✧ FOX TALES ✧

[ • 🦊 • ]

[vulpesly]

✧ VULPESLY ✧ ---- independent, private roleplay blog featuring an oc, canon + canon divergent multimuse roster with shared verses. Primarily bsd and ffxiv centric, crossover, au, + oc friendly . Outfoxed by Aevis, +18 only, not spoiler free .

✧ MUSES ✧ ----

Bungou Stray Dogs-- Jono Saigiku, Shimazaki Haruki (oc), Mordred (oc), Merlin (oc), Gawain Lott (oc), Hasegawa Shigure (oc), White Fang (oc), Tamamo no Mae (oc).

Crossover/Other Media-- Gengetsu, Ashiya Mutsuki, Ashiya Setsuki (oc), Yoshino (oc), Shingestu (oc), G'raha Tia, Jiaoqiu.

Original/Fandomless-- Shirohebi, Liekki, Fuyumi, Xiaoyu, Shion.

✧ MAINS ✧ ---- phasmascript, heartbloomd, barxlupin.

✧ [ muses ] ✧ [ rules ] ✧ [ memes ] ✧

[vulpesly]

going into work extra early tomorrow so i can get out sooner and get on the road, so good night! maybe this is also a small inbox call, if i'm able i'll send some asks while we're traveling

[phasmascript]

Had Mordred decided to ignore Dagonet's outburst, the fool would have eventually shut up and fallen asleep. But Mordred doesn't and Dagonet watches with curiosity as the prince goes to the kitchen, then returns with a cold compress.

"So in the spots you can feel your pulse at~" Dagonet watches the ice pack for a moment before closing his eyes. It isn't a immediate relief, but it does feel far better than before. Guess he'll bee sleeping with the compress tonight.

A hum as he thinks for a moment, not minding Mordred touching more moving the compress around to prove his point. It is almost like a lesson. "Oh! Can I guess why? Is it because of all the arteries located in the neck? That's why in stories, vampires go for the neck~"

[vulpesly]

"...right." He won't verbally acknowledge the vampire comment, but Dagonet is getting a sharp look right before Mordred takes the compress and presses it square against the entirety of the jester's face. "Now shut up, or I'm kicking you out." A light shove follows before the prince is withdrawing back to his seat and his abandoned book.

Despite his threat, there's a gleam of amusement to be spied in his gaze as he glances at Dagonet. He is, of course, just checking that the ridiculous fool is putting the compress to good use.

[phasmascript]

Gengetsu doesn’t need to tell Niimi twice to ignore the voice and not open the door- if anything he’s holling himself in the closet. It’s safe here. But the sugar gliders still hide in his pajama shirt, Kiku still growls at the closet door, and Gon paces in front of it. It’s still out there, clawing at the door, calling out to Niimi.

"...Nee-chan says no opening the door, okay, Gon?" The fox flicks his ear, but nods. "We gotta keep Kiku, Sakura, Momiji, Momo, and Kaede safe." He thinks Momiji has crawled themselves in the neck of his sweater. Momo is still fonder of Gon, leaping from the boy's sleeve to cling to Gon instead. And, it calms him down a little.

Or would till the scratching stops and is replaced with screeching. A fumble of the phone as he scoots a bit more into the closet, typing as he listens to what sounds like fighting outside the front door.

[ txt ⇒ Nee-chan ]: Are you fighting it??

Because if there are more out there, he might cry.

[vulpesly]

Gengetsu glances at the newest text, feeling briefly guilty. She should have warned Niimi but she had been more focused upon hurrying to the apartment as well as linking up with the shikigami she sent ahead. Allowing herself to slow only slightly, she sends another rushed message to reassure the boy.

✉ [ text to : little fox 🦊 ]➥ My shiki are fighting it

✉ [ text to : little fox 🦊 ]➥ I'll be there soon

It's a difficult task to race over rooftops while likewise viewing another location through a shikigami's eyes, but fortunately Gengetsu is long practiced in the art, permitting her to keep a watch on the battle between spirits. What she sees chills her to the core. The intruder appears to be an amanojaku... no casual trickster or stray spirit, but something deeply evil.

