i said i'd do this today so here you all go. disclaimer this is not every single question, just the ones i cared about (so the fun ones)

notes from the most recent uk fansie night q&a:

i was not there but i was sent a video lmao

FOR DAVEY: how much free range have you been able to build on with your character?

answer: ryan said they all basically started with a blank canvas, but davey has rly grown since december. specifically davey's gotten “weirder”, and he hopes that “he will get even more strange.”

LONDON CAST RECORDING?

nothing is confirmed but the whole cast really wants one lmao

dance class from ireland came :) asked abt dance tips and industry ins

fav dance moves/moments in the show 

box jump for ross <3

sam demonstrated the leg pats as his fav

matthew loves the role call triangle lmao

michael demonstrated a front kick they do holding a rolled paper

have you ever hit anyone w something thrown into the audience?

archie tells on jack bromage (who isn't there to defend himself) and how he kicked a paper ball into a kid’s FACE LMFAO

jacob called out matthew for his slingshot hits into the audience 

biggest malfunction during a show?

ryan and michael acted out waiting for bronte and a les to enter during WWH reprise’s scene- “and that is what you call a beginning! ………….chill out, man!” “…you got a problem?” HELLO??

box jump update

if you could put your character into another musical what would it be

davey for mean girls 2023

splasher for matilda

OSCAR FOR B+C???

jack for wicked lmao “him and fiyero might fight”

specs as one of the annoying kids in charlie and the chocolate factory 

kath for sylvia!

ritz for young frankenstein (bc putting on the ritz heh)

CRUTCHIE FOR MOULIN ROUGHEJH PLS matthew ily

mush for annie

ike for something rotten

elmer for WSS

al for a rocky musical (fights.)

romeo for grease!! “kinicky vibe”

how do ur jumps get so high

ross: "i’ve been jumping for.. a long time"

what are the hidden personal gems that audience members might miss during the show?

albert pickpockets one of the theatergoers in medda’s theater. holy shit. and sometimes the actor leaves jacob and actual object to steal in his pocket PLSLOKFSF

crutchie sees snyder from his perch by the soundboard and reacts in fear

how long is fight call and do you call every stunt

this is interesting to me so. depends on the day bc of swings so they do the big fight and child actor stunts every day.

EVERYONES FAV GAGA SONG

ryans is bad romance

poker face ross

applause for sam

matthew is not a gaga person oops

“thank you for that question <3”

how do you approach making roles individual?

“determined early that its a diff version of jack and kath” (bronté)

purposefully ignore things that have come before!!!!

bronte and michael talked a LOT abt their jath 

“can only do the best version of your version” <3 (michael)

doing what you think is the right way, “offering your voice into the discussion” of a character’s legacy/existence. MICHAEL ONCE AGAIN FCUVKING GETS IT THIS IS !! WHAT I WAS FUCKING SAYING. fyi. we understand each other

fav character and why!

ryans is kath heheh

ross’s IS FINCH!! he loves damon and thinks he’s made finch special <3

owen (oscar) rly likes racer!

michael rly likes davey, “unsung hero”

sam likes kath <3

bronte likes the brooklyn newsiessssss, especially stray and mentioned the art piece of stray with a stray :) @chimeofthecomet YOURS BRO SHE MENTIONED YOURS !!!

lucy likes specs

matthew thinks pulitzer is cool to find nuance in

kai’s fav is lillie’s spot!

archie thinks finch is best bc he’s mysterious

damn bradley likes finch too! “always trying to come up with a solution” OKAYYYYY GO DAMON!! gets an a+ in characterization

jacob on his pulitzer villain moment stuff again

spencer likes davey’s contrast!! “one of the strongest characters in the group”

fastest quick change you’ve done

the oscar immediately laments his changes lmfaoooo

michael was morgrim??? in lion witch wardrobe??? a wolf??

preshow rituals

RYAN WATCHES STREISANDS IM THE GREATEST STAR LMAOOO??

interesting he was given her as a reference for a fast talking new yorker so heavy city accented davey jacobs truthers rise up we won (its just me) we won! 

the new kids dressing room does the wolf of wall street chest hitting thing lol

michael listens to two diff revolution speeches i think?

bronte’s is seeing ryan :)

THE GIRLSIES PLAY HIDE AND SEEK BACKSTAGE DURING THEIR BREAKS PLS

matthew talks abt what alex hatton used to do, look at a pic of his gf and grandparent pls aw

archie used to jump on a chair at the five before he. hit his head. bro

jacob does a diff riddle for each mic check!!

that’s all the best ones i could catch!!

Making Lists of Characters Interesting

Epic fantasy often has so many characters that a list of characters (also known as dramatis personae) is a necessary aid to readers. The trouble is, a character list is usually as dull as dishwater. The best solution I have seen is from Lindsey Davis. Her character lists in her Roman mysteries about the Falco family have a definitely flippant tone to them. As a result, they are so entertaining that I often read them after finishing the novel they appear in, when I can fully understand the jokes. In fact, I admire them so much that I have shamelessly copied their tone for my character list in my current project The Bone Ransom:

The Ravenpiper Family

Talson Ravenpiper: A teenage boy, corrupted by stories and the training for the role of a second child.

Skulae Ravenpiper: Talson’s older sister. Nothing is her fault.

Bronwy del Caleryon: Talson’s mother, a ruler who knows she’s right.

Dyr-am-Syrans (Dhuramtsuran)

Kosky, aka Kahuin: A teenage girl, caught between two cultures and sarcastic about it.

Hilaswy: Kosky’s father, a dignified chieftain and drunk.

Guji: Kosky’s body-fluid foster brother. Disgustingly popular.

