[thundertide]

Her old self... A part of her wanted to laugh at that. Who had her 'old self' actually been aside from a stupid, naive fool? She'd put her trust into something - someone - and been hurt for it, time and time again... And every time, she'd picked herself up and dusted herself off, thinking that if she just got stronger, it'd all be better. She could make things work like they needed to be if she could just take control and fight harder to make it work...

But in the end, all she'd done was cause pain, both to herself and those around her, averting her gaze for just a moment as the small, nagging voices in the back of her head reminded her of exactly that. Her chest felt tight, sore... How much had she even failed the boy before her, she wondered...?

"...I am sorry," she'd repeat after a moment's pause, pulling her gaze back up to Ren. Care of the kids had always been a unit-wide task; with them all viewing one another as family, they'd been quick to take to helping with care of first Sofia and Anastasia, then Niko, and it had just become commonplace to ask them for help when they needed it... But Ren was just a teenager, himself. Being a Fatuus already stripped him of far too much in his life, she couldn't ask him to be a temporary parent, too! He deserved better - Everyone deserved better, and she had-

With a deep breath, Kag stepped aside, opening the door a little further. If he wanted to step inside, she'd welcome it - She just hoped he wouldn't mind the mess the bedroom had become, tissues strewn everywhere, bed a mess, plush fox left on a pillow that normally would have been Childe's... The dim lighting had been comfortable, at least, Operative stepped away from the door in hopes of pulling herself back together, even just a little. "It's fine. If he has a problem with you checking on me... Just...."

Just... What? A part of her screamed it was bad to go against orders; what if they got found out for being lazy? What if-

"Tell him I asked for it." That would be good enough, right? Then if anyone got in trouble, it'd be her, and she... She deserved it, honestly. "Keep up... Mmm. Keep up your training as you have been... Tell... Tell me about how you've been more. How... Things have been out there."

Just talk to me for a bit... Please...?

[transientblaze-a]

'Are you two having issues again?'

The question teased at Ren's mouth, its desire for the teen's thoughts to go unfiltered threatening him to ask the obvious with only his self control to keep his curiosities unvoiced. With the room he could see past the door frame a wreck and Kag's disheveled look not helping prove anything otherwise; it actually didn't take him long to connect the pieces. Kag and their Harbinger were usually an almost inseparable pair, but now that Ren really got to thinking about it-

He actually hadn't seen both Kag and Lord Tartaglia in the same room together in awhile. Though Childe still talked about Kag as if there were nothing wrong romantically...was their Operative falling in battle really the only thing that'd lead to her absence?

" ... "

Still, Ren knew when to be cautious with his words So this time, instead of saying too much, he'd simply bow his head in a slight 'thanks' for her hospitality before stepping his way inside Kag's room sit on a small sofa inside. Normally, he wouldn't mind the blankets that laid strewn all over its cushions, but today? Their chaos just added to the awkwardness of the room.

" I really don't think he'll mind. Last I heard, he was busy with something else anyway, but he wouldn't really say with what. But he'll be back tonight though, I'm sure! " Ren would fidget, lightly lifting a hand to toy at the coin pendent he often wore as his 'good luck charm' just to give his mind something else to think about.

" Other than that, there hasn't been that much going on lately? Emi and I went out for a picnic for my birthday and Rei ate so much of that cake I saved you a piece of, I actually thought she was gonna cry after. She did manage to drag us all out to go look at the ocean after that though, so she couldn't have been feeling that bad. "

" She...hasn't been by to tell you that already though, has she? "

[transientblaze-a]

@thundertide

'Oh wow, she looks terrible! Guess she really is having a hard time with whatever happened to her. I know Reirei and Emi said they hadn't seen her in weeks, but...yikes.'

Ren would try his best not to stare as much as Kag was at him, but a part of him couldn't help it! This really was the first time he'd heard Kag talk in weeks and his curiosity just wanted him to pause so he could scan his 'mother' over in a hopes of figuring out what was wrong. He doubted this was anything he could fix personally, because from what Childe had mumbled before setting out, 'Kag needed plenty of rest and quiet time', so they should try their best not to bother her for awhile.

