[Ekko's seen far worse things than a strange cat with the capabilities to shoot laser beams out of its mouth but that didn't change the fact it was a unique specimen with otherworldly abilities that rivaled the Arcane arts back home in Runeterra. Could this girl possibly be a mage of some sort with the power to summon these creatures to her aid at will? Whatever the case may be his questions would have to wait until they were out of harms way as they made a break for the Inn where they would be safe.]
It's certainly something alright-
[Before he can continue on the boy finds himself pressed by another assailant, striking the snow man down without delay and leaping into the air to smash its head clean off with the heel of his boot. Rounding the bend of another roadway they were mere feet from the Inn in question now. Pointing the end of his sword bat towards the entryway with a nod of his head in unison, Ekko quickly opens the entryway to usher the girl inside.]
Come on get inside before they get any closer now is our chance!
[Fandaniel, too, walks the streets after dark. Out of the corner of his fading vision, he swears he sees movement. Turning his head he sees the door to the library falling shut.
Well...
Perhaps he should investigate.
He's been to the library before, so it only takes a single thought to teleport himself into the building. There, seated among the stacks, he finds a familiar figure.
The faint sight of the Warrior of Light fills him with a thousand questions.
How?
Is he from an earlier time?
Did Etheirys survive what should have been a spectacular execution?
Later. He can find the answers later.
For now, it's time for some fun.]
Is that the savior of savages I see?
[He calls out in the venom-laced voice of Asahi as he turns himself invisible.]
[Seeing her devour the soup causes Ekko to smile inwardly, happy Jinx was enjoying her fill despite his insistence to take it slowly. Genuinely concerned for her well being considering the state of disarray he found her, bearing a striking similarity to the one in which he originally approached her after returning to their proper timeline. He'd seen that weary look in her eyes then and now causing his heart to sink low with the thought she might still be having lingering dark thoughts which plagued her better judgement. All he could do is stay by her side and be there to support his close companion in such a trying time, an emotional crutch she could lean on if need be that was willing to bare the weight of her despair.
If only she knew how much he truly cared for her, far more than Jinx could possibly realize even despite his old memories of Aldrip wiped away like lingering footsteps on a shoreline with the crashing of the oceans waves. When she unceremoniously shifts a bit closer to brush their arms against one another Ekko's eyes light up, holding her gaze with a gentle expression of concern before softly shaking his head upon her questioning.]
Nah- I'm good. I should be the one asking you that anyways considering the right mess I found you in. How are you feeling now?
[A bit better hopefully now that she'd warmed up some and got food in her belly at least physically even if the mental toll was still evidently clear. Setting his own bowl of soup down, Ekko cautiously moves his opposite hand to their unified arms, brushing gently over the exposed flesh of her outer forearm in a comforting fashion. If only they had more time together back home before she was taken from him they could have shared an intimate moment such as this on their own terms but he still wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste. Who knows how long they might have together in this strange new world and wanted to make the most of it, absorbing everything about the girl who ensnared his heart. Her every shift in movement, those alluring pink eyes that shined bright like amethysts when provoked, he wanted to remember it all.]
[She's managed to avoid the creatures for the most part and not let herself be too curious about them. Especially after seeing countless people getting stuck under mistletoe branches for unknown amounts of time. Mel would hate that to happen to her. She's been on edge since arrival and the pesky toads are no help.
That being said- the guy's stuck on his knees under the mistletoe and she can't help but feel somewhat bad about it. Making allies here should probably start becoming a priority.
So she does approach.]
I am not the one stuck, [she says lightly, with no malice.] But I'll be willing to help if I get something in return.
[it's so hard for her to keep reminding herself that this ekko doesn't remember their time in aldrip, doesn't remember their stupid late night talks, their silly bets over an arcade game, zipping through the skies on their hoverboards, their sweet kisses, the love-making... none of those moments he carries, only her. but the way he speaks with her, and the light touches, it's like maybe if he stays here long enough it might jog his memory. ... or maybe it's all gone for good, and the love they have together is forever lost.
another sniff and using the edge of the blanket as a tissue for her runny nose, jinx sips the soup one additional time before answer in his question.]
