❝ 𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒆𝒓.

𝚕𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚞𝚗 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚍𝚎/𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚊𝚣𝚎 𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒂 𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅

[kyouufu]

APP | STATS | RULES

– a (former?) mad cult leader – goes into manic rants about his deranged devotion sometimes don't worry about it – carries around his own handwritten bible – loves inflicting pain, both mental and physical (preferably both at the same time) – non-existent sense of self-worth – annoyed by almost everyone he ever meets – loathes humans, easily in the top three human haters of all time – very little care or appreciation towards human life, including his own – a little crazy but charming (?) – tiniest waist known to mankind

affiliated with isola.

[punishercross]

Whatever noise of surprise was about to audibly leave his mouth stayed trapped in his throat as his mouth hung open at being told that, with a look like that. Was he being hit on? It's not the worst thing in the world, but he can't help the way those words and that gaze run up his spine and curl around his cheeks.

Clicking his tongue, he averts his gaze from behind his glasses, "Yer really messin' with me." He's also pretty sure this guy is using an alias. Fine.

"Wolfwood."

"'Talk with 'em', huh? Jeez, yer really asking me for a lot, lookin' at me like I've got all the answers and manpower."

[blankticket]

"Ahah, sorry." It's obviously low-hanging fruit to tease Wolfwood further on suddenly backpedaling on how trustworthy and independent he is at his job, but Eriks figures he's had his fill for now. "Didn't mean to pile on the pressure that hard. Just figured maybe you'd have a closer ear to the ground about this person. What they're like. How they did what they did."

Maybe neither of them really had what it took to handle this, even if they were to work together. Likely, there was a reason this mysterious campus killer had so many unknowns about them even in the efficiency of their gruesome work. They still stood more of a chance together; Vash isn't one to accept the lone-wolf resignation this guard clearly had.

"If we can talk n'figure out why, too, we could put an end to this without needing that 'manpower'." Or at least stall for time. "There a panic button in your station for backup? Or, um...?" He blinks owlishly, head tilting to see if the other has a walkie-talkie holstered, assuming it was difficult to make out in the meager moonlight.

[kyouufu]

The cold has burrowed deep into him, turning his limbs numb and stiff. The missing person posters with his school photo printed in the middle had gradually been taken down as the leads stopped. There weren't many to begin with - Legato was never fond of making friends or even acquaintances. The things spoken of him after the disappearance followed the same pattern; 'no one really knew him', 'maybe he just left', 'I didn't even know his name'. The solitude had been his own choice.

Days have bled into weeks, and then into months, but his restless spirit keeps wandering the school grounds, stuck in place, stagnant. His body lays undiscovered in one of the old, dark hallways built under the school, struck down by a killer whose face has slipped from his mind.

All he craves now is peace and quiet.

The two strangers conversing in the schoolyard show no signs of granting him that. Legato lingers nearby, his spectral form nearly invisible under the pale moonlight flooding the open ground, leaving the rest shrouded in shadow. He fixates his sunken stare on the one who speaks again, the long blond hair framing his features. Legato curls his hand into a fist, an invisible force grasping onto the stranger's arm and swinging it forward, aiming to make him strike his companion in the face.

" Shut up already. "

[burytone]

Gravity pressed into his sternum with the force of a collapsing star as Legato kept him pinned into the couch with his abilities. Midvalley used to be the type of man who could swing his fist and get a guy to stop bothering him in an instant. It was the only way people would respect you: learn how to fight, or get treated like worm food.

Turns out, the reaper wasn't coerced with an intimidating scowl or the threat of a punch.

His methods were more sophisticated, too sophisticated for a man like the Hornfreak to combat.

Legato's kicked dog comment makes Midvalley's eye twitch. Sure, he had gone through a shocking adjustment when those people on the Home ship took him in, but at least he was given fresh water, cool air, and shelter from the murder maniac who had been dictating his life for years now.

" I'm as much of a kicked dog as you are, " he makes the cutting remark.

" Just because your collar is nicer doesn't make you a better mutt. "

[kyouufu]

Half-lidded eyes linger on the man, pupils sharpened as his fingers tighten around the glass, the cold digging daggers into his skin. Legato leans forward to place it back on the table, the invisible grip around Midvalley's throat tightening for a split second before easing again, allowing him to breathe.