Gengetsu is only a block away when the first of her shiki, the mantis, is torn to shreds by the amanojaku. She staggers as the connection is severed, quick to right herself and press on. In the meantime, the stag beetle continues to do battle with the monster. Niimi may be given a fright then, as the beetle is sent crashing into the door with enough force to rattle the walls and spill plates from the cupboards.

[phasmascript]

Itsuki watches as Yutu works, taking in what they where doing even though the sight of her brother scares her. He’s hurt but she doesn’t see any injuries. It isn’t till Yutu tells her what to do that she finds out why her brother is hurt. Poison. Like the plants she’s been told to never eat. Her hand trembles in Yutu’s grasp. They needed her help. Atsuki needed her help. So slowly she nods.

“I.. can do it, Yutu-sama.” She stands to her feet, looking to Atsuki, then takes quick steps forward. It’s only after her footsteps fade that Atsuki opens his eyes. Poor Itsuki didn’t need to see this. She is still too young to know about the harsher parts of their family.

Slowly he looks up to Yutu, expecting a polite look but instead he can see the sorrow in their eyes. How sad. His parents would only hold sorrow not over the possibility of loosing their son but at the fact they lost their power. A cough as he looks away. “Ryuusei was going to come back to me after the dinner- you didn’t need to send her… but thank you.” Gratitude for sending Itsuki away and further traumatizing the poor girl. His body burns a little less due to Yutu’s medicine.

“… If this kills me, take Itsuki and run away.”

[vulpesly]

As far as orders go, Atsuki's is a reasonable one meant to keep Itsuki safe, yet Yutu's answer is a simple shake of their head. Any pretenses at being the obedient shikigami are dropped, the rabbit's expression hardening. "I will not. Should something happen to you, my contract is ended--" And there are debts accrued by this family that require repaying. While they would not dream of endangering Itsuki, Yutu deliberately does not make mention of this. A deception for Atsuki's sake. Concern for his little sister has driven the heir in the past, let it likewise drive him now to combat the poison coursing through him. Fight to survive, because he cannot fully trust his shikigami to look after Itsuki if he dies.

"That's not something we need to discuss, however," Yutu continues as they move to help prop Atsuki up, "you will not die today. I may not know what poison this is--yet--but I will soon enough. I've cured more insidious ones before, I can handle this, young master."

And figuring out the source is made easier with Atsuki being awake, something Yutu isn't going to let go to waste. Leaning in, their face brought close to Atsuki's as they examine his features. "How do you feel? Any numbing? Or burning? Sharp or dull pain? I suspect, considering your family, some manner of snake venom, but we can't rule out something originating from a plant."

[vulpesly]

Gawain has little to no identity outside of being a knight. Even most of her hobbies link back to knighthood. She's tied up everything she is into that because it is the foremost theme to all her 'memories'. While she isn't aware her memories are fabricated, there is some sense of them being... off? Thinking back on a moment feels more like she's seeing it through someone else's eyes, or it's playing on a movie screen, it doesn't quite feel like she experienced it herself. Scents don't evoke certain memories like they do for other people. She can't recall small, seemingly insignificant times in her childhood that left a lasting impression. Even her fear of bugs manifested in adulthood, when such fears are usually formed in your youth.

When she thinks about her past, she feels like she's no longer standing on solid ground but instead like there's only a few inches of soil beneath her. One wrong move, dig a little too deep, and it will all collapse and drop her into the abyss.

So while she's aware of these little inconsistencies, instead of dwelling on it, she puts blinders on. She throws herself entirely into the one thing her memories DO tell her: she's a knight devoted to helping Arthur find the Grail, so she'll be the best, most dedicated knight she can be. It's all she has.

[vulpesly]

ok asuna might be a better fc for gawain...

[vulpesly]

Day two of gawain on the blog and i still can't decide on her ability.

Thoughts on:

-strength waxes and wanes with day/night

-can absorb damage and reciprocate it back (doubles back what she took? Or can stockpile damage in advance? Or tied to day/night?)

[phasmascript]

Part of him wants to make a comment he was a Neet and had no skills, but that wouldn’t work in this situation. No. Better to be honest. “Human skill wise- intel, hacking, and gaming. Otherwise, combat and flight.” How he misses the times of bringing down human armies and destroying shit. But if he did that he’d lose his laptop and internet access. But owing favors was always tricky business. There is no way of knowing if this guy was “get an inch then take a mile’ type. Best to offer something tangible.