Still, Kag's voice seemed...hurt and distant. Even Ren had been able to pick that much up just from the little she'd said past the cracked door -- and he suddenly felt that much more sorry for her. Not that he'd mention that though.

" Uh...good. I've been good! Training's been going kinda slow lately since you've been hurt. We're all not sure what to do next until you're back to your old self again, but...I was helping to take care of Niko earlier! He's been more fussier than Anastasia and Sofia have been, but...I think the girls just like it more when they know Childe's around, too. "

Ren had left Childe mostly to taking care of an extra fussy Niko and all of his issues. Ren wasn't ready for that much responsibility in taking care of kids yet.

" Are you sure you're doing okay in here by yourself though? I know we're supposed to let you rest, but- "

[transientblaze-a]

What greeted Ren wasn't her usually call of his name, but a kiss gracing his cheek, complete with a soft hum. This was a special day - A birthday came around but once a year! - and Emi was determined to make it the best he'd ever had, starting with a shift to kiss the tip of his nose right after, then let her lips curl into a bright smile. It being so late into September meant there was a slight chill to the air, but she wasn't about to let that stop her from taking his hands and giving them a slight tug, either!

"I know Rei and your parents probably spoiled you for lunch, but I still wanted to take you out for a picnic. There's this place down by the river's edge we can go to, and I made up an entire basket of your favorites." Rei had been big and fancy for his gift, but Emi had wanted something a little softer, more intimate - And to her, the best way to get that was an afternoon out and about with a good picnic and a walk around town, and a trip to his favorite arcade after. Simple but loving, and with it, she'd lean in to catch Ren's lips in a soft and sweet, but brief, kiss, all too eager to get their picnic started so he could find the little Pac-Man keychain she'd slipped into their basket - A rare pull from a crane game she'd won, claimed to give 'good luck' to any who held it.

"Happy birthday, Ren - Let's go make it a wonderful one... Together."

" I think they're spoiling me more for dinner than lunch though. As far as I know, they said they're supposed to be taking me and Rei out later, so...if you want, I won't say no to a picnic now. We should have time- "

The moment was extra soft, softer than usual when Emi and Ren were together -- but they were alone, no one was there to call them out for their affection, and Ren was far from complaining! Especially when Emi's birthday wishes came complete with gentle touches and the most caring, feather-like kisses he'd ever seen her give. He wouldn't mentioned it, but just the affection in her greeting alone had him falling for her all over again like only Emi could manage.

It was more than enough to have Ren squeezing her hands in return with a soft, barely audible sigh before he'd press a nervous kiss right back. If only he were more confident in showering Emi with more romantic acts, then maybe they could've turned this into something even more special right here -- but Ren and his innate hesitation would cause him to stop at the brief kiss and keeping a snug hold on Emi's hand instead.

He'd really have to get better at that! Especially if he wanted his sister to stop calling him out for moving too slow with Emi! That had to look so lame in Rei's eyes, huh?

" You know you didn't have to do anything special for me though, Emi. You could've just tagged along for dinner with everyone else, but...thank you. You always know how to take something like this and make it really- " 'Beautiful', Ren wanted to say, but instead muffled the though with " -fun. " instead.

[transientblaze-a]

Even though Ren had beaten her to the punch with celebrating their birthday, Rei wasn't one to pout - In fact, she was happy Ren had been the first to surprise her! It'd given her extra time to set up his own gift, positioned carefully atop his bed so that after breakfast, she could grab his hand and drag him right back there with a broad grin pulling at her lips. Worrywart as he was, he deserved to be spoiled every bit as much as he'd just spoiled her over breakfast!

So when she'd finally taken off the blindfold she'd insisted he wear for the trip into his room, an overly large stuffed bear had greeted him, paws holding a sign obscured by a comically large bag of arcade tokens and a big, floppy, space-themed bow tied around its neck. Ren wasn't exactly one for stuffed animals, Rei knew, but it wouldn't be until he'd pulled the bag of coins aside and found the sign underneath, poitning him to the small arcade machine unit tucked into the corner and hidden under a bunch of blankets and an even bigger bow, that her true gift could be revealed - And what better way to do that than with a giant teddy bear that could keep him company on late night gaming sessions with some old school arcade games?