The Elite Housecarls

Ragger: Bronwy’s steward, and leader of the housecarls. A retired hero who has seen too much.

Aldleaf, Morgrim, and Eimur: Three veterans housecarls on duty in the city.

Ulfman: A housecarl not known for his polish.

Other Torsmyrians

Aglachad Torhte: Second cousin to the Ravenpipers, and not important enough.

Eshborg Torhte: Aglachad’s daughter and Talson’s ex-lover. An embarrassment.

Bloody Eyril: A Barber-Surgeon. He’ll extract your teeth for a fee, or punch them out for free.

Hindcalf, Gruce, and The Glover: Bronwy’s circle of enablers.

Lyxus: A Lawgiver with a bad memory for his oath of office.

Ivoryne: Server to Bronwy.

Borrie: Ivorne’s baby, named for Talson’s grandfather. But it’s not what you think.

Darogar: A swinging smith.

Frith’s Osgerd, Dallader, Slorm, and Fyrwulf: Members of the Fox age-group of the Hearth Guards. Veterans and still trying to forget the fact.

Off Stage

Karllaron (Lawbench) Hringesthorn: An elderly but still active rival of the Ravenpipers, fond of practical music.

Osbolt IV: The Margram of Torsmyr, the Ravenpiper’s titular overlord. A religious reformer.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Elzymer Ravenpiper: Talson’s father. A reluctant hero with a roving eye.

Borogrim Ravenpiper: Talson’s grandfather. The upstart who conquered the province of Ilvarness and freed the serfs.

Rungest “Dicer” Ravenpiper: Talson’s ancestor, who ended a civil war and died the obligatory heroic death. Pure ballad-bait.

Kermane Ravenpiper: Founder of the Ravenpiper family. An intimidating ancestor.

Purcirm Ravenpiper: Talson’s ancestor, who disappeared while exploring the Silvorn River, making himself romantic.

Skordis: An ancient runewife whose name is still used to frighten children.

Leel, Runger, Timple, Varchild and Ashnborg: Female housecarls who have let themselves go.

Retelling of Brotherly Bond

This is a revamped version of a prompt that I filled years ago about the relationship of Morgrim and his brother Belgrim:

For character info about Morgrim and his family I’d recommend reading his character bio here

“Remember to stand tall, shoulders back, and chin up,” Morgrim said to his little brother while adjusting his tie. Their father would be down soon to inspect them before he headed off to work. Both brothers stood side by side; Morgrim glancing over making sure his brothers clothes were in order, seeing his shoe untied Morgrim ducked down to tie it. Hearing their father approaching he stood up in haste and both brothers stood in line as their father walked down the staircase.  

Maugrim Thunder was the lord of the house, father of the two boys, and widowed by one. He didn’t blame Belgrim for the death of his wife, he embraced it. Taking into notice that Belgrim was the last thing that he would ever receive from his now dead wife he loved him more than he could anything else, he had made a silent promise to the almighty Storm Titan that he would love, cherish, and protect his youngest son with his life, and if he failed in doing so he would rather spend the rest of his life in the fires of Tartarus than believe that his wife had died in vain by not having their little boy become the man he was destined to be.  

Their father looked them up and down, examining their clothes to making sure they’re in perfect order. Stopping in front of Morgrim to adjust his suit he gave a displeased huffed before waving him out of the room to continue whatever activities he was doing before. Waiting till Morgrim was out of the room, he took a knee and told Belgrim he looked great. He gave him a hug, ruffled his hair, before heading out the doors. Morgrim knew his father did these things and he was jealous of them. Knowing that you’re not  a parents favorite always hurt, especially when you are the first son.

He brushed off the hurt, whistling to Belgrim to find him. They always played hide and seek in the house after their father left, he took the time that his father was appreciating Belgrim to find a hiding spot. A few minutes passed before he heard the familiar sound of shoes on the floor boards outside his hiding spot. Instead of having his brother find him he decided to scare him by roaring out of his hiding spot, launching himself at Belgrim he heard his younger brother give a high pitched, “Yelp!” Before both brothers hit the floor boards, causing a suit of armor to rattle to the floor.

Both brothers set to put the armor back together and as they were almost complete their housekeeper, Mrs. McCleanly, sternly asked, “What happened?”

“We were playing hid and seek”, Belgrim expalined.

Both of Mrs. McCleanly’s ears popped up, “You hid in the armor!?”

“No, no. I hid in the wooden chest, but when I tried scaring Belgrim we hit the armor, causing it to fall,” Morgrim explained.

Their housekeeper ran a hand down her face before prompting, “How about we not do anything that can cause a mess young masters,” She asked, “We can make cookies.”

The Brothers looked at one another, nodding in agreement.

—

Later after the cookies were made and the brother settled down in front of the living room fire, they ate cookies with milk.

“These are very good, aren’t they brother”, Belgrim asked.

He nodded in agreement.

“I bet it’s because they are made with love,” Belgrim continued, Morgrim chuckled at the thought and kept eating, “I put love in them while I was making them!”

Smiling to himself Morgrim said, “Brother, if you believe the cookies taste better with love added then you do so, but I have a feeling it’s the chocolate chips that make them tasty.”

“Okay, so chocolate chips and love are what make the best cookies,” Belgrim concluded.

Both brothers were silent for a while before Belgrim spoke up again, “What was mother like?”

The question took Morgrim by surprise, but he answered anyways, “She was like most mothers I suppose. She was kind, loving, level headed, intelligent, and very protective.  

"I remember one night I was having a nightmare, she heard I was crying, and came to check on me. I didn’t want to worry her, so I acted like everything was well. She knew I was faking it. Mother always had a way of making things better. She shared a bedtime story with me, she told me of the tiger warriors of — and how they keep strong by putting braids in their fur.