“Or feathers. Angel feathers. That’s better than a favor or money, right?” Some religious fanatics would pay for them even if his wings were pitch black. “Do we have a deal?”

[vulpesly]

Liekki's eyes widen at the offered form of payment. "Angel feathers? You're an angel?" He can't keep the awe fully from his voice, although he does make a good show of recovering from his surprise quickly. He's dealing with a genuine angel, is he? Talk about luck!

"Haha! We have a deal, that we do, eh?" Hands are freed from behind his head as the fox holds them up, nodding. With fingers splayed, Liekki conjures up a small, colorful ball of fire above each finger. As the tiny flames dance, the fox flashes his new customer a grin. “Let’s get your friends nice and distracted so they forget about you, okay?”

And then Liekki is throwing the handfuls of fire into the air; they dart down each nearby street before suddenly launching themselves skyward, growing in size until the rise above the surrounding buildings. Each one bursts then into a shower of lights, looking like pale-colored fireworks erupting over a number of the city’s blocks. While the light show takes place, Liekki motions for Lucifer to follow him down a side street, one of the few that didn’t host a fireball display. “They’ll be looking everywhere but here for a little while, you know?”

[vulpesly]

✧ « @phasmascript ➥ continued »

Mordred peers over the top of his book to watch Dagonet's dramatics. He sighs. The fool is only going to make himself more overheated with all that flailing about... Closing his book with a snap, the prince gets up, pacing to the kitchen and rummaging through the freezer a moment. When he returns, he's armed with a cold compress.

"Here, you nitwit." While Mordred usually avoids touching others, Dagonet has shown multiple times to hold no fear of his Ability, and this is a (somewhat) medical matter so he doesn't hesitate in taking the jester's hand. Once he turns Dagonet's hand over, Mordred presses the ice pack to his wrist. "Blood circulates close to the skin at certain points, just apply something cold to those spots and let your circulatory system do the rest of the work.

"Wrists are a good spot, or your feet--but the most efficient is your neck." As though to prove his point, Mordred moves the pack to the side of Dagonet's neck, frowning in concentration. "Better, yeah?"

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH *  assorted dialogue from the game, adjust as necessary

the scene is indescribable. countless buildings have been leveled, and part of the road has collapsed.

man, when it rains, it pours.

you just don't know when to quit, do you?

get away from her!

just shut the hell up and search!

this is so messed up. all of it. but i'm back now, [name]. i'm back.

it all started five years ago.

i couldn't believe my luck.

wish i could help, but never been motion sick. sorry.

i didn't join to be an errand boy. i joined up so i could be a hero.

you take one. i'll take the other.

home sweet home, right? tell me. how does it feel? i have no home, so i wouldn't know.

i wanted to greet you myself, to welcome you to our humble little town.

look at all this mud. it's never gonna come off.

any friends here you wanna see? maybe a girlfriend?

the taste reminds you of home.

could you keep up?

welcome home! come in! let me get a good look at you!

i can take care of myself.

i'd feel a lot better if i knew you'd found a good girl, one who'd make sure you didn't get into trouble.

you went into my room? you went through my stuff?

you could learn a lot from me.

big day tomorrow. we'll be leaving bright and early. you should get some rest.

it's just one photo. c'mon, where's the harm in that?

i'm not even close to burned out. not with all the training i've had.

we still have a long way to go.

try not to breathe it in if you can.

you said you wanted to be a hero.

i owe you one.

help me to understand this shit. tell me something that'll really make my blood boil.

why do i suddenly have a bad feeling about this?

ever since i was a child, i knew... i knew that i was different. that i was special. but not like this. not like this.

run away. you have to leave. you have to live.

you sick son of a bitch!

you promised you'd save me.

that's the last thing i remember. the rest is a blank.

not to sound like a broken record, but... it's really bothering me.

that bed's mine.

sorry. did i wake you?

there's just something i need to ask you. so can we talk?

can't believe i'm having this conversation with you... but here we are.

i thought we could just pick up where we left off, like nothing had changed, but i guess i was wrong.

