unfriendliest | fractura

[ well then. there’s no pleasantries today, wherever kara is ash is just strolling on in abs grabbing his arm. They Need To Talk. somewhere without waggling ears all around. ]

No point in being coy now. I need the other two’s names so I can try and make the right damn decision for all three of you, not just one of you.

O-Oi--

[ it's. kind of a half-assed protest when kara just lets himself be dragged off without any fight. but whenever they're somewhere quieter, he'll make a face, but doesn't bother trying to put any further distance between them. ]

This is why I didn't want my name getting out. They'll auction us off in a heartbeat if they think it'll stop the plagues. [ shaking his head. he has so little faith, ash. ] Tsukasa and Beau are the other two.

[ shh, no grumbling. it's grown up talk time. ]

Huh. Beau? Really? [ the woman who lay on his shop floor for hours because she was too tired to move? wow gods. ]

You think? I mean. Maybe, there's always a possibility. But life's gone on, hasn't it? Plagues or not.
Maybe they won't. And you were all told to red string, so if they did vote for that they'd be fucking over six lives not just three as well as pissing off six people not three.

And that's why I told the others I didn't want to come forward as the Maou.

[ he glares at some innocent object like it's the one at fault. a rock, maybe. idk i'm tired. ]

They're doing it anyway. And they want me to go with them.

[ yeah, we’ll blame the rock. ]

...

Look. It’s up to you. [ there’s a pause, and he shrugs a shoulder. ] I knew both what your role was, and what I was taking on when I agreed to the red-string ritual. I’m hoping people will take that into account, maybe, when they’re making their votes but... [ Eh. He’s not sure if they will or not. ]

So if you decide to join them in coming forward as one of the Maou, then do it. If you don’t, then don’t. I’m here for the long haul whatever the choice is, I’ll just have to act differently depending on what the majority choose to do.

Whatever these people decide for us affects you, too. And I don't know how many people know we had to form a red string, so that may not even factor in for them.

I don't want someone innocent taking the fall for me. [ after catching ash's eyes, he continues: ] But I don't want you to have to take it with me, either, if it comes to that.

Yeah, I know that? But ultimately it’s your choice. I’m collateral, but I’m collateral that knew what they were signing up for and the idea of seeing it through ain’t gonna make me run away.

That applies to both points. [ he’s just gonna look him dead in the eye back, it’s fine. ] It’s different if someone got thrown into this because some bright sparks out there got themselves convinced they’d found a Maou when they didn’t.

‘Sides. We’re demons. We’ve got tricks up our sleeves, if people get really mobbish about the whole thing.

[ hm, really hate signing his new husband up for collateral damage. but then, this is why they've always gotten along so well, isn't it? it's never hard to tell where the other stands, because more often than not, they'd choose the same anyway. ]

I don't have magic like you do. [ he says with a quiet sigh. ] But I'm ready to fight, if we have to. If nothing else, you should be able to use my blood to give you a boost.

[ marriage means sharing everything, even if the collateral damage. and any future pets. it’s fine. ]

I know fighting’s second nature, I get that. But I can be a little sneakier than that if you’re all looking a bit outnumbered.

If they decide you all need to leave, you leave on your terms. And I’m gonna do my best to make sure they get jack-shit for their troubles. [ he can illusion himself invisible kara. hopefully adding in a redstring boost’ll mean he can illusion maybe a nice round five extra people invisible too. ]

[ good luck taking the fuzzy ones from kara. ]

We'll make it work. But if we do have to fight, focus on the others first. I don't know much about Beau, but Tsukasa isn't a fighter, and their red strings may not be, either.

[ SHARE THEM. ]

... She seemed pretty confident in herself when we’ve talked about fighting in the past. [ She thinks? She can beat him? Wow. ]

Is it worth talking to them? As in me talking to them. So they know what to expect if things do go wrong. And so I know who else I’m including in this escape plan, other than those two. [ he has exactly zero clue who beau and tsukasa are redstringed to. ]

...Probably. They want an answer from me by noon tomorrow, so we can figure it out then.

I doubt she can beat you, but as long as she can hold her own, it doesn't matter.

Sure. She sometimes comes by the shop though, so if I run into her I might ask her a couple of things. [ i say as i barrel into flurry's inbox. ]

Good to know. It'll be easier if I can actually just illusion everyone at once, in case you get swarmed or something.

...We can try it before the deadline, if you want, just to be sure. Knowing your limits with it won't hurt.

If it turns out I can’t push it further than the norm, I’m prioritising getting you out over the others. [ literally fight him kara ] No arguments on that one, I don’t really care if you would rather fight your way out.

[ he looks like he wants to argue, but that's the tone ash gets when he's willing to out-stubborn anyone, for as long as it takes for them to concede. it's not like kara can blame him, either?? he'd do the same, after all. so he just. sighs. ]

...Fine. The others will just have to take care of themselves, then.

[ and since he's taken to carrying his sword with him again, testing this should be easy. he just pops it out of the sheath a bit, just enough to reach the sharp side and prick his finger on it before sliding it back in. as he holds his hand out to ash, they'll see the blood there looks normal, but pulses with some kind of energy. ]

Whenever you're ready.

[ they can argue about it if that's what kara's into. but it'll be long and drawn out and they'll just end up with what ash wants anyway c: ]

Yeah. I can saunter out at my own place, so you need to leg it as soon as you're not visible.

[ hm. he stares at the droplet of blood for a moment, before glancing up at kara. ]

What am I supposed to do with it? Drink it? Wear it like battle paint?

[ look he knows a lost cause when he sees it :/ ]

Right. The only ones I've told about us are the other Maou, so you should be fine.

[ as for the question, he just. shrugs. ]

Either works. All you really need to do is touch it, but drinking it should have the same effects.

[ good.

ash just kinda... glances at the blood, and then back at kara. ]

Kinky.

[ but no, he's just gonna touch the blood for the moment rather than like. lick kara's finger. you're welcome. ] Alright. I guess we'll see if this works on both of us first.

[ rolling his damn eyes. why are you like this, ash.

anyway the mod meta is "anything that comes into contact with the blood (whether covered in it or ingested) will receive energy boosts." and i have no idea if that means this will work or not so,, ]

[ it's been like hundreds of years this should not be a surprise.

he focuses for a moment and... well. kara vanishes. but he can't really tell if he does as well, which is the downside here. ]

... Well, I can't see you.

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6/3 jazzhands in

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