𝐃𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐘

[…]   𝐈   𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐓   𝐀   𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄   𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄   𝐎𝐔𝐓   𝐎𝐅   𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄   𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐙𝐘   𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐆𝐄

[riverdebt]

𝐘𝐎𝐔   𝐒𝐀𝐘   𝐈'𝐌   𝐇𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂   and   a   bit   too   extroverted.  ...    semi   selective   and   mutuals   only   blog   for   a   𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒   𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋   𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑,   loosely inspired   by   𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄'𝐒   𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐎.   original character,   multimuse   and   crossover   friendly.   𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥   𝘣𝘺   𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯.   (   they   /   them.   30.   )   est.   may   2025.   minors   please   do   not   interact.   i   never   play   poker;   it's   too   dangerous.   ...   𝐈   𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘   𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄   𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇   𝐌𝐘   𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄.

Visit Original Link

𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐃  𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘  𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃𝐁𝐔𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆  𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓

 ❝  𝐈'𝐌   𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐃   …  ❞ (  of   what?  )   authority   figures   and   being   alone   too   long   and   you.   i'm   less   afraid   of   dying   than   i   am   of   losing   you.

[cmdydirector]

"What kind of storyteller would I be if I wasn't able to understand and appreciate multiple perspectives? A world where everyone views things the same and likes the same things would be quite monotonous and boring, wouldn't it? It gets much more exciting when everyone is different," Ghigno hums. Though, he can understand where the artists who wish for their work to be understood are coming from. They worked hard on trying to get their point across, and it's disappointing when people don't get it. But that's the beauty of it all. Everyone has a different perspective and their own way of interpreting things. And if you're really that determined to incorporate a certain message, you can always try again with another project.

Ghigno listens to Ruairi with genuine interest. Learning about the many different ways people choose to experience their lifes and the world around them has always been interesting to him. It's why he chooses not to write any scripts. All he does is travel and capture scenes he likes.

"So you prefer to live the exciting life? I get it, I get it. Why sit arround when there's so much out there and so many people to meet? I'm an independent creator for a reason. Got noone to tell me what to do or how to create what I want to create. No meetings, paperwork, and all that jazz. Just my camera and I, heading out with nowhere specific in mind. Because the spontaneous and unknown is the most fun of all, is it not?"

[riverdebt]

damn  —  that's  a  pretty  eloquent  way  of  putting  it.  honestly,  ruairi  would  have  described  his  lifestyle  as  a  generous  heaping  of  fucking  around,  but  this  guy  actually  made  it  sound  pretty  reasonable.  (  nice!  )  ❝  mmh.  basically.  you  only  live  once,  or  whatever.  ❞  the  calcabrina  punctuates  the  agreement  with  a  little  wave  of  the  hand,  trying  to  pretend  that  was  TOTALLY  the  angle  he  was  going  for  —  and  not  just  dumping  some  vaguely  hedonistic  pile  of  word  salad  on  his  lap.

magenta  gaze  then  flicks  to  his  companion.  lips  press  into  a  thin  line,  a  soft  hum  rumbling  in  his  throat.  ❝  so  you're,  like ...  your  own  boss,  huh?  ❞   ruairi  muses.  ❝  must  be  nice.  ❞  gods,  he  actually  feels  a  little  jealous  about  that.  what  he  wouldn't  give  for  the  freedom  to  do  whatever  he  wanted  ALL  of  the  time.  true,  running  his  own  club  gives  him  a  certain  degree  of  leeway  —  but  he's  still  ultimately  a  puppet  dancing  to  the  whims  of  his  family  and  their  lofty  expectations.  (  though  in  all  fairness,  most  of  the  malebranche  could  say  the  same;  comes  with  the  territory.  )  not  like  he  has  much  to  complain  about,  but  it's  always  uncomfortable  having  a  mirror  held  to  his  bird  in  a  gilded  cage  existence.  ❝  what  kind  of  stuff  do  you  usually  find  yourself  filming?  ❞  ruairi  suddenly  asks,  craving  the  change  of  subject.  ❝  y'know,  even  if  you  are  the  one  calling  all  of  the  shots ...  figuratively  and  literally ...  there  has  to  be  some  kind  of  subject  or  theme  you still find yourself drawn  back to,  right? even if it's all subconscious.  ❞

he's  not  exactly  expecting  to  be  reborn  a  film  enthusiast  or  anything,  but  it  would  be  a  lie  to  say  the  demon  isn't  a  little  bit  curious.  (  more  so  about  the  director  himself,  really.  )

[madcg]

❛ heh. only if you promise to keep them pythons of yours at bay. ain't right, y' know- bringin' guns to an arm wrestlin' match. alright. you're on, buddy. do yer worst! ❜ sleeves rolled up locked tf IN

[riverdebt]

❝  HAH.  mercy  isn't  a  word  in  my  vocabulary,  but  i  gueeess  there's  a  first  time  for  everything.  ❞  that's  a  lie.  he's  actually  quietly  deliberating  whether  he  should  use  his  non-dominant  arm  for  this  —  just  on  the  off  chance  his  aforementioned  pasta-snapping  premonition  does  come  to  pass.  ah,  fuck  it.  might  as  well  go  all  in,  right?  maybe  if  he  does  break  an  arm,  he  can  use  it  as  an  excuse  to  get  out  of  paperwork  for  a  few  months.  it's  practically  a  win-win.  (  demons  bounce  back  quick  from  that  kind  of  thing  anyway.  )

he  rolls  up  his  own  sleeves,  elbow  thudding  dramatically  against  the  table.  a  hand  extended  in  offering,  a  grin  that's  comprised  of  mostly  teeth.   ❝  count  of  three?  let's  fucking  do  this!  ❞

[riverdebt]

@wingedthorne &&. SAID... “That’s my problem because... oh, wait. No, it’s not my problem.”