less security than i thought.

guess things have changed.

you always did prefer to march to the beat of your own drum.

what we're doing's for the greater good.

any good restaurants? sights to see?

we hide in plain sight. get in, get close, get answers.

i'm so pumped for this!

i'd say we look the part.

i'm having second thoughts.

it's not like i had a choice! nothing else fit!

if you wanna drink with us, you're gonna have to lose the helmet.

are we fighting or what?

don't go dying on me. i demand another dance.

just play along.

i was kinda hoping we could talk business.

well, you won't go far with that attitude.

just shut up and play.

i'm too young to die!

you're way better at the whole "putting yourself in harm's way" thing.

i'm not sure that's something to celebrate.

excuse me? what's that supposed to mean?

the room is unlocked.

it's not me you should be worried about?

i never hated you, you know.

i'll wait out here. but make it quick.

knowing that the people we love aren't really gone? it doesn't make it any easier to let them go.

we've all experienced pain. we all have our regrets.

true strength comes from our ability to forgive, to forge ahead in the hope of making things right.

are you finished?

oh, what fun you had. tell me, though. was it worth it?

is what you're feeling even real?

your friend died in your arms and you didn't shed a tear.

i'll kill you.

fill your hollow heart with rage. let it engulf you. consume you.

your day of reckoning is here.

all i want is one thing: to keep the others safe.

your tears are empty.

you're just a puppet.

screw you!

let's finish this.

how could you turn your back on everything we stand for?

you have to promise not to look up.

take care.

i'll leave the rest to you. good luck.

[vulpesly]

if you ever see an inconsistency in one of my muse's canons, just know it is one of the following reasons:

I forgot.

My muse forgot.

Behind the scenes plotting took place.

My muse changed their mind last minute and who am I to argue with them?

My muse failed to report critical information to me beforehand.

The Vibes (i.e. fun > plot holes).

[vulpesly]

inbox call--specify muse(s) or leave it to chance and whimsy!

[phasmascript]

"I really think you should rest, Mordred-san." Itou frets a little. “I-I can bandage myself up just fine. My ability can handle the rest.” It isn’t the best option. His ability isn’t a replacement for stitches but it worked in a pinch. Itou tries once more to usher Mordred into lying down, eyes filled with worry. Does he have a headache or was he light headed?

“Do you want me to grab you tea and some snacks?”

[vulpesly]

Itou's concern is unfortunately wasted on Mordred. "I said I'm fine," he waves the fretting Hunting Dog off with both a hand and a grumble, avoiding any attempts to be herded toward a spot to rest, instead ducking past Itou to fetch supplies from a cabinet. While Itou fusses, Mordred takes mental stock of what he'll need to disinfect and suture the remaining injuries, gathering the necessities before turning back.

"If I don't take care of this now, you'll just be a bigger mess for me to deal with tomorrow." He points sharply to the exam table, the gesture a wordless command: sit and stay put. Mordred may be the smaller of the two, and his strength does not hold a candle to a Hunting Dog's, yet the look he levels at Itou is one that brooks no argument. "If you want to help, you can remove the flowers as I work." It'd give Itou something to do, while both saving Mordred time and sparing him having to touch them again. Even if he won't be using his Ability again today, he's wary of the flowers all the same.

[vulpesly]

✧ « @phasmascript ➥ answered »

Since it’s a hot summer day, Dagonet has dragged poor Mordred out to get ice cream. But he does need to worry, Dagonet had gone to the lengths of taking the appearance of someone else entirely. For now he holds the umbrella as Mordred slowly eats his ice cream, Dagonet’s was long gone by now.

A curious glance over is given, looking at the little bit of ice cream stuck to the corner of the prince’s lip. As a good knight, it’s only right he cleans it up, swiping it off with his thumb before licking it clean. “I should have gotten the same as you~ Though you better eat it before it melts~”

Between the ice cream and Mordred, neither is faring very well at the moment. As much as the umbrella serves to keep the sunlight off him, it offers little protection against the heat, which only serves to dull what energy the prince has. He can't even muster a proper reaction to Dagonet wiping a smudge of ice cream off his face, instead just staring at him, puzzled by the gesture.