Better.
[she should stop there, but something within her drives her to ramble more than she should. he is just so damning when it comes to these things, making her feel so warm and comfortable to where she wants to spill her guts out.]
— But I have... a lot to do. T-There's people I need to find, talk to, and places to check on to see if they're still standing...
[jinx finds herself trailing off in her speech, and he can visually witness her growing extremely exhausted over the "list" of things she has ahead of her. it's important for her to accomplish them, but with the companion of traveling, everything that has happened to her in runeterra and aldrip, she is just... drained.]
Kurama does not suppose Hiei is the type to be very sentimental about a thing such as a first kiss, it seems a very human construct. He also doesn't know for certain whether the fire apparition has ever had one before, it wasn't as if he was the most straightforward about personal matters to begin with.
“Could be worse,” He offers, smiling faintly once he registers just what the slip says. There's a bit of an unease to it, uncharted territory as this all is. Hiei's total lack of snark and bitching isn't really helping, either. “It's not asking us to fight, at least.”
He isn't sure talking would be an improvement though, what secrets did they have left from each other, anyway? Still, Hiei's sudden shut down is alarming in the way it is reminiscent of days the others found an excuse to prod at him, teasing about Yukina or giving him a hard time after Kaito’s territory. Almost as if he expects the fox to find more ammunition in this, and really Kurama couldn't blame him if that is the truth of it.
Quick and easy, like ripping off a bandaid and then they never have to speak of it again, right? Everything can just go back to the way things were before, no harm done.
Apparently not quick enough, as he feels a paper hit him next, evidently for taking too long. The redhead scowls as he turns to bend down and retrieve it only to find no sign of another one nearby, after all. Or anything lying on the ground that might have been the culprit, for that matter. The same toad is still watching them expectantly, but more alarming than that is the approaching snowman, lining up to take another shot in their direction.
[ Gwen's been a reality TV show star, but maybe her true calling would have been in soaps, because she's eating up this over-the-top drama and chewing scenery like it's her favorite snack. ]
Oh, I don't know...!! Should we get a paternity test? [ Hang on. Wait. ] ...A maternity test?
No—! No no no, please, for real, don't kill me. We're not in a comic book anymore, I don't know whether editorial would be able to revive me if I died here!
[ And even then, they would only being her back to life if she was a popular enough character, and she's kind of been out of the public consciousness for a while, since she went back to school. ]
[ She is familiar with how BAMFing works, yes. In theory. In practice, she's never done it before. So being suddenly BAMFed into a warm, cozy parlor room leave Gwen a little giddy, partially from the instantaneous change of scenery, and partially out of pure fangirl joy.
That said, moment of truth. She pulls the blanket open to show her legs again and... No, still frozen. If anything, the ice has crept even further up her thighs.
Gwen slumps forward, feeling defeated. ]
Great. I finally get out of a comic book, only to turn into an ice sculpture...
[ Abigail doesn't hesitate to follow the other inside, and quickly bounding behind her is the grey cat that had been taking on their flank as they continued on. He scampers between both their legs and stops himself only when it is high up on a counter. Abigail gives him a nod and then pets the black cat that had rested on her shoulders. ]
Nosh, Luther, and me - [ She points to herself, ] and then - Mister... [ She doesn't know his name, and she seems to look up at him curiously hoping to hear from her savior. ] Is that everyone? Do you think they will try to come inside..?
[ Giving it a little pat when she finishes, Abigail looks over to him as if realizing something. ] Oh, what's your name Mister? You can call me Foreigner; I'm not allowed to give my name out, sorry. I hope that's okay.
[ Abigail laughs, and watches as Fauna looks her over. ] That's not his name; his name is Gilgamesh, and he wouldn't hurt me. He is really nice, like a..... Hm, Big Brother - apparently, he likes to be called Nii-san.