"She then braided a strand of my hair,” Morgrim indicated to the hair behind his ear, “After that she sent me to bed, and I think the braid worked, it made me stronger. I never had a nightmare again, but that might just be psychological.”

“phycho-loo-gical,” Belgrim attempted to repeat as the brothers sat in peaceful silence for a while longer before their father came home.

—

Note: Updated story, the — is the world I can’t legally say the name of due to NDA when I visted KI at the beginning of the year.

Lazy day

Warning: None Relationship:A tiny amount of soymilk if you squint Characters: Rose, Dezel, Edna, Lailah, Sorey, Mikleo, Ayn Talfryn, Ayn Felice Additional Tags: friendship, humor  Summary: “Today was a lazy day, their little group taking a well-deserved break after their trek in the Gaferis ruins and a rather short night spent fighting a big hellionized cat.”

Read on AO3 or under the cut.

A big thanks to @amarietie for betareading <3

“Here you go Boss,” said Talfryn, handing Rose a bag full of mabo curry buns.

The sun was shining high on Pendrago today. The market street was filled with people shopping and chatting, the Sparrowfeathers booth attracting a huge part of it. It was no wonder; the Sparrowfeathers were well known across the continent for their guaranteed quality, and the delicious smell coming from their booth right now would make anyone salivate. Mabo curry buns were a real success, Rose’s greatest decision if you’d asked her.

She looked down at the bag, warm against her chest, the buns still steaming.

“Don’t forget to share with the Shepherd!”

Rose shot a look toward the twins.

“As if I could eat everything by myself!”

“You would.”

“You did,” added Felice.

“Then you’d ask what’s for dessert.”

“And complain about your tummy hurting afterward.”

Rose wanted to object. It had happened once, a long time ago, and she had learned her limits. Why did they have to bring it back in front of her new travel companion like she was some kind of incurable glutton?

Felice shook her head, and Talfryn and Dezel nodded in confirmation.

Wait.

“Why are you nodding!?” she shouted at the seraph.

Dezel tensed and looked away,  while the twins laughed at Rose’s indignation, taking the shout as their cue to retreat.

“See you later Boss!”

And off they went. Rose pouted. Maybe she should comfort herself with one bun.

“You shouldn’t eat between meals,” Dezel said.

Rose pouted harder, tempted to shove the whole thing and glare at the seraph. She opted to walk back to the inn instead. Lunch time was close anyway.

Today was a lazy day, their little group taking a well-deserved break after their trek in the Gaferis ruins and a rather short night spent fighting a big hellionized cat. Sorey and Mikleo were still sleeping when she had left her own room a couple of hours ago.

Leaving the market street behind her, Rose looked around the plaza. Citizens were still fixing the damages a year of rain had caused, soldiers patrolling and helping the best they could (maybe they could give Sergei a little visit later - the captain would love to know the howling season was over). The capital still had a lot to worry about but the mood was slowly improving, the sun seemingly burning brighter compared to yesterday, all thanks to Morgrim taking residence in the Shrine.

How did that change feel to normal people, she wondered. They could sense the difference, she had heard a few talk about it, but how did it feel to them? They couldn’t see malevolence, couldn’t feel it the way she and her comrades could. It was an odd thing to get used to, that constant weight on her chest. Then again, she had had to get used to lot of weird things lately, like creepy ghost people talking in her head. Yeah, that was definitely weirder than any uncomfortable sensation in her chest, and harder to adjust to, she thought, eyes drifting toward the seraph next to her.

Though maybe the weirdest thing was Dezel. Always following her, always looking over her. Telling her what she was supposed to do or not, like he was some kind of mother hen. It was weird, a bit annoying sometimes, but oddly, she could never think it was completely out of place.

“What?” he grunted when she kept staring.

Her lips stretched in wicked smile.

“You know, maybe we should hold hands or something if you’re that worried I’ll wander off.”

The effect was immediate.

“How stupid!” Dezel sputtered, storming ahead.

What a weird grumpy guy, Rose laughed to herself, pushing the inn’s door open.

The main room was relatively calm. A man drinking at the bar, a couple and their children waiting at the front desk. One bored earth Seraph chilling on a armchair.

“Where are the others?” Rose asked, voice lower than usual.

Edna made a dismissive gesture with her hand, the other holding her closed umbrella on her lap, eyes locked on the family.

“Lailah is waiting in your room and the boys haven’t left theirs yet.”

Rose raised an eyebrow.

“Are they still asleep?”

Edna shrugged. “Who knows what two teenage boys can do in locked bedroom.”

“Nerd-out,” respond Rose flatly.

“That’s what they are best at,” said Edna, smirking ever so slightly.

Edna finally turned her attention to Rose, gaze drifting to the bag.

“What are you doing here anyway?” asked Rose.

“Avoiding Lailah.”

“Why? Wait, didn’t you say something about her waiting in the room?”

The seraph sighed.

“I could tell you, but I don’t like giving information for free,” she said, feigning disinterest.

Rose stared. That was Edna’s way to politely ask for a bun, she supposed. It was mildly tempting to walk away without giving her what she wanted - messing with Enda was kind of fun when her umbrella wasn’t involved - but then again, learning what Lailah was up to might be a good thing to learn for her immediate future.

“Fair enough,” said Rose putting a bun in Edna’s hand.

The seraph stood, walking toward the front door.

“It’s laundry day,” she informed her.

“What’s wrong with that?” asked Rose, confused.