❝  trust  me,  bucko  —  it's  absolutely  gonna  BECOME  your  problem  when  my  people  come  looking  for  me  and  start  causing  you  all  kinds  of  fun  little  inconveniences  by  proxy.  ❞  gods,  he  is  going  to  crash  the  fuck  out.  he's  three  seconds  away  from  asking  to  speak  to  the  manager.  is  there  a  manager  in  this  absolute  clusterfuck  of  a  situation  he's  somehow  landed  himself  in?  the  demon  hasn't  a  clue  —  he  just  knows  it  would  be  the  cherry  atop  the  massive  pain  in  the  ass  cake  that  he's  currently  trying  to  use  to  his  advantage.   ❝  i'm  baaasically  royalty  back  home,  you  know  that?  ❞  ruairi  continues  aloud  —  and  maybe  that's  exaggerating  his  importance  just  a  little  bit,  but  who  the  hell  cares.  it's  not  like  bird  guy  would  really  know  the  difference  either  way,  right?  ❝  meaning  if  you  don't  lend  a  helping  hand  or  wing  or  whatever,  you're  practically  complicit  in  kidnapping  royalty.  that's  illegal.  no,  that's  double  illegal.  ❞

gods,  it's  just  his  luck  his  magic  is  going  all  out  of  whack  here  —  isn't  it?  not  like  ruairi  has  ever  had  much  trouble  traveling  to  and  from  styx  before.  it's  supposed  to  be  real  baby-tier  stuff;  easy  as  opening  a  door.  except  now,  for  WHATEVER  REASON,  the  door  has  a  big  lock  on  it  that  wasn't  there  before  —  and  he's  the  poor,  stupid  bastard  out  in  the  cold  (  or  in  another  world  )  without  a  key.

ruairi  flops  on  the  nearest  couch.  he's  deliberately  melodramatic  about  it,  too  —  long  legs  stretched  out,  head  tipped  back  to  groan  at  the  ceiling.  it's  the  least  he  deserves.  he  isn't  joking  about  there  being  a  world  of  trouble  in  store  if  his  disappearance  is  noticed  —  though  the  demon  neglects  to  mention  he's  just  as  equally  going  to  be  held  at  fault.  doesn't  matter  if  his  only  mistake  was  wandering  somewhere  he  had  no  fucking  clue  would  lead  to  this  mess.  he's  a  calcabrina,  meaning  he's  APPARENTLY  supposed  to  be  able  to  predict  the  future.  (  well,  not  really.  but  the  standards  his  family  hold  him  to  are  strict  enough  that  it  often  feels  like  the  case.  )  ❝  you  help  me,  i  get  out  of  here.  boom,  inconvenience  gone.  ❞  ruairi  continues  to  stare  at  the  ceiling  as  he  speaks,  countenance  schooled  in  a  look  of  entitled  indifference.  laying  it  on  thick  is  the  only  weapon  he  really  has  at  this  point,  and  he  intends  to  milk  it  for  all  its  worth.

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA QUOTES

[mannequinentity]

He can deny and go on his merry way without breaking a single ligament in his legs. It’s a splash between a crater or his blood traumatizing the nearby tourists. It’s true that life is mostly mundane without risks. Finger tapped against the railing with pupils trailing down below the roaring waters. The other may be right if a running start is all he needs to dive head first in the terrain without issue.

“You said it costs more than life itself?” He took his beanie off to hand it over to him. “Think more about your life than the scruff behind your head, cause angels are ready to pick you up from there if you ever take a plunge.”

Tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth before continuing. “Spend more wisely next time, i’ve seen better outfits way cheaper than that buckoroo.”