He has always been a grievance. He would have run if given a single chance for it. A chance Legato made sure he never got to have, until it was time to dispose of him.

What makes you so special that Master Knives went out of his way to choose you?

The response hits him with more teeth than he had expected, a realization that makes the corner of his mouth twitch upward. He turns abruptly, an elbow propped against the backrest of the couch as he leans into the man's personal space, his incessant stare devoid of signs of life.

" I never needed a leash to stay loyal, " he pokes a finger against the man's forehead, eyes narrowing. " You looked so peaceful when I found you here. Do you think God isn't watching your every move? That he doesn't know you betrayed him? "

[burytone]

Out of all of the wicked men that Midvalley had met, every sinner, every con man, there was one who prevailed as the most vile, and it was this psychopath looming over him-- made of thorns and spider silk. Already his brain was screaming at him: you need to get out of here, you're going to die.

But like every single time before, when the azure reaper comes with his scythe, there is no running.

There really was no safe place for him to hide from his tormenter.

He followed him here, to this city, to this jazz club.

Every muscle in his body tensed, his fingers twitching against the couch, expression wide like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck.

" Go to hell, " he grunts through grit teeth.

" I lived anyway, that pisses you off? "

[kyouufu]

" It does, " the response is immediate and spoken with a thrilled cadence, his eyes widening. The unblinking stare remains on the man below him, every passing second wrapping him tighter into the invisible snare.

" I should have known they'd take pity on you. Have I told you that there's a- very specific kicked dog aura to you? " he has, many times. And Legato remembers each and every situation that called for him to point it out.

He moves again, taking a seat next to Midvalley and downing another mouthful of his sugar-coma-inducing drink. The taste of alcohol in it is mild and pleasant, and he leans against the backrest, crossing his legs. To an outsider, the scene plays as nothing more than two friends conversing and spending quality time together.

" Admittedly, I would execute that plan in a completely different way now. Neither of us was supposed to survive in the end. Yet here we are. "

[amoirsetpacis]

★ --;; It's not that Vash doesn't like it out here-- he does! It's just that the Golden ward isn't one he fins himself in often, unless he's out here on a date or making a delivery. But it is where one of his favorite bakeries is, and he'd seen recently where they're having a big event today-- including introducing a new flavor of donut on an early-bird discount-- so here he finds himself.

Even though he's slowly become ( far more ) lax about it than before, Vash is still ( sometimes, capable of being ) an early riser ( when he feels like it ). And he'd made sure to be today, to show up right when 'Golden's Goodies' opened-- missing out for even a little more sleep was not an option, in this case. It had even been marked on the calendar! Plus, what with more recent developments, it might serve a double purpose of giving him an excuse to head out to the desert to pay a visit, delivery in hand.

The realization that he should have gotten here even earlier smacks Vash squarely across the face, though, as he rounds the corner. He's definitely not the only one to have had the same thought-- and they don't even open for another fifteen minutes!

"Aw man..." he whines to himself, feet coming to a slow halt as he reaches the outskirts of the gathered group. It's not that many people-- but it's nothing to sneeze at, either. On the one hand, he should be glad that the little shop is getting more attention and better business. But on the other..."

"Please don't sell out of all the new stuff... !!"

@kyouufu

[kyouufu]

Legato did not expect to think about the specific bakery again, not after he so begrudgingly accepted an advertisement brochure from the excitable woman on the street corner. He had simply nodded and placed the piece of paper between the pages of the book in his hand, slipping away from the scene rather than engaging in small talk with a stranger. Many of the bakeries in the Golden Ward reflected the sleek, modern style of the area. The coffee shops filled with young adults, adorning fashionable outfits and chatting and gushing among themselves about work and relationships, never appealed to him.

The night before the bakery event, Legato was laying on the living room couch, shuffling through his book - only to be hit in the face by the advertisement sheet.

It would likely be crowded, but a donut is a donut. There is even a discount code printed on the paper. It might be a pleasant surprise.

A small group has gathered in front of the door by the time he gets there, making the frown on his face burrow deeper, accompanied by an aggravated exhale. Well, he has walked all this way already. If it came down to it, Legato could take subtle advantage of his powers - the fraction of them that were returned, anyway.

Certain situations called for it.

The newly arrived stranger talking by themself beside him catches his attention enough for a brief glance.