"You can't spoil me an' me not spoil you right back," she'd announce after a moment, gesturing to the gifts as her broad grin turned into a warm, soft, large smile. "Happy birthday, Renren - I wanna make sure it's the best one ever~! But you gotta promise I can try it with you sometime, too~!"

Ren would've been honest -- being blindfolded and then being lead off somewhere with only his sister's hand for guidance was a weird way to gift someone their birthday present. He wouldn't argue, however! Ren actually found the surprise kinda fun and would gladly don his blindfold so he could be lead away!

And when Rei finally gave him the 'all clear' to rip the piece of cloth off his face, Ren could only give an excited gasp-

" Oh, wow-! Did you really get me all of this yourself!? "

Ren could tell by the bag of game tokens that that already cost a lot. So much, that he'd probably have to spend a week straight at his favorite arcade trying to spend all of those! Never mind that the bag made his small box of tokens he'd given Rei look like nothing in comparison. The large bear was a cute touch, too -- such a Rei inspired gift, he could tell!

But what had really caught Ren's attention was the pile of blankets in the corner and the second he's managed to yank off the pile obviously covering another gift-

The screech that Ren had made in revealing the arcade machine was something he'd be beyond embarrassed about later!

" Is...is this really real!? Like...I've actually got my own machine that I can play with in my room? And I don't even have to spend any money to play it...? " Ren would excitedly push a few of the machine's buttons before whirling around to face his sister with the biggest grin!

" You really didn't have to get me something that special, Reirei, but thank you! I mean it! "

[transientfrost]

As comforting as his hold on her hand was, it wouldn't stop Rei's eyes from rolling. She loved her twin brother, she truly did - but there was absolutely no denying Ren was fiercely protective of those he loved, herself included. So fiercely that it was sometimes a problem, and while Rei would never say Ren didn't have valid reasons for his fussing and fretting over her, he often took it to a whole separate level, even insisting she just 'didn't know what she was doing' after being told the opposite. Izayoi was right: The moment Ren found out she'd slipped out, they'd both hear about it for weeks on end, her for sneaking out, and him for supposedly 'enabling' her, despite the fact he'd had nothing to do with her choice.

Being out at night was dangerous and she should've stayed either at home or paces around outside the house at worst, but a walk just to clear her mind wasn't that bad of a choice in her opinion! She had her phone in her pocket, it wasn't like she was completely unfindable! Yet rather than say as much, when her lips parted next, it was to let out a long, drawn out, and soft sigh.

"He's gonna fuss anyway, so what's the harm done? Even if I stayed home, he'd fuss. So why not make the best of it now that I've run into you?" She'd be lying if she said she hadn't been thinking of leaving him a message, at the very least - Finding him out and about had eliminated that need, and, with a slight lean forward, Rei beamed a mischievous grin up to her partner. He would be fine on his own, just like she was, buuuut...~

"Whatcha need that for? Bet we could find a bunch of other things to do together instead - Ren's gonna be upset anyway, so let's run down to the park or something! You could tell me more about the stars, or I could sing for you... There's swings, too, remember? We could find something to do together instead of you having to punch some random jerk!" Except... Would he want to hear her sing so late? Hmmm, they were out in public... "We could find a ball or something if you promise to hold back on me this time-"

[transientblaze-a]

" True, but you probably shouldn't sound quiet that happy over knowing he'll fuss either. As much as I think he's a Class A worrier over you, he is still your family, right? He's probably just trying to hold on to what he thinks about most, that's all. And having a protective younger brother is kinda rare anyway- "

Of course, Izayoi hadn't suddenly switched his opinion over Ren. Rei's twin was still a pain in his side and often got in the way of any 'fun' him and his little starlit Fenix tried to have. To Izayoi, there was 'protective' and then there was Ren, the guy who would probably worry over Rei if she spent too long in the bathroom of all places.

