our lips are red for a reason.

hunt something you have a hope of killing. [ isola affiliated ]

[haistulf]

                              i.  [ app ]  ii.  [ stats ]   iii.  [ rules ]  iv. [ credit ]

[ostentumm]

"Don't you think that's enough?" YET, the bastard ignores him and continues on assaulting the already dead Glitch. And then, he's pushing a needle into his own neck. Oliver doesn't know if it's that or just Astolfo, but..

"You stink. You didn't smell like this before."

But there IS a reason. He recognizes this smell. "What's wrong with you? Are you sick?"

[haistulf]

oliver clearly hasn't changed. he's still just as noisy and stupid as when astolfo first met him. what an inconvenience ...

' i don't stink. if you're looking for stench, look at yourself. ' something about the boy calling him sick makes astolfo more resistant to listening to his body. the adrenaline is working. he can feel his heart pounding, his hands flexing with the need for movement.

but he also feels dizzy. that was his first tonic, he shouldn't be ...

their conversation is drawing more of the glitched closer. getting into a fighting stance, astolfo points louisette at oliver for a moment. it's not exactly a threat, more a callout. ' are you only here to mock me, or are you going to kill these things? '

[haistulf]

' ugh. you? '

astolfo could not sound less pleased if he tried— and he has tried, especially around oliver. spitting the word like something extraordinarily disgusting, it's all the attention the boy gets for the moment. astolfo is busy with driving the tip of louisette through the jaw of a glitched he's standing on top of, boot digging into its chest as it convulses on the ground.

it managed to slice at him earlier, so there's a special type of ire in the way he presses his spear through its face. he digs and digs and digs, until it's reduced to rattled wheezing, and then finally nothing. his head feels heavy. his limbs feel sluggish.

he can't afford to get tired, not when there's an endless number of bodies to remove. grabbing a tonic from his belt, a syringe filled with a green liquid, astolfo expertly pushes the needle into a vein by his neck. it does its work, gives him a small boost—

he still stumbles as he steps off the dead glitched. the paladin makes a loud, frustrated noise and the other boy is still looking at him, so astolfo's head whips around to stare at him accusingly. ' can you go anywhere else? i'm busy! '

@ostentumm ; sc (modifier: p is for poison)

[shiroyoh]

[haistulf]

these things roaming the streets are, at best, good practice. astolfo would be hesitant to even call them heretics, if he spared a thought to it at all. he doesn't. astolfo of garnet roams the streets flooding with mindless corpses meaning only to kill, and kills them in turn.

it's what he does when he spots salvation, a golden ray in the middle of blood and gore. so very reminiscent of their first meeting, with the child dripping velvet and aurelius a bright, unstained light. only this time, astolfo is fighting his way towards the angel, stabbing and kicking and vaulting himself over several bodies to get to him.

' monsieur aurelius! '

his voice sounds as childlike as he truly is, behind all the posturing. relieved and happy to know that, while he's been returned to this awful place with no true faith in sight, aurelius is here.

' i see the state of this city has not improved. ' a short pause as he effortlessly slashes the throat of another glitched with the tip of louisette. ' i apologize for the sudden appearance. i'm endlessly glad to be granted your presence. may i assist you? '

@hollowfaith ; sc

[haistulf]

gonna fuck around with graphics for a while, but! little freak man is back in. i'm making this an event starter call (bc i think it's funny to immediately drop him into the zombie apocalypse), capped at 3!

[lightbryel-deactivated20250704]

✟ ASTOLFO GRANATUM ✟

[haistulf]

   sure. he can do an exorcism.

   for a fee.

[hollowfaith]

「✧」 He smiles back, pleased at the boy's answer and cleverness both.

"Very astute."

"But as you can guess, it's not so much the happenings as the people who interest me. I wanted to see if you were doing well."

He lowers his legs over the ledge, then jumps down completely—only stopping a few inches above the rink as his telekinesis keeps him airborne.

"And of course, there's no better way to observe others than a place where they're preoccupied with themselves."