The door closed in her face. Maybe two buns would have loosened her tongue better, Rose thought. She turned to the stairs, about to walk out of the room when she noticed one of the children looking at her from behind his mother’s skirts. The little boy looked at the door, then back at her. Right, that child had just seen her talking to herself, then a bun had flown to the door, the door that had seemingly opened by itself. She would have been scared too. In fact she probably would have screamed and punched at anyone coming near. She had. Poor Sorey… Though it was his own fault for not understanding how creepy it had been.

The boy held on his mother’s clothes tighter. Rose laughed awkwardly before fleeing to the stairs. She certainly wouldn’t be the one to explain that kid there were invisible people walking around. She had her own problems to deal with anyway, like waking nerds and checking on Lailah. Maybe she was waiting for someone to help with the laundry. That would be reason enough to make lady Edna hide, she guessed, opening her room’s door.

Lailah was sitting on the bed, a dozen paper flowers lying next to her. Lailah jumped to her feet the very moment Rose entered the room.

“Clothes off!” she ordered with a smile, taking a hold on Rose’s jacket.

“What!?”

Rose barely had the time to put the bun bag on the desk before her jacket and bolero were taken in one motion and thrown into the laundry basket on the floor, Lailah’s hands already on the next piece of clothing.

“Wait, wait! You can’t just take all my clothes like that!” shouted Rose, yanking back her shirt.

Lailah stepped back, smile dropping, hands clasped tight against her chest, lip wobbling slightly. Rose gulped. That wasn’t fair.

“I just wanted to wash everyone’s clothes, why does nobody seem to appreciate my efforts?”

No wonder Edna fled, thought Rose, It was either that or let Lailah strip you to your underwear (dear lords, she hoped Lailah wouldn’t try to take anything more!). Or worse, you could try to defend yourself and deal with the crushing guilt Lailah’s sad face instilled in you.

“Even Mikleo yelled at me to stop,” she whined.

Of course he would. Rose could clearly picture his reaction, all flushed, while Sorey would laugh awkwardly and stay out of Lailah’s reach.

“It’s such a nice day, who knows when we’ll have a chance to wash everything again.” Lailah sobbed in her hand.

She clearly was exaggerating, Rose knew that, and she wouldn’t fall for it. Come on she was stronger than that!

Or not.

“At least let me put on my sleeping shirt?” she asked, resigned.

Lailah snapped her head back to her, positively beaming. Yep, all an act. Rose wondered how long it’d taken the boys to give in.

One minute later Rose finished buttoning her sleeping shirt, her pants and bra resting with the rest of the laundry. Lailah hauled the full basket in her arms, determined to accomplish her task. She paused, looking at the desk, and seized the bag still full of mabo curry buns.

“No food between meals,” she said in a sing-song voice.

“But!”

“No but.”

Rose sighed in defeat. Again.  

“Can I give one to the boys? I suppose they didn’t eat any breakfast this morning.”

And they wouldn’t leave their room anytime soon if Lailah had stolen all their clothes too.

Lailah stopped in the doorway, seemingly considering the request, and then held out a bun.

“Just one then!”

And then she was off, humming a happy tune to herself. Rose sure hoped the kid from earlier wouldn’t see the flying basket moving across the inn. She didn’t linger on the thought (it certainly would be better to go with Lailah, if only she wasn’t half-naked).

She knocked at the boys’ door, not bothering to wait for an answer. Inside, the window was open and a chair situated next to it, on which Sorey was sitting. Mikleo stood in front of him, scissors in hand. The shepherd turned to her, greeting her with a smile.

“Morning Rose!”

“Morning you two!” she answered, glad to see they had managed to keep their pajamas too. Or at least she supposed they had, Sorey’s body currently being covered by a sheet.

Mikleo didn’t spare her a glance, too focused on his task. He barely responded to the greeting, turning Sorey’s head back to him before resuming his cutting.

Rose tugged at a strand of her own hair. She hadn’t cut it in a while, she should ask Eguille for a hair cut next time she saw him.

“Did Lailah go crazy on you too?” asked Sorey with a laugh.

“She sure did! Only Edna and Dezel managed to escape her.” Rose said, sitting on the nearest bed, next to the Celestial Record (Mikleo probably had forbidden Sorey to read it while he cut his hair).

“Where are they?”

“Edna went out a few minutes ago. And Dezel is-” she looked behind her, not seeing anyone. “-somewhere near I’m guessing.”

Sorey turned to the window, probably trying to spot one of the wandering seraphim. A pale hand took hold of his chin, firmly repositioning his head. Cutting Sorey’s hair didn’t look like an easy task.

“How did it go with the Sparrowfeathers?”

Rose distantly wondered if Sorey would ever refer to them as the Scattered Bones.

“Wonderful! Mabo curry buns are a huge hit in Pendrago too, and I brought a full bag with me!”

“Really!?” Sorey turned to her, eyes sparkling.

Mikleo audibly clicked his tongue. Sorey went still.

“Next time I’ll cut everything,” the seraph warned, face scolding.

“Please forgive me,” begged the shepherd.

Rose pressed her lips tight, trying not to laugh. Maybe it would be wiser to not talk until they were done.

Mikleo carded a hand in Sorey’s hair, concentration never leaving his face.  One snip. Two snips. Bending Sorey’s head a little. Another snip. Mikleo leaned back, arm crossed against his chest, a hand to his chin. Sorey held his breath.

Finally, Mikleo nodded to himself, satisfied.  

“Alright, you’re free.” he said, removing the sheet from Sorey.

Sorey sighed in relief and stood, stretching for a few second before relaxing. Rose chose that moment to hand him the lukewarm bun.

“Here’s for your hard work!”

Sorey smiled bright, extending a hand toward the bun… only for it to be snatched by Mikleo who quickly took a bite, not giving Sorey the time to object.