[riverdebt]

❝  puh-lease.  angels  wouldn't  touch  me  with  a  twenty  foot  pole ...  dipped  in  holy  water ...  with  a  vampire-killing  STAKE  duct  taped  to  the  end.  ❞  he  squints  at  the  beanie  in  his  hands,  chewing  his  bottom  lip.  after  a  few  seconds  of  consideration,  ruairi  pops  it  on  his  head  —  only  for  a  moment.  he  hums  thoughtfully,  before  tearing  it  off  just  as  quickly.  no.  nope.  definitely  not  his  style;  he  doesn't  need  a  mirror  to  see  that  he  looks  like  a  certified  jackass.

with  a  huff,  he  continues.  ❝  i'm  just  going  to  pretend  you  didn't  totally  just  insult  my  fashion  sense.  ❞  well.  it's  more  like  styx's  collective  fashion  sense  —  suits  and  ties  and  all  of  that  pretentious  businessperson  bullshit.  ruairi  just  does  his  best  to  make  it  look  attractive.  (  in  his  toootally  unbiased  opinion,  he  succeeds.  )  really,  if  anyone  is  to  blame,  it's  humanity  for  making  that  kind  of  get  up  synonymous  with  professionalism.  they're  just  trying  to  appeal  to  the  soul-having  masses.   ❝  for  your  information,  the  price  tag  is  half  of  the  appeal.  or,  like ...  thirty  percent  appeal,  thirty  percent  brand  name,  forty  percent  looking  hot  as  fuck.  ❞   yeah.  basic  math.  one  plus  one  equals  he  looks  rich  and  amazing.  ❝  you  wanna  talk  stupid,  overpriced  outfits,  you  should  see  what  some  of  my  so-called  associates  wear  to  parties.  the  red  carpet  is  red  from  all  the  pride  they're  slaughtering  to  unironically  walk  out  of  the  house  looking  that  ridiculous.  ❞

[riverdebt]

@destructivemindset &&. SAID... "why is red such a common color on everyone?"

❝  uhh  —  ?  ❞  there  is  actually  a  genuine  reason  for  it.  probably  something  to  do  with  heritage  and  tradition  —  because  demons  are  nothing  if  not  absolute  SUCKERS  for  conforming  to  whatever  some  dusty  old  fuck  who  lived  before  the  invention  of  indoor  plumbing  decided  was  cool.  (  they  do  wear  a  lot  of  red,  though.  even  pale-ass  alichino.  )  in  all  likelihood,  someone  probably  explained  it  in  school;  ruairi  hadn't  cared  to  remember  —  though  in  his  defense,  half  of  his  education  was  dedicated  to  shoving  which  fork  was  meant  for  salad  down  his  throat  and  whatever  the  fuck  trigonometry  is  supposed  to  be.  he  supposes  he  could  make  up  some  sort  of  lie.  he's  always  been  good  at  that  —  sometimes  it's  easier  than  giving  an  actual  answer,  and  that's  even  taking  the  phone  sitting  heavy  in  his  pocket  into  consideration.  yeah,  we  color  code  our  wardrobes  by  the  season.  or  maybe  the  classic  on  fridays  we  wear  red.  he's  got  all  the  charisma  he  needs  to  be  an  accomplished  bullshit  salesman.

and  under  ordinary  circumstances,  that's  probably  exactly  what  ruairi  would  do.  (  plus,  it  would  be  FUNNY.  which  is  a  motivator  unto  itself.  )  right  now,  he's  a  bit  too  preoccupied  trying  to  figure  out  just  what  in  styx's  name  he's  actually  looking  at.

stick  figure.  doodlebob?  did  halloween  come  early  this  year  or  something?  ❝  uhhhhhh?  ❞  the  demon  repeats  —  really  dragging  the  sound  out  to  a  degree  that  borders  on  annoying.  how  is  he  even  talking  without  a  mouth?  no,  scratch  that  —  how  is  he  doing  anything  with  a  head  nearly  as  empty  as  malacoda?  ruairi  squints,  shifting  slightly  to  stare  at  the  stranger  from  a  different  angle.  he's  well  aware  looking  at  him  like  this  would  probably  be  considered  weird  and  rude,  but  politeness  is  for  sad,  boring  losers  who  lack  the  confidence  to  conduct  themselves  however  they  please.  ❝  what  the  fuck  even  are  you,  buddy?  ❞  his  tone  is  devoid  of  any  disgust  or  condemnation  —  rather,  it's  something  more  akin  to  morbid  curiosity.  kind  of  cool.  maybe  he  got  spat  out  on  this  side  of  purgatory  looking  all  warped  and  wrong?  not  like  styx  has  much  variety  in  terms  of  local  fauna  —  and  ruairi  would  bet  a  bottle  of  his  favorite  whiskey  that  nothing  around  here  looks  even  remotely  like  THAT.

❝  so,  like ...  theoretically  —  could  you  stick  your  hand  through  your  head?  could  someone  use  you  like  a  hula  hoop?  ❞   hey,  at  least  he's  taking  the  opportunity  to  ask  the  really  important  questions.