He does react, however, at the mention of his ice cream melting. Startling, Mordred glances down at the cone before he wordlessly offers the remainder to Dagonet. As much as the prince enjoys a sweet treat, he knows he's not moving fast enough to keep up and he'd rather not deal with messing up his gloves.

"You know, there's this modern convenience now where you can order ice cream to be delivered to you."

[heartbloomd]

from @vulpesly : Mordred didn’t even do anything to upset Teruko this time, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Since his previous hiding spot had been discovered by Kyouka last time, he’s on the search for somewhere else to keep out of sight until he’s not stuck in a form that feels so small and useless. Unfortunately for Mordred, luck continues to not be on his side, as he rounds a corner and bumps directly into someone hard enough to knock himself over. “Ow…” Wincing, he pushes himself upright before looking up to see– Uh oh. Mordred scrambles to his feet, looking like he’s considering the validity of just bolting from the queen. “Don’t you say a word, Guin.”

Having spent the majority of her life pretending that Mordred is not her best friend, Guinevere has no issue feigning ignorance while she visits the Hunting Dog headquarters; she expresses the appropriate amount of interest if someone mentions him in conversation, reacting like the information is completely new to her. Since she knows he's a terrible liar, she's avoided seeking him out—-and this is precisely why.

Guinevere doesn't break character, but there is the slightest edge to her gaze as she stares down at him. Don't speak to her so casually, and certainly don't address her with a nickname. Someone could be right around the corner, close enough to overhear! Fortunate that the coast is clear now, but Lady Luck is not a trustworthy mistress.

Though she desires nothing more than to pick him up and spin him around, laughing with delight at this new form, she adopts an expression of polite concern. "Oh dear, are you okay?" she asks, leaning down for a closer look. "This isn't a place for a young boy like yourself to be running around all willy-nilly."

Why would she know what Mordred looks like, and therefore that this is a de-aged version of him, if they've never met before?

"Why don't I help you back where you belong, yeah?" In other words, find somewhere private where they don't need to hide from prying eyes.

[vulpesly]

Whoops.

Mordred realizes his mistake as soon as the words leave his mouth. Distracted and frustrated, he spoke without thinking as soon as he saw her, although that's no excuse. Damn, even if he's always been rubbish at acting and lying, he should have been quicker on his feet. He can't help but squirm under the look Guinevere gives him. Careful although she is to keep her own role intact he nonetheless feels properly scolded.

At least no one is around to witness the slip up, which is good--although the medic is quick to catch himself before he sighs with obvious relief. One blunder is enough for the day! Fortunately, Guinevere hasn't missed a beat, and in turn Mordred can take his cues from her. Playing along while someone else takes the lead comes somewhat more naturally for him, having shadowed Arthur for so many years.

Still, it's probably safer for him not to talk. He settles instead for keeping things simple: he climbs back to his feet, dusting himself off while eyeing Guinevere in what he hopes passes for polite uncertainty. And then, he offers a single small nod. Somewhere private is a good plan, thanks.

[phasmascript]

So far, his antics with his new coworkers is hardly appreciated. It's a saddening fact. Enough to make him cry, really. He would too if he hadn't noticed one Hunting Dog seemed to get a laugh out of his attempted jokes with the one named Jono. What was this one's name? Haruki? Regardless! The kid seems bright eyed and excited as Dagonet preforms another magic trick.

"And here's your card~ The Ace of Spades~" This is the fifth time he's done this trick. But the reaction is worth the repeat. "Would you like to shuffle the deck once more?"

@vulpesly

[vulpesly]

It's not every day the Hunting Dogs work alongside a foreign organization, which might have been interesting enough for Haruki, except these knights have a jester with them! A jester-knight! What could be better? Not only did this Dagonet have a knack for annoying Jono, but he could do real magic tricks, something that has succeeded in keeping Haruki's undivided attention for the last few minutes.

For the fifth time, Haruki is shown the card he had picked and answers with an excited cheer and clapping. Dagonet's been right every single time! Amazing!

"How do you do it, how do you do it~?" Haruki has tried to watch closely, looking for magic that lets Dagonet find his exact card every time, but he's had no luck spotting anything that stands out. Then again, if handed the deck, he probably couldn't even shuffle the cards, let alone perform any tricks with them.