“Thank you Rose,” said the seraph, pointedly ignoring Sorey’s little shout.

Sorey pouted. Hard. The shepherd was so cute it was ridiculous.

“Don’t worry,” reassured Rose “There’s more with Lailah.”

If she hadn’t eat them all. Somehow that wouldn’t surprise her.

“Right! The laundry!” Sorey suddenly exclaimed.

He rushed out, certainly intending to go help Lailah, and Rose wondered if he had somehow forgotten he wasn’t wearing any pants. He didn’t even notice Mikleo carefully tearing the bun in two. The seraph looked at the doorway a bit surprised, then shrugged, swallowing the last bite of his half and licking his thumb.

It was just the two of them now, alone in a room, only wearing their pajamas. Rose smirked, placing herself in front of the seraph, barely a few inches away. Mikleo took a step back.

“I’ll hold unto this,” Rose said, taking the half-bun from his hand.

She then sat on the chair, removing her hair beads and beamed at him.

“My turn!”

The seraph sighed, grabbing the sheet Sorey was previously wearing and adjusting it around her. He had barely taken the scissors in hand when Dezel’s presence fell heavy on the room; poor Mikleo tensed. Oh, Rose could already hear the lecture going on Dezel’s head. A teenage girl only wearing a sleeping shirt in the boys room, letting one of these boys touch her hair? How scandalous!

Pfff, like there was anything to fear from Mikleo on that matter.

Rose bit into the half-bun.

“Hey!” Mikleo protested.

Rose smiled. Lazy days were the best.

Title: Bandages

Author/Artist: AnchoredTether

Rating: Explicit [graphic depictions of violence, major character death, dark themes, discussion of suicide, graphic/disturbing imagery]

Series: Vengeful Retribution

Chapter: 4/?

Spoiler-free Summary:  Rokurou thought nothing had changed until he felt something he could only describe as innately human. Velvet swore she felt a warmth, a luxury she was certain she would never feel again after her humanity died. It seemed even daemons could change.