Still, Izayoi recognized him as Rei's family by blood, so giving the guy too hard of a time would probably backfire on him in the long run. As much as Ren couldn't stand him, Izayoi made a point not to be too insufferable to Ren, mostly as a favor to Rei.

" You tell me what you wanna do though- " he'd eventually come back, giving Rei full reigns to their time spent out and about. " I mean, I'm really just out here wasting time and you sound like you have more ideas right now anyway. If you wanna play ball, we'll play ball. If you wanna sing, then... "

" I won't complain too much about that either. "

[transientfrost]

"Except you don't scare me, Izayoi, you annoy me."

The comeback was quick, each word dripping with annoyance - Like it'd hide the obvious twitch of her eye if she snapped back as quickly as she could. It wouldn't - Izayoi was nothing if not perceptive and on top of most details, annoyingly so - but she wasn't going to let it stop her from at least trying, either. If she could knock him down a peg or two, would that really be so bad? Would it be terrible to make him eat his words just once in their incredibly long lives?

"You got leashed because you were too out of control and wild for everyone's good. If you weren't pinned down in some form, you would've destroyed Halcyon long before the war did. Besides, I seem to remember it was Rei who sang the song that bound you to your own partner, wasn't it? I can't be blamed for that."

Except... She was. No matter how much he and Rei clearly loved one another, Lunaria had been the one behind teaching Rei the song she'd needed, and slowly and gently urging the younger to sing it when he was at his most vulnerable. Tying himself to the Fenix would've happened eventually, she was convinced of that much, but that was one he was completely on the money for, even if the Moon didn't want to admit as much right then.

The chimeras, though... "I didn't take Ralphina in because I was afraid, either. Their strength made the Astrals fear for their safety, remember? They were too powerful, too uncontrollable for them to keep. That strength still continues on through her, and I don't need to count generations to know it's in him in a weaker form. I offered her contract because someone had to try and prevent what you started. I failed, and I regret that. Now we have to keep those secrets before it destroys the next world, too. I'm just as powerful as you - I don't need the Chimeras to keep me safe."

"I do need to not lose my control over them, though. If they remember where they came from, do you think they'll stop at the ones who created them, or come for us? Do you truly think they'll leave you alone when they find out you ordered the hit on the Light Fenix, let alone as a joke, and never cared to stop the manipulation of that clan? There's an order we still need to uphold here, Izayoi, and if the sun himself is killed..."

That thought made her a little nervous, admittedly. She couldn't remember a time either of them had ever 'died'; what would happen to the cosmos if they did...? "I came to you for help in this, not to fight your stubborn, frustrating ass. We need to work together to fix this. I couldn't keep them apart and now I have to make sure there's no further threat before they mate. So. Are you going to help me, or do I need to slap tape over your mouth and force you to listen to Rei's singing?"

[transientblaze-a]

" That depends. Are you gonna admit the truth and say you're doing all this because you are scared of them? Or at you gonna keep up your front and say you're only 'putting in safeguards' because you're protecting people? "

" Because depending on how you answer will determine how I answer- "

Izayoi wouldn't bother hiding his smug smirk at that, happily crossing his arms over his chest while he waited for Luna's counterpoint. Was he being insufferable? Sure he was! But what Lunaria still didn't seem to grasp was that these chimeras didn't pose a single threat to him at all. That, and her remark about his 'death' wasn't enough to shake his resolve either. He had zero plans to die any time soon, so he could afford to be a pain! Whether they came after him or not, Izayoi wouldn't lose a wink of sleep.