[kyouufu]

@madeupxmemory

The days and weeks have bled into each other worse than usual. In this form, all Legato has is time to spare. Time to watch students pass by him in the hallway, time to see them graduate and move on to fulfill whatever foolish dreams of a future they have. And he will remain here, forever stagnant and stuck in place.

No reaction to his appearance phases him anymore. He has seen it all, from terror to intrigue to dismissal.

He watches in silence as the girl passes by him. His see-through form blends seamlessly into the wall, impossible to notice unless one were to stop and take their time looking. Legato turns his head away, only to catch from the corner of his eye how a paper falls from her bag, silently landing on the floor.

He moves, after several days of standing still as a statue.

" Hey, " he takes the paper, shoulders tensing from making contact with something physical - even that has become foreign. " You dropped this. "

[nomansjudge]

There's a chuckle that leaves the bug, not soft as it bounces off the walls of the church. But it wasn't directly loud as they are aware they are still close to the puppeteer's ear.

"Some hole," they answer in their usual snark. "Surprised to see you in this place - thought you'd be more stuck to your precious Knives-sama."

They lean back, taking their chin off of Legato's shoulder as if they knew they were pushing their luck with the contact. The hivemind folds their legs criss-cross on the bench as they tilt their head at an almost unnatural angle.

"What happened since I saw you last?"

[kyouufu]

His shoulders visibly tense as he comes to yet another standstill on the page of his book. Several minutes pass as Legato completely ignores his unwanted company, staring as the black ink slowly drips from the tip of the pen, leaving a black splotch on the middle of the page.

" Master Knives is busy. You should find ways to entertain yourself in this place, as I am trying to, " the words are spoken under his breath, hushed and tinted with irritation.

Another bookmark is placed on the page to accompany the few dozen others sticking out of the book before he closes it, head tilting as he runs his fingertip along the carving of the cover.

" Other ways than bothering me, that is, " a necessary addition. He leans as far back against the bench as possible, head turning towards Zazie.

" I found myself here. I befriended someone who is me from another timeline. I moved in with him. It's been an odd year. "

[burytone]

Jazzy bebop was exactly what Midvalley needed in order to feel a semblance of normal. The nerves were gradually unraveling as he relaxed on the lounge. He taps his toes to the tempo of the music, tilting his head into it, as if he could be embraced by the soundwaves themselves. A woman was singing on stage, the warble of her voice something so sweet to his ears.

Finally, it felt like he could take a breathe. All confusing matters aside, this wasn't No Man's Land. The cutthroat nature of that apocalyptic landscape was behind him as long as he was in this city. No repetitive missions of bloodshed and slaughter. No rigid march towards the end of the world. No Millions Knives. No--

The wind is knocked out of his lungs as the gravity surrounding his body pushes him down violently. Midvalley is pinned in place, pinpricks attacking his skin as an awfully familiar sensation possess his limbs.

Brown eyes snap wide open, and the musician's jaw drops in utter shock. Of all of the people that could had walked into his jazz club, this was the absolute worst possible choice.

" What are you doing here--? "

Legato Bluesummers.

Like a ghost, he was here to haunt him as his eternal torment.

He was screwed.

[kyouufu]

The lop-sided smile that drags the corners of his mouth up never quite reaches his eyes, a learned behavior rather than a genuine reaction. His pupils sharpen, unblinking stare resting on the man before him, now held down with the inhumane powers. A necessity, given how he tended to skitter himself out of every snare Legato placed for him like a common pest.

For now, he grants Midvalley the grace of subtlety. He restrains him in a way that wouldn't draw attention from curious onlookers beyond a glance or two. Especially given the quietness of this particular corner of the club.

" That's my question. Last I remember, I sent you off to die. "

He speaks the words with his usual melodic cadence. It's a sharp contrast to the rapid movement with which he presses the heel of his boot into the plush edge of the seat the man is sitting on, just an inch or two away from his leg.

Legato hangs his looming form over him, head snapped down to stare him directly in the eye, the azure hair hanging down to reveal more of his face than most have ever witnessed. " - yet here you are. "

[burytone]

@kyouufu | Golden Ward

It's a familiar enough scene that Midvalley could almost pretend to be comfortable. When night fell upon the city, the venues and bars filled up. Neon lights reminiscent of JuLai's clubs drew him in, a moth to a lamp, but it was the music that really got hit him hooked. Energetic, carefree, brassy bliss. Man, when was the last time he was able to listen to music without tasting bile in the back of his throat?

