbles up.

He's just glad they've reached a compromise, and he acquiesces as Lunae moves them both into position. A soft oof escapes him once he leans his weight against her. "Ugh," he grumbles. "I guess even if it wasn't bad, I shouldn't have kept standing on it..."

No kidding. If he didn't feel confident hobbling to the bench himself, he should've sat on the pavement until a helpful stranger passed by. Yet he worried about his ability to stand up again—-balance issues and a lack of solid structures within arm's reach—-and maybe the pain hindered his ability to think rationally.

And he could've called for help sooner, but he's not exactly certain where he is anymore. He must've taken a wrong turn somewhere, or even gotten off at the wrong bus stop. The path he intended to travel doesn't have a crack for him to trip over like that, unless a full-grown tree sprouted up out of nowhere.

"I'd like to know what to do with me too. Evidently, I cannot make good decisions under pressure. But at least I didn't break a toe, so there's that." Steel-toed boots are an excellent investment, as it turns out.

[ensxrcelled]

Decisions under pressure. It truly was a humbling experience to think you'd act one way in a situation only to find out that your mind and body had different plans in the moment.

"It's hard to make decisions under pressure," she tried for a bit of reassurance. He was being hard on himself for something that most people couldn't manage in the most dire of circumstances. Had it been her in his situation, she may have forced herself to walk home or figure out a way to splint the injury by herself.

"You were probably worried about your foot. Your balance being compromised. If the sidewalk was structurally sound. Whoever might run into you." Her list was rattled off idly as she eased him down the road, one step at a time. Taking it at his pace. "Don't feel too bad. You're right, it could have been a whole lot worse."

Though, if the city bothered to fix their roads and paths, neither of them would be in this situation. Les had it much worse than her, however. Confused, lost, and injured. She couldn't imagine what that had felt like before she'd shown up. Undeniably, he had it worse.

The bounds of the park caught her eye and she nudged him ever so gently with her hip to get his attention. "Final stretch and then you can sit down. How you doing? Hanging in there?" While she'd initially gauged the injury to be pretty minimal, his noises and facial expressions were beginning to make her think otherwise. She hoped it hadn't worsened.

[indeliblepromise]

‧₊˚ ⋅ ꒰১ ᯓ ☆ㅤ˗ˏˋ⠀ㅤ𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 to him. Probably for the CHARMONY FESTIVALㅤ—ㅤit was only days away, after all. If not that, she must be someone importantㅤ—ㅤsomeone the Family wanted to meet with.

˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ⠀That just made it worse. If she had important business to attend to, then he was keeping her from itㅤ—ㅤand she was still trying to help HIM.

˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ⠀❛ㅤIt's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Crystalai ! You can call me Misha. I would be HAPPY to help you check in and find your room ! I'm just one of the bellhops so I can't do much with the checking in part. But I'd be happy to guide you to the front desk and help find your luggage !ㅤ❜⠀

˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ⠀His periwinkle gaze trailed towards the cart. There were several more carts just like it in the Reverie; all with their own towering piles of LUGGAGE. Hopefully, her baggage was either in that cart or one not far from them . . .

˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ⠀She seemed really insistent on helping, though. He didn't want to give her too much to doㅤ—ㅤ but maybe she could help with something SIMPLE ?

˚ʚ ☾ ɞ˚ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤㅤ⠀❛ㅤI - I suppose you could help me look through the carts to see if we can find YOURS !ㅤ❜⠀

[ensxrcelled]

Standing there, listening to him speak, Crystal had a thought. Was she being more a bother than a help to him? Misha hadn't said anything to confirm those suspicions but she got the feeling that she was causing more trouble than this whole interaction was worth. On top of everything, he looked so young! Was she bothering someone younger than her with something stupid?

In fact, she was so lost in her own anxieties that she had almost missed what he'd said entirely.

A bright smile was plastered on her face and she nodded in greeting -- hoping her expression didn't betray her. "Nice to meetcha, Misha," she said in a near sing-song tone. "Let's see... My luggage isn't much, really. Just a blue duffle -- about this big?" Crystal lifted her arms to provide and estimated size. "There's a snowflake pattern and a bunny charm on the handle."

Though she shouldn't be using her powers right now, Crystal perked up and said, "Oh! Wait -- hold on. I'll just show you." Holding a hand in front of her, palm up, she rubbed her thumb across the pads of her fingers above it with the opposite hand. From this movement, snowflakes sprinkled into her palm before forming a smaller version of her bag. "Like this!"

After all, it'd help if they both knew what the bag looked like. Even if her snow sculpture lacked any color, it was still a pretty faithful recreation. Crushing the snow bag in her fist, she rubbed her fingers against her palm and watched the snowflakes fall and fade away.

[suizokukans]

"Oh. I have no idea what you mean." They were clearly playing with him some more, happy to act ignorantly towards the deeper meaning behind his words.

Gently touching their own chin for a moment; their hands fall to then rest in their lap, a slightly bemused smile returning to their lips after that brief moment of being caught off guard. Usually after such a thing they would raise their guard but..