In fact, giving them a reason to chase him might actually make things even more fun! And he'd love that! So-

" Either way, at the end of the day, these chimeras are still your project, right? You chose to take in a dangerous animal as a pet to 'help it' and now you're panicking because this 'pet' is turning out to be more than you can handle. For 'protecting order' or not, I'd say that's still a pretty brain dead move on your part. "

" Because if it would've been up to me, " Izayoi would let a finger come loose from stance only to wag it at Lunaria in a very blatant 'I told you so' manner. " I would've let that whole species die out a millennia ago when things started going downhill! If they were dangerous for most people back then, then they sure as hell weren't gonna be better for the people of today's day and age either. "

[transientfrost]

The... Moon? In sheer curiosity, Rei turned her attention up to the bright, shining... Well, rock, really. He hadn't needed to say as much for her to know that comment had been directed at it instead of her, and yet she couldn't help but wonder why. He spoke of the moon like it was an actual person and not a celestial body stuck up in the night sky, and for a moment, she caught herself squinting, as if doing so would help her understand. Was it one of those magic-related things her parents had just chosen not to tell her and Ren...?

Rather than ask, Rei bit her tongue. If she was supposed to know, Izayoi would've been more detailed when he'd brought it up - Especially since whenever she found him out around town at night, it was oftentimes because he was in a soured mood, or so bored that the wrong question could set him off into a fit of irritation. She'd never minded it, even counting herself a 'pro' at dealing with his attitude by now, but after dealing with Ren's fussing and huffing, more attitude certainly wasn't what she was looking for!

Instead, she'd let a hand reach out, curling around his for a light, gentle squeeze. "Probably will. But c'mon, it's not like I slipped out meaning to run into you! I just needed to clear my head, just like the note I left for him says. If he wakes up, he'll come find me, and then he'll fuss again, and then I'll have to listen to that for another several days... He's never wrong for fussing, he just does it so much. He is wrong for his opinion of you, though. It's not like you've done anything towards him or our parents."

No, it was more the things he'd done to her - And with her, though she'd not let her train of thought go there right then.

"I'll go back in a bit. I don't wanna leave you out here alone. company always makes the stars brighter, right?"

[transientblaze-a]

Izayoi would let her hand curl around his, complete with a small squeeze right back, even if his attention wouldn't turn to Rei herself for very long after that. He believed her when she said she hadn't come out specifically looking for him, but he knew Rei better than that. A part of her was probably hoping she found him just like this.

After all, she knew nights when the moon was at its brightest were often nights Izayoi couldn't get a good night's sleep. Walking the streets to see what else lurked was usually better than tossing and turning in bed anyway.

" Yeah, but when you've gotta pick in between keeping me company and spending the next few days trying to smooth down your brother's ruffled feathers? You know I would've been fine on my own, right? In fact, just lemme find a thug or two to beat some sense into out here and I'll be good to head back myself. "

" 'Cause if he catches you out here alone, even without me around, we're never gonna hear the end of his whining. No matter how much you prove to him you can definitely take care of yourself. "

[rubyleaf]

You know, when I see fictional characters who repress all their emotions, they're usually aloof and very blunt about keeping people at a distance, sometimes to an edgy degree—but what I don't see nearly enough are the emotionally repressed characters who are just…mellow.

Think about it. In real life, the person that's bottling up all their emotions is not the one that's brooding in the corner and snaps at you for trying to befriend them. More often than not, it's that friendly person in your circle who makes easy conversation with you, laughs with you, and listens and gives advice whenever you're upset. But you never see them upset, in fact they seem to have endless patience for you and everything around them—and so you call them their friend, you trust them. And only after months of telling them all your secrets do you realize…

…they've never actually told you anything about themselves.

[rubyleaf]

Adding onto this: characters who are so deeply repressed that they don't even realize they're not fine, or at the very least not supposed to be fine. Characters who do tell you about a situation they're in that should be bad, but instantly laugh it off saying they can handle it (spoiler: they can, in fact, not handle it). Characters who laugh with you and listen to all your woes and much later you learn that they were actually going through something at least equally bad at the time, but they wave it off and don't want to speak of it. Characters whose main coping mechanism seems to be "don't think about it" on endless loop.

Basically, the fictional embodiment of the "this is fine" dog.

[transientfrost]

Oh, she wanted to choke him for that nickname! They had a serious situation on their hands, and he was making jokes and even teasing her over it - Did he not think? Or even care?! She'd give him that he was strong, but these were chimeras! Even those who'd had a hand in their creation had wanted to get them far, far away from the skies, and if they weren't careful, it was them they'd come back for, him included. The moment they found out the role he'd played in the entire mess that'd led them to that point in time...