Nobody recognized who he was in the bar, and he was unable to put a name to any of the strangers that he came across. Midvalley blended right in as just another one of the citizens of the ward. Penniless, patting himself down, he cannot find a single double dollar-- nor was he able to figure out the digital currency on his phone.

For now, he settles on one of the open lounge seats in the back of the room, tilting his head against the wall, closing his eyes, and pretending like everything was fine for the first time.

[kyouufu]

A large dollop of whipped cream is barely balancing on top of the colorful soda float as it's placed in front of Legato by the confused bartender. Even with the splash of bourbon in the bottom, it could hardly be called an alcoholic drink - at least when compared to the shots of whiskey and fancy martinis served to the customers by the counter beside him.

It's disgustingly sweet right from the first sip, further amplified by the spoonful of whipped cream, the total amount of sugar enough to make anyone keel over with nausea. Just as he likes it.

A single step is taken away from the bar counter when he spots a familiar face, hidden all the way to the back of the bar - the very same he hadn't seen since he sent him off on that suicide mission without a second thought.

He seems relaxed, eyes closed, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Legato doesn't give the man a chance to doubt his false sense of safety until he's only a couple of steps away from him. With a flick of a hand, the invisible force latches onto his joints, threading in, keeping him firmly glued onto the seat.

" You lived. "

[on-friday-afternoon]

[nomansjudge]

@kyouufu | Archimedes Ward, Church of Onoma

Well, if they were a certain blue-haired, religious zealot, they probably would find themselves in the nearest Church...

Zazie hums a little to themselves as they open the door to the Church of Onoma, and quickly spot their prey. A playful smirk lights on the face of the teenaged host body they were using as they slink their way into the shadows to be less noticed.

Only to skitter up to the seated puppeteer and immediately perch their chin on their shoulder. "Legato," they say in a low voice, "I fouuund you~"

Like this was some game of hide-and-seek, and not a way to try to fill the silence in their head.

[kyouufu]

Every word written on the page of the notebook comes out messier than the previous until at the end of the page, the pen trails off, leaving a streak of dark ink behind. His hand trembles, teeth gritting together in frustration.

It used to come to him easier than this.

A shaky exhale is breathed out, the notebook tossed on the bench next to him. He bows his head down, hands laced together and pressed against his forehead, glassy eyes facing forward.

Repent, repent, repent for your sins.

The sudden presence near him makes him flinch back, a frustrated huff given after he realizes this company is a familiar one.

" Worm, " Legato acknowledges them as discreetly as always. " Where did you come from? "

[charadrxxmxrr]

“Creatures of all sorts have an urge to worship what they consider divine,” Chara supplies with a shrug. “It is not just a human experience. Having a higher power watching over is a comfort to the masses. It is understandable. Like a loving mother watching over its child. People do not want to think it was for nothing. They do not want to look back and find it was all useless.”

That was how Chara saw things, anyway. Whenever they believe in a higher power or not is something else — and not something they’re willing to share. They bend down to pick some more flowers, twisting them into another bracelet as they talk.

“My reason for existence was to be a guide to one who followed the path to freedom. I do not have a reason for that anymore,” they say, fingers weaving steadily, “perhaps we can find our reasons concurrently.”

[kyouufu]

Legato had never wanted to share his form of worship. The comfort he had found witnessing the unyielding hand of an angel had been this own, his alone. He hadn't imagined himself surviving long enough to witness the world created by Him. Yet here he is, alive and breathing despite of all, living a strangely normal existence he had never been granted before. All of it, granted like a blessing from above, despite of holding his own life at no value.

" Existence is an odd thing. We are all expected to appreciate it, despite of having been handed it without our consent, " again, he holds out his hand to touch the fragile petals of the flower sprouting from the lush ground. All of it being supported without outside sources still sounds like a miracle.

" I hope you will continue keeping this forest safe. "

[punishercross]

He thought he recognized this guy, but he wasn't sure. He hadn't spoken enough, and he wasn't sure....

Chewing on his lip, he looks down at the bag of pastries. There's something on the edge of his thoughts, but he instead busies himself with picking up the bag, and then trying to pick up the pastries in his other hands.

"Sorry-"

"Um," he holds one of the spilled cinnamon rolls up, and the bag, "I can't buy ya anythin' else. Listen- do I...know ya?" Probably not. He'd know a guy with blue hair when he saw him.