"You..." Tilting their head to the side, they are rendered momentarily speechless, surprised this back and forth actually made up to something. At the end of the day they had no qualms with Raythe eventually cozying up to the offer, otherwise they would have simply never suggested in the first place.

After that small window of wonder passed, a small laugh escaped their lips, hand once again quick to cover their mouth in muscle memory before then inching closer to the other man sitting beside them.

"Wonderful, it seems we have a deal." They hold a hand out, offering a handshake to him.

"Now, did you want to cash in my side of the deal now, or perhaps later?"

[ensxrcelled]

Another wave of irritation, that he couldn't quite explain, overtook him and his brows twitched with the effort to keep his composure. His mouth screwed to the side.

Raythe pinched their nose between his thumb and forefinger, eyes narrowing as he said, "You... are infuriating sometimes, you know that?" But, again, his voice lacked any venom, his face any real anger. Pain in the ass.

Raythe dropped his hand and resigned himself to a defeat that would likely be rehashed later down the line. If they didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't exactly force the information out of them. He would just have to accept that they would tell him if and when they were ready. As frustrating as that was.

As they scooch closer, he made no effort to stop them or move away but neither did he reciprocate the motion, simply following the movement with his eye. Then, seeing their extended hand, he thought for a moment before giving it a shake. Not even allowing the deal to settle before bringing it up again?

"Eager, aren't we?~" he mused, finding that hint of teasing they'd had before once again. "Sounds like you'd prefer we get right to it." Gaze flitting briefly to the falling snow, he raised a brow and smirked. "It could also fend off the chill of winter and keep us extra warm tonight but..." A shrug. "Well, what would you prefer?"

[ensxrcelled]

❝You’re cute, you know that?❞ for Riku!

@lured-into-wonderland | ❓

Eyebrows shot up at her remark, bewilderment flitting across Rikuto's face as he thumbed the rim of his glass. Alcohol affected him differently. Where some could throw back bottles and bottles of the stuff, he had to be careful of just how much he drank. So, just how much had she drank for her to say something like that?

"While I appreciate the sentiment, I really don't think ' cute ' is a word anyone would use to describe me," he pointed out, gently extracting the drink from her grasp. "Besides, that word suits you better, I think. Now, let's get you some water."

[ydotome]

Richeh “Richehlette” (リチェ) - Tongari Boushi no Atelier - Episode 2

[theircurse]

✦ . ⠀⁺ 【 @ensxrcelled / Lancelot 】 ⁺ ⠀. ✦

╰ ★ cont. from 「 X 」

˗ˏˋ *⠀★⠀‿︵⠀˗ˏˋ⠀𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒖𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘; 𝒋𝒖𝒅𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕. What was this guy holding out his finger for ? That was weird. REALLY WEIRD. What did he expect for them to do ?

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤThen, they turned to the BIG, GLASS BOX that they had been guided to. Underneath the bright lights inside were SO MANY CAKES. Fancy cakes in all sorts of flavors they had never, EVER seen before. Picking one was SO tempting . . .

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤBut still, they couldn't help but feel just a LITTLE bit offended.

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤTheir hands still clutched the remaining mochi that Crystalai - san had made. Two or three that they had saved just in case the mafia guards ' forgot ' to give them some sorry excuse of food. A look crossed their face; just a little INDIGNANT as they looked up at the man.

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ❛ㅤI didn't TAKE them. Crystalai-san gave them to me. Why would I steal from someone who was nice to me ? That's STUPID.ㅤ❜

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤBut despite their annoyance, the cakes were still RIGHT THERE. The cafe was silent as their gaze skimmed over the wide assortment. Each and every one looked really, REALLY good. They had to pick carefully though. Who knows when the next time they would get to see the outside was.

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤFinally, they lifted their hand; a finger pointing at a particular cake. A cake with bright, glossy caramel drizzled over the top with little spots that HAD to be either brown sugar or cinnamon. Brown sugar was better but they would have been happy with the cinnamon too.

⊱ ★ ⊰ㅤ˗ˏˋㅤ❛ㅤTHAT ONE, please. I promise I won't eat it all at once.ㅤ❜

[ensxrcelled]

The offered pinky hovered a moment longer before both hands were raised in a show of surrender. Once again, he bemoaned the fact that his sister had scampered off somewhere and left him to watch over some random kid in her stead. They reminded him so much of Crystal when she was small, too. Such a handful.

"Alright, alright!" Lance conceded. "You got me there." They did have a point, he supposed, though it wouldn't have been the first time some kid had snuck in to steal a treat or two. Why was he suddenly the bad guy for assuming this time wasn't any different?

Crystal liked to look the other way or instruct them to simply ask for something next time, not wishing to punish someone over food. Lance, however, believed that encouraging something like that only invited trouble to their doorstep. He had never been all that good at dealing with children.

Saved from having to deal with that particular topic any longer, his eyes followed their finger as it pointed out their final choice. A caramel cake? "Alrighty then. That one it is," he said, dropping his hands atop his thighs before pushing himself up into a standing position.

A light pink box was produced that he made quick work of, folding it into shape before placing the cake within. "Just this? I'm sure Cris won't mind you taking two or three." Judging from their size, they could probably use the calories anyway. "She'll probably bite my head off if she finds out I didn't send you home with your fill."