[hearteris-a]

she sighs, heavy and a tad annoyed. just a little. it washes away within seconds, though, replaced with an amused smile. " whatcha doing on your phone that has you soooo distracted? " head tilts to the side, she's on the verge of pouting and whining for attention like a new kitten.

really, the topic of conversation wasn't that important, idle chitchat about some of the issues she's been dealing with in regards to love angel things but it wasn't the end of the world if he wasn't listening.. even if she liked to act like it was. " did i bore you that much? gosh, is the juicy gossip of the love angel world not enough? ..do i need to start holding up my phone as it plays a subway surfers playthrough like those reddit videos? "

[riverdebt]

❝  what ...  wait,  people  unironically  do  that  —  ?  ❞  ugh.  no.  not  important;  he's  getting  distracted  by  the  WRONG  thing.  magenta  gaze  drifts  back  down  to  his  phone  —  almost  as  if  drawn  there  by  some  magnetic  force.  his  nose  wrinkles,  disgust  and  something  ugly  and  territorial  coiling  deep  within  his  chest  like  a  pit  of  writhing  snakes.  he  should  make  some  stupid  joke.  he  should  put  his  phone  away  —  HAH,  as  if  the  demon  could  manage  that  for  more  than  five  minutes  at  a  time.  (  still,  shouldn't  he  at  least  make  the  effort?  )  in  the  end,  after  glowering  at  the  screen  as  if  he  means  to  bore  twin  holes  through  it  with  the  intensity  of  his  glare,  ruairi  slumps  back  in  his  seat  with  a  dramatic  sigh.  ❝  fine.  WHATEVER.  look.  ❞

the  image  displayed  upon  the  screen  is  fairly  innocuous.  two  figures  standing  amid  an  opulent  gala  —  one  small  and  pale,  the  taller  sporting  hair  the  color  of  molten  gold.  (  beneath  the  image,  a  comment  from  a  verified  account  sporting  ruairi's  name  has  posted  a  veritable  wall  of  disgusted  emoji.  )  ❝  he  has  his  hand  ON  their  ARM.  totally  on  purpose,  by  the  way  —  malacoda  so  staged  this  picture  just  to  piss  me  off. petty bastard.  ❞  and  it's  working.  ugh.  that  just  makes  him  angrier.

❝  i mean, who  the  hell  does  he  think  he  is?  alichino  hates  him.  like,  they're  probably  trying  not  to  gag  over  his  stupid  lemony  cologne.  ❞   stupid,  stupid,  stupid.

[cmdydirector]

Ghigno blinks a couple of times before bursting into laughter, not bothered one bit. "And that is perfectly understandable! You're honest, and I respect that. It's not for everyone. I'm not that into symbolism either, and yet, somehow, people seem to find it in my work." He just enjoys putting random shots he likes together and somehow creating somewhat of a story with them. Of course, he can appreciate some stories with symbolism, but, when there's too much, it can become a bit pretentious.

The man chuckles, hands tucked into pockets. Film has always been a huge part of his life, even during the time where he didn't do much with it aside of watching whatever his younger brother released. However, he doesn't mind it when other people aren't as interested in it as he is. Different opinions make the world way more interesting and colorful, after all!

"Personally, I simply enjoy film as a way of documenting the many ways people experience life. . . The universe is full of interesting stories, heh." Relaxed grin on his face as he turns towards Ruairi. "What's more your thing, then? You've got me curious."

[riverdebt]

❝  geez,  thank  gods.  ❞  the  words  leave  him  in  a  rush,  more  sigh  than  concise  speech.  ❝  you  never  know  with  artist  types.  some  of  you  have  skin  bulletproof  enough  to  make  tanks  jealous  and  others  act  like  some  rando  not  getting  it  is  equivalent  to  burning  your  house  down.  ❞  though  hey,  this  guy  sure  seems  like  the  sort  to  have  fun  with  it.  a  point  in  his  favor;  ruairi  can  appreciate  anyone  with  a  good  sense  of  humor  and  proclivity  for  fucking-around-just-for-funzies.

the  question  does  bring  him  pause,  however.  ruairi's  eyes  narrow  —  and  for  a  moment,  it's  as  if  the  perfectly  mundane  concept  of  being  asked  something  as  ordinary  as  his  preferences  is  entirely  foreign  to  him.  well,  it's  not  like  anyone  ever  really  cares  about  what  the  SPARE  HEIR  thinks,  right?  the  only  people  who  ever  pester  him  about  that  kind  of  thing  are  interviewers  who  want  some  snazzy  quip  to  slap  in  an  article  completely  out  of  context  —  and  that's  when  they  aren't  pestering  him  about  his  older  brother.  the  calcabrina  son  everyone  ACTUALLY  cares  about,  eugh.  really,  he's  only  expected  to  stand  around  and  look  pretty  —  which,  sure,  ruairi  does  a  damn  good  job  at  but  it  gets  a  little  patronizing  after  a  while.  (  he  CAN  be  more  than  that,  the  malebranche  just  hates  taking  chances.  )

❝  uh ...  i  guess  i'm  a  pretty  hands  on  guy,  myself.  ❞  the  demon  says  after  a  long  pause.  ❝  living  the  moment  —  instead  of  living  in  the  audience,  you  know?  i  need  the  stimuli,  the  adrenaline,  all  of  that  exciting  shit.  night  clubs,  good  food,  getting  lost  in  a  place  you  don't  recognize  with  someone  you  don't  know.  ❞  yeah.  anything  less  is  too  watered  down  for  him.  he  needs  to  feel  his  heart  racing  or  it  doesn't  count.  ❝  sitting  around  makes  my  skin  crawl.  i  can  barely  stand  doing  it  long  enough  to  get  my  damn  paperwork  done.  ❞

[direcode-a-deactivated20250924]

oh. he was one of those demons. traditional wasn't the correct word, you think. very 'the devil went down to georgia' was the only connection you could make. sighs spill from your scar split lips. ❝ aw, y'think your th' one here with evil powers. did your daddy tell ya' that? ❞ a sadistic tone sewn deeply into your words.