CHAPTER 04 --- BANDAGES

"Why are you so proud of your clan name if you hate your family so?" The thought was at the back of Velvet's mind as she observed how he said the name Rangetsu despite all the negative glimpses she understood about the samurai's family. "I never said I hated them." Rokurou protested. "And besides, wouldn't you be a little bit proud of your last name if you belonged to the world's most renown line of swordsmen?" He gave her a devilish grin. Velvet growled. "I- well… I guess." She shook her head. "But you want to kill your own brother. And he killed your mother. I'm not…I'm not judging, but that's not exactly what a happy loving family looks like. If you don't hate them, then…what is it…you feel towards them?" Rokurou let out a quiet exhale. He wanted to retort that she was asking an emotionally dead daemon about how he felt concerning his relatively emotionless family. "It's…hard to explain to someone who doesn't come from my culture. It's not so much a family, like what you know and have grown up in, as it is a clan. We're not brothers and sisters or sons and daughters - we're comrades. Like soldiers in a battalion, or wolves in a pack. Blood relation doesn't necessarily mean anything." "If you're supposed to be like comrades, why are you killing each other?" "It's just part of our training. Part of being a samurai. We fight all the time. But if one of us ends up killing another while training…" He shrugged his shoulders as if they were talking about something far more trivial. "Then the one who's dead simply wasn't strong enough. That's just how it is. The strong survive and become stronger while the weak perish and die." "That's…terrible." Her voice sounded dead even though she felt horrified inside. He shrugged again. "Not terrible, just….different." "No, it's terrible." Her tone was almost angry now. "Have you never known what it's like to be loved?" She looked as if she were surprised she asked the question, and quickly added, "Or what it's like for someone to even give a damn if you live or die?" He blinked a few times, taken aback by her question. "Attachment and sentiment are weaknesses that will only slow you down in battle. Mercenaries can't afford love. That's just the way it is." "Well I'm going to do what I can to change it!" She said furiously, her golden hues passionate in their fervor. "I care if you die, Rokurou! You're not just an ally to me, or a comrade, or a means to an end. And I'm certainly not tolerating you just because you're repaying your stupid debt!!" She shook her head at the ridiculousness of his promise. "I don't want you to die because you're my friend, Rokurou! And you better remember it!" She playfully, half not-so-playfully punched his shoulder to make sure her point came across to him. He threw his head back in a spirited laugh. "If you say so!" In a more serious tone, he looked down at her with a warmth in his amber hue. "Don't worry about me, Velvet. I'm sure you had a wonderful upbringing with your sister and brother full of love and selflessness, and you simply wish I could have had the same. I don't yearn for something like that because I've never known any better. All I've ever wanted was to be the best swordsman I could be. That's all that has really mattered to me. Everything else is secondary." Velvet lowered her eyes with a thoughtful hum in acknowledgment. There was still plenty about Rokurou she didn't understand and his daemonicy certainly didn't help her get any closer in most cases. Most of the time he couldn't remember his human life, and if he did, he couldn't remember any emotions tied to those memories. When she thought about it, Rokurou seemed lively and full of spirit on the surface, with his care-free attitude and bizarre enthusiasm. But when she saw him more clearly, broke past his comedic facade, Rokurou was empty… as if the curse of his daemonblight tore his very soul from his body. When she thought about it, she would always take her lack of taste and sense over his lack of feeling. Because at the end of the day, Velvet hated the pain she felt…but it made her feel alive. It reminded her that she was more than a monster, that she had to keep on fighting. The pain gave her a reason to live. ][ --- ][ "Uuuhhhhgggghhhwwwwuh." "Looks like the daemon finally rose from its grave." Morgrim said dully. "There ain't no grave can hold my body down." Rokurou said groggily as he made his way to sit across from the malak at the table. "Where the hell are we, anyway?" "We're still in Mierchio-" "Obviously." The cold might not have bothered him as much anymore, but it still cut like daggers into his open wounds. Morgrim looked annoyed at his interruption. "-in an abandoned house on the edge of town. Well, by abandoned I mean of humans. Nathaniel is a malak that lives here and has so kindly allowed us to hole up here by my persuasion of sharing a special curry recipe with him." "Wouldn't happen to be a java curry recipe?" He could smell it wafting - it was the only reason he hauled himself out of bed, which he was already starting to regret. If only if one of his friends who could heal were here - Laphicet, Eizen, Eleanor, or even Magilou - he never thought he'd desperately wish the witch were by his side. This Nathaniel character knew an amateur healing art, but it wasn't anything like what he became accustomed to over the past year. "You have a good nose." Morgrim said. "I take it you can still taste your food?" Rokurou nodded. "Is that a common side effect of daemonblight?" "It would appear so." Rokurou quickly learned he couldn't use his right arm for the time being - he had to eat his curry using his left. Luckily for the swordsman, he was pretty ambidextrous, so it wasn't an issue. Realizing the extent of his injuries was troublesome, however. "How far did your markings spread before you nearly died from that code red daemon?" Morgrim stirred him from his thoughts. Rokurou was silent a moment as he looked at the black burns that marred his body, barely showing between strands of bloodied bandages. "Down to my elbow, and some ways down my shoulder blade. I can't exactly look back there all that well." "It seems your wounds have stimulated the spread of your daemonblight…as if it's trying to heal you." "I noticed that. Well, more like I felt it." It was hard to describe, but he could feel the dark markings crawling down his torso, creeping into the claw marks like a poison infecting his bloodstream. It didn't cause any pain, but he could tell it was turning him less and less human. "Judging the damage done, how long would you reckon it'll take me to heal?" He tilted his head at the cat - no, nekomata - across from him. "I haven't seen anyone survive with wounds that bad." Nathaniel picked up, speaking from the kitchen. "I'd wager it'll take at least a while. I'm honestly surprised you could even get out of bed after only four days." Rokurou nearly choked on his curry. "Four days?? Then how long have I been here?" "This would be day six since you went out into the icefield." Morgrim answered. "Damn." He couldn't remember the last time he had an injury this bad… well, except the day I died. That wasn't exactly an encouraging comparison. "So safe to say at least another week or so?" His tone was utterly defeated. "I would advise longer, but knowing you, you'll probably leave before a week has passed." Rokurou growled. "Stop acting like you know me." "I knew your brother." "That doesn't mean anything." Morgrim gave a soft smirk, and it only made Rokurou more infuriated. ][ --- ][ "I've been wanting to thank you." Velvet said unexpectedly one night on the Van Eltia. She was perched along the railing, looking out at the ocean waves crested in moonlight, while Rokurou walked over to rest his arms against the wood and joined her in watching. He found he couldn't sleep and it seemed Velvet was the same. "For what?" He asked. "For keeping what I am a secret. You didn't have to." "What, for not telling everyone that you were actually a therion instead of just a daemon?" The rest of the crew just recently learned that Velvet was the therion for the earthpulse point at Titania, even though Rokurou knew from the beginning. "What difference would it have made?" He turned his head to look at her. "You only told everyone you were a daemon, so I figured you didn't want anyone to know the therion bit." He shrugged. "I didn't really understand what a therion was anyway." "Neither did I." She looked at him, her gaze serious yet kind. "But as we all journeyed together and learned the truth about therions and Innominat…I'm actually kind of surprised you didn't make some kind of connection and think aloud some kind of epiphany with all of this, revealing what I was." Rokurou gave her a sly grin. "You're giving me more credit than I'm worth. I'm no genius, Velvet." "You're cleverer than you think." She sighed, a sound of slight frustration. She made a half-hearted gesture with her hand. "Will you just accept my gratitude already?" He laughed. "Alright alright! You're welcome. It wasn't that big of a deal though." "It was to me." Her voice was soft, her eyes lost as she stared at her arms folded on top of her knees bent close to her chest. "You also never told anyone about what lies beneath my bandages." "Actually I told Magilou." Velvet perked up a bit, her eyes wide. "You-" "Joking." Rokurou gave a playful tilt of his head before letting out a snicker. "No, I never told anyone. It's your business. You've never told anyone how I got my markings, so technically we're even. I'm simply paying back the favor." "Why does everything have to come back to repaying debts with you?" "Every act of kindness in life is a favor or a debt. There's no in-between." "That's extremely black and white for someone who lives in shades of grey." Rokurou narrowed his eyes at her, although it wasn't threatening albeit more on the lines of curious. "It certainly is." Velvet could see the crimson markings on his face more easily in the darkness of night as they faintly glowed with an ominous light. His daemonic eye shone like a nocturnal predator, and she caught glimpses of its gaze as the wind shifted his bangs. Velvet frowned slightly, her brows furrowing in thought. "There's a lot we've entrusted with each other…" She mused, "And have yet to tell anyone else." Rokurou's gaze softened. He stopped leaning against the rails only to hoist himself to sit on them like a bench, facing out towards the ocean. Velvet was sitting along the rails horizontally so she faced his side. The conversation felt more personal now, as if they were both on the same level. "I vowed to aid