His eyes flicker to one crowded bow on the skates before Aurelius motions with a finger; smoothly, the laces untie themselves before redoing the bow again, tighter.

"Better?"

[haistulf]

i wanted to see if you were doing well.

   was he? it prompts him to think about it, properly. if his health and well-being is something that concerns aurelius, he must be sure to take care of himself, as to not cause unnecessary worry. he wouldn't want to take up space where it isn't needed.

   looking out at the crowd of people, all busied with each other, astolfo is grateful for the company of monsieur aurelius. though he came here to mingle, he knows he's not cut out for it, all sharp edges and lips turned downward. looking down as his bow is fixed for him, his smile turns a bit bashful.

   ' better. merci beaucoup. '

   ' the skating reminded me of the ice rinks in paris ... in winter, the common folk were quite taken with them. it was never something i sought out before, but ... ' there, he pauses, uncertain of how to put it into words. but i am not home anymore, or i have nowhere to belong anymore, neither of which sound appropriate. he sighs. ' i have superiors that did. i'm not very good at it. '

   he's hesitant when he looks back up at aurelius, childish hopefulness in his eyes. ' would you want to try it with me? '

[ostentumm]

"I'm just making SURE you're not going to get my body in trouble," he's quick to defend and when this kid IN HIS body starts walking, Oliver follows.

"You smell like absolute trouble." He's just saying that. He doesn't have the same abilities. In fact, he doesn't like this icky feeling at all. "Can't believe I got stuck in such a weird body." And just for good measure, he'll complain all the way!

[haistulf]

walking side by side, astolfo stares straight ahead as the other catches up. he knows he doesn't smell like anything, sure to clean up every night after a job, but it's the second comment that has him spit a quick, ' don't call it weird, ' in the direction of his own body.

   he's aware that he's defiled. he doesn't need this guy pointing it out to him, with no context as to what made astolfo the way he is. ' i've been training to hunt for years. my body is capable on its own. and what about yours? this arm is strange, at best, ' raising one of them in the direction of the other.

[daxned]

He could snap her wrist right off and she wouldn't react any way than how she was now. Emotionless, eyes boring into his own. The low growl though, from the creature hidden behind the trees and barks only grows louder.

Dam-bi's gaze doesn't waver from the other and she speaks, "You'll see soon enough." But not even soon enough, because as she speaks. The creature that stayed hidden is BARRELING toward. With its massive 8 ft tall self, it crashes through the many trees, toppling them down like dominos. There won't be anywhere for the boy to run and Dam-bi isn't about to stop the creature either.

"You'll let go eventually. If not, you'll get crushed like the bug that you are," she tests.

[haistulf]

much like the beast of gévaudan, a creature sprints at astolfo with no signs of stopping. he has angered something he can't defeat on his own, with no other chasseur inhabiting the island— and while he prides himself in his abilities, there is the distinct note of fear in his mouth as he goes to say something without knowing what.

   he lets go of her wrist, whether that's a conscious decision or the instinct to put himself into a better position. one that might have him survive this encounter. his hand goes to the knife strapped to his backside. swiveling around, one foot behind the other, his focus shifts entirely to the creature, and as it keeps approaching, he readies himself to jump. if not over, it'll at least be a start.

[searedpath]

"My duties? Uhh," he pauses when he opens the door, letting the kid go in ahead of him and following as they look at the signs above the counter. "Well, first off I guess I'm a Watchful Eye - a witch meant to keep a close eye on other witches. Make sure they don't do anything they aren't supposed to. Though the guy I'm meant to watch...

"Is kind of a huge pain." Looking over the menu, he approaches the counter, "Coffee for me. And some of those honey crusted pastries over there. And whatever the kid wants."

Whose kid was this anyway? Was he really in the market to be picking up more strays when he couldn't keep track of the young apprentices under Qifrey's charge?