Okay! I will do my best to help you! I think that's why I came here; my purpose is to help you! [ She nods her head, clearly thinking that this had relevance to Grails and Singularities that needed to be resolved. ] I am all by myself here right now, and I don't know what is going on, but I will try my best to learn as fast as possible.
You know Ereshkigal? [Not that Ryoji has met her either, but there is a connection with how she too is connected to death.]
Hmmm. To keep the underworld isn't necessarily my domain, but I do like to think the place the send those souls to is a kind and gentle place. Somewhere that makes them feel warm and welcome.
It's my understanding that the accusations range from cruelly personal to pointless and absurd.
[Wow, it's refreshing to be so openly disdainful for a second. But okay, he's looking around for the little subpoena bot with a breath out through his nose, arms folded.]
You'll be able to find out when that device arrives... it should be a metallic box on wheels pretending to welcome you.
[ Look. The concept of having to give someone here a kiss is not so terrible on its own. It's actually an incredibly common form of greeting among family and close friends back home. It's the circumstances that have made this occur, being forced into it by some strange little creature. It's completely outrageous!
The effort towards explaining himself, though, simply wouldn't be worth it. Not to mention that he never gets around to the urge to because he's so preoccupied with how annoyed it makes him feel.
And then Rogue really cuts him off at the pass. ]
Now just hold on —
[ He puts a hand out to grab her shoulder, but it's too late to actually stop her from joining him in being trapped. Now the situation is rather clear. He has no choice but to accept it, and so the next complaint really loses its spirit, said in a low voice without pulling his touch away. ]
Why would you do that? Who knows if they'll really make it that easy.
[Zekarion does notice the retreat of those external features, though he mostly keeps his eyes on Shigeru. His tone is gentle but confident.]
It's alright. You don't have to apologize.
[Now, then—digging into the details of whatever Shigeru has just gone through seems like a foolish endeavor, in his mind. Explaining the poor situation the newcomer has just stepped into without making sure he's calm enough to accept it may also have a similar result, and any distraction would feel too flippant. To more physical needs, then...]
"Mn." Hiei will at least agree that it could be worse - so much worse, in fact, if the decision was to force them to fight. Being forced to pummel Kuwabara wasn't exactly a stretch, and had been quite therapeutic, actually, but... well. He's already stated that he does not want to fight against Kurama under any circumstance. Toads are included in the unexpected reasons that he does not want to engage in battle with the fox.
Kurama may be surprised at how many secrets Hiei has managed to keep from him over their time spent apart since he had returned to demon world, none of which he would like. Some, he thinks, would actually make him quite angry if he had any knowledge of it. Or at the very least spark a strong reaction that Hiei doesn't quite anticipate.
For two demons who could spend so much time in companionable silence.. this silence is awkward. He isn't sure what to do, what to say - beyond something trite and obvious like this doesn't have to go any further than this to get out of this little trap and they never have to speak about it again. Obviously (to him) that is probably the fox's goal, despite Hiei's very complicated feelings twisting in his chest at the moment. Hiei hears the impact on Kurama, a brow raising as he too looks up toward the toad with a glare of annoyance, expecting that the creature was being impatient.. before he catches sight of a snowman out of the corner of his eye.
Hiei growls lowly, already reaching to touch where Kurama's been hit, as if heating it will make a difference.
"So now this is a group attack?" Pinned between being stuck and the fact that the snowman is already pitching the next snowball to hit Hiei's shoulder this time, the cold settling in so quickly making his hackles raise even more. In classic Hiei form, being pinned between these two different enemies forces his hand, and Hiei indeed acts quickly.
His unfrozen arm moves to reach for the most advantageous handle that he has at his disposal - Kurama's hair - tugging the other man down for a kiss, however brief it needs to be in order for their escape from the snowmen possible.
[And sure enough, as if Tsuna summoned them himself, there is paper! It makes a light bonk on Ryoji's forehead before it falls straight into his hands.]
Now talk, it says. [Not gonna lie, this doesn't sound like a punishment at all.] Do we just have to say whatever comes into mind?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
expiationmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2024-12-09 08:17 am
Page 66 of 146