you in your quest for revenge the day we met. It was only natural that I come to trust you in time." "But it wasn't for me." Her voice sounded surprised. "I showed you my weakness, my vulnerability…when I barely knew you." She scoffed the words as if reprimanding herself, her lips set in a frustrated scowl. "You were only a means to an end. I wasn't supposed to trust anyone if I was to go through with this. I shouldn't have let you follow me to begin with. And yet -" Rokurou raised a brow at her, patiently waiting for her to wring out her frustrations. She sighed. "I always told myself that I didn't need anyone. That I could avenge Laphi all on my own. That it had to be done by myself, and myself alone. Even if I died in the process, that was fine. So long as he was avenged, and then that way no one else had to suffer. No one else would suffer because of Artorious, and no one would have to suffer because of me. That's how I wanted things to happen." "But that's not how things happened." He offered her a downturned smirk. "It's a good thing you've entrusted an emotionless daemon then - you don't have to worry about me suffering because of you." He turned his head to look out at the ocean, but Velvet kept her gaze set upon him, her words catching in her throat. "I'm sorry." Was all she managed to say. "For what?" He asked again, this time keeping his eyes on the water. "I'm sorry you can't feel." She almost sounded angry. "There are times when I hate the pain in my heart and I wish I didn't have to feel anything, and I envy you and I wish that I could be void of emotions - that everything would be so much easier - but then I remember that those feelings are what remind me that I'm alive, that I'm more than a monster, that I have a purpose and I desire to fulfil it." She bit her lower lip to steady herself and keep her voice from wavering. She could feel tears threatening to make an appearance as her heart ached for the man sitting beside her. "You don't have that." Before Velvet could notice, Rokurou's hand was placed on top of her bandaged one. He still looked out at the sea with a thousand yard stare, but the grip of his hand expressed that he was paying close attention. "We all fight different battles, Velvet." His voice sounded far off, as if it weren't Rokurou speaking anymore. He wasn't his usual sarcastic or cynical self, and his voice had a dark streak of sobriety. "There are plenty of things which I lack. But there are plenty of things I do have…and that makes all the difference. I think the reason why I… why I admire your resolve and strength and passion… is because a part of me recognizes that I was once like you." He turned to look at her now, his amber and crimson hues resolute. "You may have lost your arm, but you have the bandages to cover it up. You may have lost your brother, but you've regained your sisterly love with Laphicet. And you may feel you have lost what makes you human, Velvet… but feeling sorrow for what I am? Proves you haven't." He angled his torso to better face her, taking both of his hands to hold her bandaged hand and arm. "You do well to hide it from the rest of the world, but I know what truly lies beneath these bandages." He held her arm so delicately, as if it would crumble beneath his grasp if he weren't too careful. "You're not a monster, Velvet. You didn't succumb to malevolence. You're a victim of circumstance. You're a veteran of suffering. I brought my curse upon myself. Yours was forced upon you. There is no need to feel sorry for me." She was quiet a moment, desperately wanting to retreat into herself, but at the same time she couldn't pull her arm away from him. She looked up to match his gaze. "You say you brought your curse upon yourself, and that your own malevolence is what turned you into a daemon…but you've also told me that you died…that you…" She wasn't sure how to phrase the words on how he lost half of his head the same way she lost her left arm. "…that the malevolence brought you back. It doesn't add up, Rokurou. Dying wasn't your fault just as much as losing my arm wasn't. Unless you…" Velvet bit her lip, grateful that she stopped voicing that train of thought - that Rokurou died on purpose. He briefly mentioned suicide once so she had no idea the extent of how it affected him. "No, it doesn't really add up." He explained, his voice bordering close to something sad. He was silent, looking down at Velvet's bandages, his thumb idly gracing over the back of her hand. "I died fighting Shigure. I mean, ultimately, he wasn't the cause of my death, but he might as well have been. We were fighting at Mount Killaraus when a blow from Shigure pushed me over the edge of a cliff. If the fall didn't kill me, the fact that half my head deteriorated from lava definitely did the job." At this point Rokurou noticed that Velvet had her right hand covering her mouth, her golden eyes narrowed in a mix of disgust and horror. He gave her an apologetic look, but before he could speak Velvet's voice came through softly muffled. "I'm fine. I'm just…trying to absorb this." He offered her an encouraging smile, and moved both of his hands to hold both of hers. He looked down at their joined hands and part of him was surprised Velvet hadn't slapped him or something. "It was still my malevolence that brought me back to life." He said softly. "In the act of dying, I was filled with hatred towards my brother. That hatred and desire to kill him was so strong it brought me back from the dead." He laughed. "So to answer your question, no, dying wasn't my fault. But coming back from the dead with the sole purpose of killing my brother, definitely was." "Maybe that's why you can't remember or feel anything." Velvet said suddenly. Her hands, which were acting like dead fish until now, gripped Rokurou's as if he were her lifeline. Her eyes shone in the moonlight with the light of an epiphany. "You lost half your brain. It's no wonder you can't remember anything from your human life. It's no wonder you can't feel emotion. You can't recall emotions, you can't remember what it meant to feel alive when you were human because half those memories are gone…" "Hmm…perhaps you're right. I never thought about it like that. It makes sense." "…There's probably no way to fix it either. Just like how I will never get my arm back." "Like I said, you have the bandages to cover it up." Rokurou tightened his grasp on her hands in return. "You haven't lost everything, Velvet. And I don't think any loss could ever truly extinguish your fire." Her head tilted slightly, as if she were trying to examine the samurai from a different angle. "And you may have lost your memory and your emotions…but you still haven't lost this." She released her right hand to place it over Rokurou's chest, directly where his heart lie. She could feel it beating, alive and strong. "You might not be able to feel things like shame and sympathy and nostalgia and envy and love…but you have such heart Rokurou, whether you've come to realize it or not." "…I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. That I can remember, that is." He was incredibly still, so still that Velvet thought he might be holding his breath. His eyes kept shifting ever so slightly, and it wasn't until he drew in closer that she realized where his gaze diverted in distraction. Without thinking Velvet pushed him away with the hand that was still on his chest… …and Rokurou fell overboard. "…SHIT." She lunged in after him, plunging into the turbulent ocean waves. She couldn't feel the temperature of the sea, but she could only imagine it must have been freezing. "WHY THE HELL DID YOU JUMP IN AFTER ME??" Rokurou yelled as he swam against the current towards the Van Eltia. Velvet realized he was mad at her for jumping in after him, not for shoving him off in the first place, and then understood how little she thought this through. "I - I DON'T KNOW, YOU CAN'T POSSIBLY SWIM AGAINST THESE WAVES!" She yelled back, now swimming alongside him towards the ship. "THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST THROW A ROPE TOWARDS ME OR SOMETHING?" "I DON'T KNOW I WASN'T THINKING!!" How could she be so rash? Why didn't she think to grab a lifeline instead of just jumping overboard? The samurai leaning in to kiss her really knocked her off her boat…literally. "WELL IT'D BE EASIER FOR YOU TO SWIM IF YOU DITCHED THE SWORD!" "I AM NEVER ABANDONING MY SWORD!!!!" Velvet growled in frustration. Why was he wearing it in the middle of the night anyway? Did he sleep with the damn thing? "I HAVE AN IDEA." "ENTERTAIN ME." Although she had never swam with her therion arm activated, Velvet figured she could fight against the rolling waves more effectively. The massive crimson claw engulfed her arm, and she said sternly, "GRAB ME." Rokurou raised a brow. "THAT'S ENTERTAINING." "SHUT UP." Even though Velvet should have been mad at him, the anger in her voice was only halfhearted and she was too preoccupied with fighting the ocean to properly snap at him. If the circumstances were different she would have probably struggled with hiding a snicker because, despite their situation, she found his response incredibly inappropriate and simultaneously hilarious. Contrary to his words, Rokurou wrapped his arms around her waist in an innocent manner, and Velvet clutched his torso with her right as her therion arm dug into the water, drawing them closer to the Van Eltia. When they made good distance, nearly reaching the back of the ship, Benwick appeared at the stern and had a line tossed to them. A few crew members, including Eizen, were gathered ready to pull Velvet and Rokurou up to safety. She insisted that he go up first since she could keep up with the strengthening tide, and once Rokurou was pulled up she grabbed the rope and ascended out of the water. Her left arm vaporized in black and crimson smoke to reveal her almost-human arm, and with a gasp Velvet saw her bandages were all but gone, revealing the rawness that she kept hidden from everyone. In a panic, she quickly wrapped the edge of her cape around her arm before she reached the top, and withdrew from the help the pirates offered as she stumbled off to the side, careful to keep her arm facing away from everyone. "What the hell happened, exactly." Eizen did not sound amused, his piercing stare appearing more ominous than usual. Velvet's lips parted to say something, she wasn't sure what, but Rokurou beat her to it. "Sorry, I was- well, am - increeeeedibly wasted, and somehow I tripped or somethin and…" He made a gesture with his hand, complete with a plummeting sound. "I guess I pulled Velvet in with me."