But in the end, her frustration caught in her throat, his subtle call out not only insulting, but right on the money. "And what does it matter how they find out what they are? They've been finding out. Remember, one of them is almost as ancient as we are. She's had several millennia to hone those skills of hers, and now that control I have is breakable - And you're here insulting your own leash. She must not be around, or you'd never call that Fenix a bird brain."

Successful distraction? Probably not. Bringing up the 'bird brain' that had been linked to him, his own soulmate, would likely do little to keep him from noticing her quick turned of the conversation, but how did she tell him the truth? She'd given away some of it in an attempt to gain another contract, sure, but at least she hadn't given away all of it - Unlike that smug look on his face that made her blood boil and hands want to give him away.

"Besides, you know as well as I do that the memories still exist within them, Izayoi. All it takes is a little unlocking and reinforcing of the forms they've taken on, and they'll have them back. As it is, we have a dragon walking around with a memory leak, and that's another issue to deal with later on. It doesn't matter how they find out. What does is the danger that poses, even with the other safeguards in place. You know Ral. She'll have your head for what you did."

[transientblaze-a]

" - And if I remember right, the whole ordeal with trying to leash every chimera you find and bring them under your control is something only you're worried about. To someone like me, who doesn't even see those patchwork monstrosities as a threat, I couldn't give a rat's ass whether they share secrets or raise an entire army up under your 'control'. It's all the same to me. Besides- "

" You were the one who asked for something like that to happen the second you started putting leashes on things that scared you. "

That's what it was, wasn't it? What it'd always been? Lunaria was terrified of those with more physical power, so she often used her smarts to get a situation under control before something with actual muscles could overpower her. She'd done it with him, she'd done it with at least one of the chimeras so far, and Izayoi wouldn't doubt if she didn't have her eyes on at least one Fenix by now, too.

" Do you actually think you could've caged wild beasts like them forever, Lulu? "

[transientfrost]

@transientblaze from HERE~

Ah, no fun. She'd hoped for at least a smirk, though to be fair, she'd pulled her 'sneak and hum' 'trick' enough times by then, he'd probably long since grown tired of that over a regular greeting. Especially with how late into the evening it was, Rei didn't doubt he was more than done with the day to start with - And for that, she'd slip into place at his side and offer an apologetic smile.

"Tried. Ren got irritated, I got tired of hearing it, so I snuck back out. It's not like our parents are home, anyway." Her shoulders lifted into a slight, barely there shrug. While she'd admit her twin brother was right to be concerned and fret about things, he often let it run away with him to the point it was completely overbearing - And to the point she couldn't even remember what'd set him off in the first place most of the time. Their earlier bickering was no different, and, unable to sleep as a result, she'd left him a note explaining she'd gone for a walk and slipped away for the sake of clearing her head, wrapped up in only a lightweight sweatshirt to keep herself warm in the chilly late-winter air.

She hadn't expected to find Izayoi out and about, though! He was chaotic and unpredictable, and while she should've expected him to be out somewhere, she'd never thought it'd be so close by; was it the bright, clear skies that'd drawn him out this time? Or his own frustrations? "'Sides, you can't ask me that and then not tell me what you're out for! Aren't you tired?"

[transientblaze-a]

" Kinda. But even if I tried sleeping right now, a certain someone probably wouldn't let me rest anyway, so you and I are wandering the streets for the same reason. "

That comment had been a double edged sword, but he'd motion toward the bright, almost mocking moon beaming down at them both instead. Sure, Lunaria didn't had any powers through the actual Moon that Izayoi knew of, but just the annoying light of it all shining through his window had been enough to set him off. He could definitely say he got better rest when the moon itself wasn't full and he wasn't dealing with a prickly sort of restless energy that threatened to make him fly off in a rage at anything that pushed his buttons.

Weirdly enough, Rei's presence beside him helped reign that urge in and he'd sigh an unspoken 'thank you' at the fact.