[luvccubus]

Cupid nodded && held Eros' hand tightly in theirs as they were set upon the water bed. They registered, just momentarily, that the girl was important to the forest god somehow, but they did nothing but acknowledge it, far more concerned with their brother's well being than a god's family. They flinched as the goddess behind them screeched, cursing in the language of the gods, damning all of them && threatening to infect the very forest itself.

❝ Get away from her! She'll infect you! ❞

It was all Cupid could manage to shout before they were guided away by the young lady. God or not, the man was in danger && while Cupid had been unable to gauge his strength, they worried that they had brought disease to him. They desperately wished to help &&, for a moment, considered it, as they && Eros had brought her to the forest in the first place, but they hadn't the strength to move off of the water.

Cupid grunted as they were set down, an ache running throughg their entire body as they finally settled atop the cushions. They shifted Eros' head into their lap, tearing up as they got a look at their brother's face, bloodied && bruised by their own hand. Guilt made their entire body tremor with sobs as they bent over his form, pressing their forehead against his && mumbling apologies && prayers for him to live.

Please live.

Don't leave me alone.

They straightened && turned their attention to the girl before them, ❝ You're human, right? Don't be afraid, what he has will only infect people like us. That goddess back there gave him...somethin' that made him turn into some kinda puppet for her. He looked like a monster before I... ❞

Cupid felt sick rise in their throat && they smacked their hand against their mouth to quiet the sound of anguish that tried to escape. What sort of sibling were they? They'd raised Eros to the best of their ability && yet here they were, holding his broken body in their hands because they'd been unable to protect him.

&& that poor human he'd loved...

❝ There was some kinda...surgery to remove it, but that's all I know. I never found a doctor or anythin' like that. Can we...purge it? ❞

[ensxrcelled]

Human? She straightened and stared at them wide-eyed, startled. Did she appear that way from the outside? Lavina supposed if you took away her magic and practices, she would just be another human. The villagers would likely have vehemently opposed that theory. She didn't have time to dwell on that, however.

Palms down, she slowly fanned her hands in an ' easy... easy ' motion; in hopes of soothing them. As they were now, she still knew so little about the condition. Lavina was no doctor -- certainly no surgeon. It was likely she wasn't equipped to handle something like this unless she knew more. "There, there... Easy now..." she consoled, tugging a blanket over their shoulder.

Her hands moved to cup the air around her necklace, glowing a soft, powder blue, before producing a bottle of lavender liquid that she offered to them. Though she didn't have the time to heal them directly, she could still offer them a healing potion in the meantime. "Here... Sip this... and tell me everything you can."

Tipping her head, encouraging them to go on, she then shifted on her pillow to face her patient fully. One hand was placed over Eros' forehead, the other over their chest. The soft glow of her magic returned, shimmering and rippling like water around her hands.

Cerulean eyes unfocused and matched the glow around her eyes as she searched for abnormalities within their body. Anything out of place that she might be able to catch even without further information.

"You said... she gave him something? Do you know... what it was? What it was made of?" Carefully, her magic probed their form, searching methodically for whatever it was they spoke of while also healing any external injuries she passed over. "I'll do... whatever I can for them... but I need you to tell me... everything you can, too. Okay?"

[romantxcxsm]

"You're right. Being here alone wasn't part of my plan, nor was it ideal." Chad had to admit, letting out a sigh. He should have predicted that his friend would cancel, all the signs had been there. Still, it didn't make any difference in his decision to accompany Parker through the festival.

"I don't feel forced to watch over you, though. Still, it's not easy for me to drop the issue of your stalkers...even if you can take care of yourself, which I'm not doubting you can." Chad offered, finally looking towards the other once again. He could tell he was coming across rather serious. While Chad was often described as a stoic, even he could tell his urgency to make sure the other was safe could have been coming across as intense, maybe even off-putting for passersby wondering why he was so shifty-eyed.

"Still I would much rather make the most of the festival like I intended to in the first place. So if you're offering, we can try to enjoy this event together."

[ensxrcelled]

"Ah, right." Since she spent a majority of her time with Adrien it'd never occurred to her that she might need to explain something like this. He knew the extent of her family situation well, after all. Although, if she was going to trouble him for the rest of the night, she suspected an explanation was long overdue.

"I suppose I should clarify, first." His stoic demeanor didn't seem to deter her playful attitude, conversing about this as if she was discussing the weather. "I'm not being stalked. Not necessarily. Those were," unclasping her hands, she tapped her chin idly with an index finger, "My father's people. I don't think he personally sent them after me, but their sole job is to catch me if I sneak out."

Giving his arm a gentle, reassuring pat, a casual smile turned her lips. "You don't have to worry. I'm not in any danger or being chased by dangerous people. I simply wanted to enjoy myself tonight and they were hindering that." A chuckle.

"That being said, I would love to enjoy the event with you. I hope you don't mind playing a bit of hide-and-seek while we're at it, though.~" Thankfully, imps weren't very smart so that shouldn't be too difficult.

[lstclan]

@suizokukans