[haistulf]

speaking of his duties as though they are his bread and butter, what he busies himself with each day, it almost sounds human. a witch to keep other witches in check ... astolfo thinks that an important position, if magical abilities are involved. vampires, too, have their own, unique abilities, from strength, to fire and ice, to more that he's sure the chasseurs aren't privy to yet.

   he wonders if there are people like the watchful eyes in his world. it doesn't seem probable, with so many vampires gone loose.

   blankly staring up at the menu, he listens as monsieur olruggio orders. there's so many options that he's not sure what to pick, but when something familiar catches the eye, he visibly relaxes.

   ' i'll have a pain au chocolat, s'il vous plait. and a hot chocolate. '

   turning around to look for an empty table, astolfo gestures at one before moving. he's still thinking it over, but the offer of food has clearly pacified him a fair bit ... he's almost curious. ' what rules are there for the witches to follow? when you say your charge is a pain for you to watch ... does he not follow the rules? '

[hollowfaith]

🖊 YESSSS

Send “🖊” for a quick doodle of your muse!

i can’t get his face right for some reasons so have some chibis sjdjfjfjdj

moonlight flight hehe

[anghexescu]

@haistulf

A child? Why is he out in this section all by himself? "Are you lost?" He doesn't think that's the case. The young one looks so comfortable being on the shadier side of the lower levels of Fibonacci. Concerning if he has to admit it. Still, he wouldn't be someone that should judge. He would have done the same thing and has been in shady parts when he was younger too. For missions, but still.

[haistulf]

another one? it's not the first time astolfo's been stopped while working, but he's tempted to make this the last time.

   ' i'm not lost. if anything, you look lost. ' with that ill-fitting outfit he's wearing, as modernized as some parts of this island seems to be, entirely unbecoming of the holy mission astolfo's trying to accomplish. he turns to face the man properly, swiveling louisette around so the butt of the weapon clinks against the bricks beneath.

   ' i'm here on behalf of the church. if you don't mean to join me, it's best you left me to it. '

[hollowfaith]

「✧」 "Astolfo."

Out of the blue, the angel descends, wings kept safely out of sight as he lands on the railing of the rink. Perched on the edge, he takes a look at the youth's feet, clad in the same wheel-lined shoes as everyone else here.

Aurelius believed these were called skates.

Quirking a smile, he asks, "Are you enjoying yourself?"

@haistulf ໒꒱ | A ROARIN’ BOREALIS SKATING RINK

[haistulf]

at the sound of aurelius' voice, saying his name so clearly, astolfo all but beams with delight, eyes darting up, up, up, until he's craned his neck far enough to see the angel perched on the edge behind him. his expression, previously a bit frustrated as he'd sat down to fiddle with the ties in these strange shoes, lights up entirely.

   ' monsieur aurelius! '

   ' i didn't expect to see you here. i ... ' there, he pauses, a bit embarrassed about what he must look like: a mere child, trying to join the festivities? his smile doesn't fade, but he scratches at the spot between neck and shoulder for a second. ' i admit, i've been having difficulty mingling ... i thought this an ample opportunity. '

   and then genuine interest, with no pause in between: ' why are you here? surely you have no need for these events. '

[nohrsrose]

"Are you lost? Roaming around this part of the city once the sun sets is only asking for trouble young one." He couldn't have been much older then Elise was. And unless wherever they were staying was nearby the rowdier ones would start to flood the streets.

"How about you come with me? The two of us together won't need to worry about anything."

@haistulf | s.c

[haistulf]

her voice is almost too sweet, astolfo decides. ' i'm not lost, ' comes immediately, voice tinged with annoyance. louisette loose in his hand, he's not really perturbed about being stopped on his way down the seedier parts of fibonacci, but the coddling tone she takes with him will certainly do it.

   he's not asking for trouble— he's asking to continue in his quest, holy and sanctioned, even on this island. to assume him a child, naive enough to come down here by mistake ... finally giving her a glance, scanning her over, astolfo's eyebrows furrow.

   ' shouldn't you be teaching children not to go along with strangers? '

[haistulf]

time to stab oliver.