[riverdebt]

❝  nah,  i'm  just  taking  inspiration  from  my  mile-long  list  of  nefarious  demon-deeds.  ❞   wait,  are  they  actually  buying  this  bullshit  —  or  are  they  just  playing  along?  (  damn,  he  must  be  a  better  liar  than  he  thought!  )  ❝  i  have  a  page  on  the  villains  wiki  —  the  LONGEST  one,  by  the  way.  you  might  not  realize  it,  but  i've  already  got  my  claws  in  your  brain.  every  time  you  pull  on  a  door  labeled  push?  yeah,  that's  toootally  my  malicious  influence.  ❞  uh  huh.  just  a  taste  of  his  dark  power.  like  a  costco-style  free  sample.  ❝  i've  got  millions  of  sleeper  agents  worldwide.  every  jackass  filming  themselves  doing  something  stupid  in  public  is  actually  just  another  marionette  dancing  along  to  my  tune.  i'm  basically  the  pied  piper,  but  twenty  times  hotter  and  with  better  hair.  ❞

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA *  assorted dialogue from the 2006 film, adjust as necessary

please bore someone else with your questions.

details of your incompetence do not interest me.

you know, i rarely say this to people who aren't me, but you have got to calm down.

something funny?

i'm still learning about this stuff.

you think this has nothing to do with you.

i think we need a jacket here.

my god! you look so chic!

is there some reason that my coffee isn't here?

has she died or something?

you thought i didn't know.

i've known what was happening for quite some time.

i never thought i would say this, [name], but i really see a great deal of myself in you.

you can see beyond what people want, and what they need, and you can choose for yourself.

i don't think i'm like that.

i couldn't do what you did to [name].

that was different. i didn't have a choice.

you chose to get ahead.

you want this life.

those choices are necessary.

what if this isn't what i want?

what if i don't wanna live the way you live?

don't be ridiculous.

everybody wants this. everybody wants to be us.

let me know when your whole life goes up in smoke.

learned a lot. in the end, though, i kind of screwed up.

you must have done something right.

find me that piece of paper i had in my hand yesterday morning.

my flight has been cancelled. it's some absurd weather problem.

i need to get home tonight.

let me see what i can do.

oh my god. she's going to murder me.

could i do that?

by all means move at a glacial pace. you know how that thrills me.

that's my problem because... oh, wait. no, it's not my problem.

i don't know what else i can do because if i do something right, it's unacknowledged.

so quit.

i don't want to quit.

that's not fair.

you are not trying. you are whining.

what is it that you want me to say to you?

you have no idea how many legends have walked these halls.

wake up, sweetheart.

i see your point.

that's all.

you have no sense of fashion.

that wasn't a question.

do you have some prior commitment?

i don't understand why it's so difficult to confirm an appointment.

you went upstairs?

i don't know what you expect me to do.

we're doing this for you.

you'll take what i give you and you'll like it.

can we adjust the attitude?

i love that. will that fit me?

you have some very large shoes to fill. i hope you know that.

who is that sad little person?

wish me luck!

you're already late.

i hope you two are very happy together.

that's an interesting choice.

you don't deserve them.

oh god, you're still there.

i thought you were kidding.

i'm out of excuses.

who's there? who are you talking to?

i'm sorry, what's your name?

do you have anything fun planned for this weekend?

i wouldn't care if you were out there pole-dancing all night, as long as you did it with a little integrity.

baby, i don't have a thing to wear to work.

how many times do i have to scream your name?

you're a vision.

[riverdebt]

new little freak of a man here to sprawl across your dashboard ... ( commissioned from spinach square on vgen! )

[lxngfxrgxtten]

quietly, she listens to his tales and information about the place she was in now. there was an awful lot to take in from all this. twelve families ? all for one region that was too small for a league ? and she thought she had it rough. every once in awhile, she gives an affirming nod, to confirm that she's still listening to him. ( what little long hair she had left on her head seems to fall into her eyes each time – she really needed a haircut. ) after listening to everything he had to say, she sits back a little, hearing the booth creak slightly under her weight. a puff of air escapes her lips as she runs a hand through her hair, eyes wide, before looking back at her new found… friend ?      ❝ well, i guess i wasn't wrong about the interesting life part, eh ? ❞      she'd picked up on a few times where he let his happy demeanor crack just a bit, and while it intrigued her, she decided not to press. the mention of his brother causes her to frown a bit, though. she didn't know much about this deal they wanted to strike, but as long as it was beneficial for rareita, she'd consider it.     ❝ thank arceus you won't be quizin' me on this. i don't think i could even get half the questions right there. i'll try to keep up, though. ❞

she looks to the side a bit, looking everywhere but ruairi's eyes as she ponders what to tell him about herself. despite being out in the open after all these years, she often still found it hard to speak about herself and her region. it had certainly gotten easier, but all those years of running took their toll on her sometimes. she still doesn't look at him as she speaks.      ❝ yeah, i'm the champ. first and only. ❞     she pauses, running a finger along the table in front of her idly, deep in thought.      ❝ it's a beautiful and distant island region. basically in the middle of fucking nowhere. for a really long time, it had been removed from every map in existence. literally ! there wasn't a map at all that had us on it. ❞     a small smile starts to tug at her lips, as the more she speaks, the more content she seems to get. like a deep love for the place she called home was trying to seep through those hardened features. 