[kyouufu]

The seemingly permanent frown on Legato's face furrows deeper as he stares at his destroyed brunch scattered across the sidewalk. That had been the very last apricot croissant the bakery had had for the day. A slow exhale is breathed out, a hand clenching into a fist in a poor attempt to ground himself before he finally lifts his gaze to the stranger- it's just a child. Looking just as lost as most of the residents of this city.

" I figured so, " the words are muttered under his breath, and he takes the bag, dropping the destroyed pastries into it with a deadpan stare. A pause is held between the question and the answer. Some of his memories had returned, but some remained hazy and unclear. Some of them he didn't care to return to.

" It's possible. I can't recall everything that happened before I woke up here, " another pause. " Where did you come from? "

[cerebralbleu]

@kyouufu

The first time that Legato had seen snow, he was walled up in an unfamiliar apartment, alone and frightened by the surrounding city. Spirale was loud, and alien. Ripped away from everything that he knew, the foreign cold was uncomfortable to him.

A second winter has arrived, and though he is still not used to the frigid conditions, it's much easier to contend with in his new abode.

Seated at the window, hot mug cradled between his hands, Legato only looks away from the snow fall to glance to his alternate who was coming downstairs.

" Have you ever seen anything like this before? " He asks calmly, spindly finger pointing out towards the white storm enveloping the Black Fens.

[kyouufu]

Legato has never been a deep sleeper. Getting five hours of rest a night was already a generous amount - now though, he remembers falling asleep early into the evening and sleeping soundly until almost midday. Waking up so late, surprisingly, doesn't feel jarring. It only left a faint ache around his shoulders, a hand kneading into the muscle as he walks down the wide set of stairs, stifling a yawn on the back of his other palm.

He lifts his gaze upon hearing the question. " Hm? " only then does he realize how much the scenery outside had changed overnight. Legato blinks in surprise, stepping closer to the window and staring out, eyes wide. A thin white sheet covers the ground, with more slowly drifting from the sky.

Quietly he takes a seat beside the other. Even the window feels far colder than the previous day as he presses his fingertips against it.

" It looked completely different yesterday. "

[explosivedesire]

"Yikes. Bit of a loaded question don't you think?" Not that she'd expect anything else from a city like this. But even easing the conversation into it could've gone a long way...

"Depends on the day I guess. Holding a grudge 24/7 sounds like a surefire way to really burn myself out and waste both of our times. But I get why some people do." Something about "burning vengeance" in their hearts or something. To some that was probably a nice way to live but unfortunately Architect was not part of that group in the slightest...

"Also pretty sure they are dead or something. So I probably can't even hate them if I tried because ya' know...they're gonzeo."

[kyouufu]

" Is it? " Legato gives a hum, brushing his long bangs aside - only for it to fall right back to cover half of his face. " I didn't realize. Things like this are on my mind often. "

He listens to her words in silence. Grudge and vengeance. They were familiar emotions. He had been offered salvation from the hand of a wrathful angel, his pitiful existence given meaning from a higher power. Legato had sworn lifelong devotion in return, but everything had changed since he'd found himself in this strange new place.

" Does hatred and vengeance disappear once the perpetrators are gone? " it's like a thought that slips out half-accidentally. " I supposed it's vengeful enough to keep on living when they are dead, if you hold value in your own existence. "

[rozaviye]

my lil meow meow <3

[kyouufu]

@punishercross

Despite of all the cons of being trapped in a place that felt more like hell or limbo and not the paradise some residents treated it as, Legato had to admit there were some pros to it. Mostly, the countless bakeries and their selections of freshly made products - it certainly is an improvement to the foods he can recall. And now that he has gotten more accustomed to the area, he could even find quiet spots to enjoy his treats in peace. While not ideal, he could at least enjoy himself to his best ability.

He takes a peek to the paper bag as he steps out of the small bakery, making sure everything was included; a large cinnamon roll, two brownies with raspberry drizzle, a chocolate puff pastry and an apricot croissant. A typical selection for an early brunch.

Just as he takes a turn from the street corner to the small alleyway, he bumps into something - or rather, someone - the sudden impact sending the bag of pastries in his hand to the ground, half of the contents spread out to the sidewalk.

" Oh. "

His devastation knows no bounds.