" But you're sure he won't come looking for you? I know your brother doesn't exactly like me, but I think even he'd be more concerned if he woke up and found you missing altogether. "

[transientfrost]

@transientblaze from HERE!

As much as she didn't want to admit it, his answer was irritating, eye twitching slightly as the only outward sign of her desire to slap the blonde upside the head. Chaos incarnate - She'd once dubbed him as such, but to know he was still keeping to that nickname...! "Do you hear yourself? You have just as much to fear as the rest of us. If their power falls into the wrong hands-"

It was doubtful it would, though that required they keep the two in check. So long as she had one under contract and control, they didn't have that much to fear - It was when the two grew closer issues would come up, however. Their bond completely overruled her own contract, and if they found out the truth of exactly what the could do together at their strongest... It was only two, yet that was already enough to spark a headache in Lunaria's temples.

"They're already quite close. If they find out just what happened, do you truly think it'll be just my head they come for? Or will it be you with a target on your back, just like it should've been several millennia ago, Sun? Don't think I've forgotten about your hand in this madness, too."

[transientblaze-a]

" And...? "

Honestly, if he could've shrugged any harder at Lunaria's concern right then, then he would've. Mock threats and 'what-ifs' went about as far with Izayoi as conspiracy theories did when someone else had facts to break them up with. Lunaria had every right to be concerned, that much he wouldn't dispute, but to Izayoi? These 'chimeras' were just another wildcard he could use to spice things up with - so he still wasn't worried.

" What's done is done, Lulu. You're not gonna see me act any differently now than I did back then just cause we've got a couple of chimera lovers who just so happened to get close. I mean, I doubt they'd even be able to find me, let alone actually be a challenge for me. And besides- "

" How would either of them learn the truth in full anyway? Unless someone like you clued them in. None of those bird brains alive from back then have all the memories left to share, do they? "

[transientblaze-a]

The light hum in Izayoi's ear probably wasn't the announcement of her presence as much as she thought it was, but to her credit, Rei had been fairly quiet in sneaking up behind him. He'd looked distracted and ripe for the teasing - But even with a plan in place, once she'd gotten closer, it was all she could do to simply *hum* her greetings, hand coming up to rest on the blonde's bicep with the most gentle of touches.

"You busy~?"

" I can tell you want me to say 'no', don't you? "

She'd obviously forgotten that he'd grown used to her games. Her sneaking around and humming in his ear to draw his attention to her wasn't anything new to Rei. Izayoi had let it happen, only because he couldn't stop it. Her presence was as addictive to him as breathing was for him to live thanks to some Moon magic -- but that didn't mean he had to be amused with Rei's scheming either.

" What about you? Shouldn't you be busy sleeping? I thought you disappeared in that bed of yours hours ago? "

[transientblaze-a]

"We need to talk."

Though her tone was blunt and unamused, there was no hiding the weariness in Lunaria's expression. She hadn't expected the chaos and madness she'd thrown herself into with her own Guardian, and as much as she'd wanted to avoid it, it'd driven her to her daytime counterpart, arms crossed over her chest like a stubborn, huffy child who'd been all but ordered to take care of a chore. She couldn't handle this alone, but to have to deal with the sun himself over it... "The chimeras are regrouping."

" Oh? You worried about something like that already? "

From his tone, 'worried' was the last thing on Izayoi's mind at Lunaria's 'sudden news'. Sure, he knew who the 'chimeras' in question were and he knew their bloodline as a whole could cause some issues if left unchecked. Lunaria had been harping about that for a millennia by now it'd seemed like. Fortunately for someone like Izayoi, though, he had enough power tucked away in his back pocket to deal with creatures like them in an instant, so he wasn't in the least bit scared. In fact-

" As far as I'm concerned, let them regroup! You can't say things won't be a lot more interesting around here if the two of them learn to get along, right? I really don't see a problem with it, unless you're actually scared you won't be able to stop them when they decide to come for your head. "

[l-oo]

[intoillusion]

[anicastes]

And I don’t cozy up to just anyone.

[edensania]

You told me to lean on to you. Don't you dare to turn around.