❝ for a long time, actually, we didn't even know our region's name. it had been lost to time. we just became known as the forgotten region. isn't that weird ? could you imagine ? ❞      she chuckles a little. she could certainly imagine it, she lived it !     ❝ well, eventually, the ruins that contained our history were opened, and we learned we were living in the rareita region. it was a massive event. the person who opened the ruins became a hero in the region. the press and everyone was all over that, it was chaos honestly. of course, some of this information was brought to the outside world, but not many believed it. ❞      it's kind of obvious she's left something out of the story. for some reason, she gets a slight edge in her own voice when talking about it, like it's a bad memory.      

❝ i suppose long story short, i became champion and no one has ever reached me since the first day i was champ. i left the region for awhile, and when i decided to come back, i managed to get us completely back on the map. i had this crazy battle where i showed myself to the world again. now, it's rare to find a modern printed map without rareita on it. ❞      in what should've been a prideful sentence, there was instead a touch of sorrow – as if she still blamed herself for how the region  ended up, where it ended up. she finally looks back up at ruairi, part of her expression masking the strange pain hidden behind her eyes.      ❝ actually, the look of this city reminds me of honaru city, the capital of rareita. it's where the league is in the region. we call it the tower of memories. i don't know who came up with that name. ❞      a little scoff.      ❝ each section of the tower is the room of an elite four member, and the roof is where i reside. the champion's seat. the roof has a roof of it's own, it's basically a giant glass dome, so i can always see the city around me. when the sun goes down at a night, i watch the neon light up and the city comes even more alive. ❞      she smiles for a moment, a look of fondness on her lips, before it slips away and contorts into embarrassment. nervous laughter escapes her as she waves her hand a little.      ❝ sorry, that was a lot ah-ha… ❞

she straightens herself and tries to look a tiny bit more professional as she looks at ruairi, putting on her most bureaucratic tone she can. ( though that tone threatened to break at any moment. )      ❝ so… any idea what this deal of your brother's is ? ❞

[riverdebt]

it's  always  strange  listening  to  other  people  talk  about  where  they  come  from.  he's  not  unaccustomed  to  it,  of  course  —  a  considerable  portion  of  styx's  population  is  just  an  ever-rotating  parade  of  tourists  looking  to  indulge  in  its  various  luxuries.  yet  as  six  speaks,  there's  a  little  pang  of  empathy  that  tears  through  the  calcabrina's  chest  with  all  the  subtlety  of  an  arrow.  not  even  on  the  map  originally,  huh?  weirdly,  ruairi  can  relate.  from  what  he's  been  told,  styx  used  to  be  in  a  pretty  similar  position.  some  afterthought  of  an  island  in  the  middle  of  nowhere  —  cloaked  in  that  mysterious  fog  that  gives  off  the  illusion  of  an  unending  night.  things  were  rough  back  then.  it  was  way,  waaay  before  his  time,  of  course  —  but  every  brat  running  rampant  in  the  malebranche  has  no  doubt  heard  the  stories  a  thousand  times  over.  no  tourism  meant  no  money,  after  all;  generations  had  been  spent  just  barely  scraping  by,  a  bunch  of  gangs  and  the  people  they  exploited  all  struggling  for  survival  in  the  dark.  (  against  the  elements  and  against  each  other.  )

it's  only  relatively  recently  that  they've  managed  to  turn  things  around.  from  some  gloomy  rock  to  a  trendy,  neon-drenched  hotspot  for  aspiring  trainers  to  make  their  fortune  on  the  grand  stage.  still  run  by  criminals,  though  —  they  just  have  the  courtesy  to  dress  a  little  nicer  and  wage  most  of  their  extortion  through  contracts  with  deceptively  fine  print.  ❝  sounds  like  an  interesting  place ...  ❞  ruairi  starts  to  say  aloud.  unfortunately,  the  mention  of  his  brother's  prospective  deal  has  the  calcabrina's  mouth  going  uncomfortably  dry.  gods,  what  is  wrong  with  him?  not  like  he  hasn't  seen  dozens  of  starry  eyed  trainers  suckered  into  styx's  trap  —  the  difference  is,  he  never  actually  chatted  them  up  long  enough  to  RELATE  to  any  of  them.

before  he  can  say  anything  else,  their  food  arrives.  the  simmering  broth  is  placed  at  the  indent  at  the  center  of  the  table  —  one  half  mild,  one  half  eye-burningly  spicy.  several  plates  loaded  with  ingredients  follow;  ruairi  gives  the  server  a  nod,  still  lost  within  the  confines  of  his  own  head.

he  grabs  a  set  of  disposable  chopsticks,  mindlessly  snapping  them  apart.  ❝  emmerich's  deal...  ❞  the  calcabrina  finally  says,  snatching  up  a  piece  of  thinly-sliced  meat  and  dipping  it  in  the  spicy  broth.  ❝  styx  is  a  lot  like  rareita,  you  know?  we're  both  finding  our  footing  after  AGES  of  everyone  just  forgetting  we  exist.  he'll  present  it  through  a  bunch  of  paperwork  and  business  speak,  but  chances  are,  em  probably  wants  to  buddy  up  with  you  guys.  ❞  it  only  takes  a  few  seconds  for  the  meat  to  cook;  he  pulls  it  out,  blowing  on  it  gently.  he  doesn't  meet  her  eyes.  ❝  knowing  him,  he'll  make  it  sound  enticing.  cross-island  tournaments,  tourism,  trade  deals ...  everything  to  make  it  seem  like  you'd  be  a  massive  idiot  NOT  to  sign.  ❞  probably  play  off  six's  love  for  her  region,  too.  the  malebranche  are  ruthless;  they  sniff  out  weakness  like  they're  HUNGRY  for  it.  even  among  their  own  —  ruairi  has  been  lectured  enough  times  about  looking  vulnerable  in  front  of  the  other  families  that  he  can  practically  recite  the  usual  scolding  by  heart.

❝  off  the  record ...  ❞  ugh.  he  shouldn't  even  say  anything.  ❝  off  the  record,  no  matter  what  he  tells  you,  don't  take  the  deal.  don't  tell  him  i  told  you  that  either  —  he'll  fucking  skin  me  alive  for  treason.  ❞  there  goes  his  one  good  deed  for  the  century.  he'll  probably  get  blamed  for  this  regardless,  because  everything  in  the  world  is  CLEARLY  his  fault.  whatever.

[dis--parity]

『🔧』 "See... I wanna tell you— I wanna say that those two sentences can coexist, but-... to be honest, yeah. As soon as I see a fedora or, like-... a Punisher t-shirt, or something, my brain stops taking anything they say seriously." It's only after that, when she purses her lips in apprehension, that she thinks that the two of them might have a different idea of people who aren't worth their time.

Thankfully, Ruiari isn't counted among their number - for the time being. "... I'm guessing this is an anecdote. What were they wearing? And... what were you even debating about, 'cause... well- if not what makes good fashion, I mean, then what?"

[riverdebt]

❝  gods,  fucking ...  faux-snake  skin  loafers,  obnoxiously  big  ruby  earrings  that  might  as  well  qualify  as  cannonballs,  some  stupid  shirt  with  enough  ruffles  to  make  him  look  like  a  monarch  just  BEGGING  to  meet  the  business  end  of  a  guillotine.  pretentious  nepo  baby  shit.  ❞  he  makes  an  exaggerated  display  out  of  pretending  to  gag,  as  if  the  mere  memory  of  such  an  ensemble  is  atrocious  enough  to  evoke  feelings  of  nausea.  ❝  idiot  thinks  he's,  like ...  sooo  amazing  and  influential  that  he  can  make  trends  instead  of  following  them.  ❞   honestly,  ruairi  doesn't  know  what's  worse  —  the  fact  that  malacoda  lacks  the  self-awareness  to  realize  how  much  of  a  clown  he  looks  or  the  sycophants  who  try  to  gas  him  up  because  they  want  to  get  in  his  good  graces.  embarrassing  all  around.

speaking  of,  what  were  they  even  debating  about?  (  eugh,  what  weren't  they  debating  about  —  he  HATES  that  guy  and  everything  he  stands  for.  )   ❝  stupid  shit,  basically?  there's  a  group  in  our  city  making  trouble  and  he  thinks  stale  bread  and  rickety  circuses  will  smooth  everything  over.  and  that's  when  he  isn't  pretending  they  don't  exist  altogether.  ❞  it's  all  fun  and  games  until  ruairi  is  the  one  getting  attacked  in  his  own  damn  club  and  magnus  malacoda  is  cackling  from  his  gold-encrusted  tower.  safe  and  sound  and  completely  unbothered.

[lunaetis]

─「エデン」─  " i actually was going to ask what is this place. the philosophical questions don't come until ... maybe bond level two. " was she making sense with this ? what level ? the TRAILBLAZER was used to being thrown into worlds she wasn't supposed to be in to actually feel lost anymore. if anything, she was intrigued by this place. the stellaron was stirring weirdly since she dropped, but that could be worried about later.

                after all, those golden orbs immediately widened with a spark as her ears perked at the mention of food.

                " discussing important things over food. now that's something i can get behind ! " she just wanted to eat, really. it was so obvious in the way she literally was wagging her non-existent tail behind her. " the name's eden. what do i call you ? " a pause. " also ... i don't have this world's money. do you guys accept credits ? "

[riverdebt]

❝  oh  thank  gods.  ❞   the  relief  in  his  voice  is  entirely  genuine  —  as  if  he  was  truly  expecting  a  total  stranger  to  drop  their  entire  (  tragic  )  life  story  in  his  lap  completely  unprompted.  hey,  it  wouldn't  be  the  weirdest  thing  to  ever  happen  to  him;  one  tends  to  encounter  some  pretty  freaky  people  in  the  night  club  business  —  and  in  the  living-in-this-damn-city  business.  (  when  humans  have  nothing  left  to  lose,  they  tend  to  get  downright  weird.  )  speaking  of,  ❝  you're  in  styx?  ❞  not  that  she'd  know  what  that  is.  ugh,  they  really  need  to  invest  in  putting  signs  up  somewhere.  ❝  the  city  of  dis,  technically  —  but  trust  me  when  i  say,  you're  not  going  to  hear  anyone  call  it  that.  you  a  new  arrival  or  something?  ❞

well,  whatever.  talking  about  food  is  infinitely  more  appealing  —  only  the  question  that  follows  still  manages  to  bring  him  pause.  ❝  credits ...  like  IOUs?  currency  here  is  called  penance.  ❞  or  maybe  she's  talking  about  credit  CARDS?  they  certainly  do  accept  those  —  though  the  ridiculous  interest  always  guarantees  one  ends  up  paying  through  the  nose  sooner  or  later.  yet  another  way  styx  endeavors  to  stack  the  odds  against  those  it  wishes  to  exploit.

❝  name's  ruairi  calcabrina.  listen  —  why  don't  i  save  us  both  the  headache  and  foot  the  bill?  talking  about  food  makes  me  want  to  get  some  anyway ...  ❞

[direcode-a-deactivated20250924]

❝ i don't know if i got enough time for yer demon shit. ❞ @riverdebt ♡

[riverdebt]

❝  whaaat?  no  way,  i  was  TOTALLY  going  to  try  to  make  a  bargain  for  your  immortal  soul.  ❞  what  was  he  here  for  again?  eh,  he'll  worry  about  it  later  —  this  is  WAY  more  important.   ❝  what's  your  poison?  riches?  unconditional  love?  some  guy  you  reeeally  hate  spontaneously  bursting  into  flames?  i  obviously  have  dark  and  evil  demon  powers,  y'know  —  i  do  all  that  and  more  on  the  average  tuesday.  ❞

[mannequinentity]

"You're not calling me a puss stain, aren't you? The waterfall here has more pussy here than the both of us combined from the many visitors it gets." He gestured to the scenery up and bottom, basking in the glory of how vast the sights were. "Yes, I did say I was thinking about diving in and swimming with the sharks, but look, there's rocks down there, lots of them. You're crazy if you think I'm willingly plastering my brains out everywhere."

[riverdebt]

❝  HAH.  suuure  it  does,  buddy.  ❞   sure  it  does!  ❝  listen,  it's  not  even  that  complicated  —  those  rocks  aren't  shit.  just  get  a  running  start  and  you'll  be  fine.  ❞  well,  probably.  it  does  look  like  there's  quite  a  few  of  them  —  like,  a  dangerous  amount.  but  what's  life  without  a  little  risk,  huh?  as  long  as  ruairi  isn't  the  one  being  put  AT  risk,  of  course.

speaking  of  which,  ❝  you  know,  i'd  totally  offer  to  demonstrate  —  but  i  just  did  my  eyeshadow,  like ...  objectively  perfect  and  this  outfit  costs  as  much  as  a  house  mortgage,  sooo ...  ❞  so  he's  definitely  not  volunteering  anytime  soon.  (  it  isn't  cowardice  —  he  has  a  totally  valid  reason!  )  ❝  but  think  of  how  cool  you'd  look  if  you  pulled  it  off!  ❞

[riverdebt]

ruairi's  love  of  cooking  is  a  little  bit  tragic  —  because  yes,  most  of  the  time  he  technically  doesn't  NEED  food  due  to  his  club  producing  more  than  enough  emotional  energy  for  him  to  live  off  of  (  though  he  still  likes  to  eat  for  the  taste  )  and  oftentimes  even  when  he  does  want  food  he  would  rather  other  people  prepare  it  due  to  laziness  /  fatigue.  however,  he  would  be  considerably  more  proactive  about  pursuing  his  interest  if  there  was  anyone  in  his  life  who  actively  encouraged  it.  as  things  stand,  most  of  his  social  circle  haven't  the  slightest  clue  ruairi  even  knows  how  to  set  foot  in  the  kitchen  without  the  place  going  up  in  flames.  his  family  is  aware  as  he  had  more  time  to  devote  to  the  hobby  when  he  was  younger  —  though  he  was  heavily  discouraged  (  predominantly  by  his  mother  )  who  believed  that  cooking  his  own  meals  was  beneath  him.  you're  a  calcabrina,  not  a  common  chef.

i  think  the  only  person  who  both  knows  about  ruairi's  hobby  and  supports  it  is  his  older  brother  —  though  emmerich  is  absolutely  horrible  at  expressing  as  much  and  ruairi  just  assumes  he  holds  the  same  opinion  as  their  mother.