Her brows were furrowed incredulously as he explained. With his hair wet and slicked back, and the strange explanation he gave, almost made him appear like a completely different person. The swordsman wasn't a scant drunk. She knew him well enough to tell, and she would have been able to smell the sake when his lips were dangerously close to hers… She shook her head, regaining her serious composure. "It was a blur." She said with a dismissive gesture of her hand. "Sorry to bother everyone." Not only did Rokurou's lie cover up the fact that it was Velvet's fault for pushing him in, but also hid her blunder of jumping in after him with no means of saving him. "Either way, you two need to get thawed." Eizen said. "I'll go get you two dry clothes." Benwick cut in and dashed off. "Even if you can't feel it Velvet," The malak continued, "I can tell you're hitting the first stages of hypothermia." Suddenly Rokurou was flanked along Velvet's right side, grabbing her bicep still hidden beneath her cloak. "Don't worry, we'll go into the kitchen and get a fire going." "You're wasted, Rokurou. I don't think you should be lighting fires." "Aeh, the salt water sobered me up. We'll be fine." He turned to give Eizen a reassuring look. "It's my fault we got in this mess, so it's only proper I make the amends." The malak sighed. "At least let me start the fire. I don't want you accidentally setting the ship ablaze." ][ --- ][ ][ music ][ When they reached the kitchen, Eizen got working on setting logs into the hearth and starting the arte. Rokurou stated, a little too loudly, "Velvet, can you hold my sword for a sec?" "Whhhat?" Her eyes were wide. She was wondering if he slept with the damn sword only moments ago, and now he was wanting her to hold it?? She clumsily grasped the massive sword with her right hand, and he was making a weird face at her, his eyes doing a strange twitching - then she realized he was trying to wink at her. Clearly Rokurou lacked in the winking skill. Having half his face daemonized only made his attempt look even weirder. "OH." Was all she could say. With her cape still wrapped around her arm, she held the sword horizontally with both arms in a way so that it effectively covered her left arm without it being too suspicious. Rokurou unsuspectingly started to peel off his upper layers, which would have been impossible without taking off the sword first anyway. He was covering for her in more ways than she could possibly repay him. Benwick came in with a dry change of clothes for the both of them, and insisted he worked on making a hot soup to help warm them up. Neither of them could object since they reached the stage where they stopped shivering. "Be glad you can't feel it." Rokurou sighed. "I guess in this instance it's a blessing." Velvet mused. There was a silent agreement between the four of them when Rokurou and Velvet took the dry clothes and went off into separate corners to change, that Benwick and Eizen turned their backs while making the soup. While Velvet was clumsily pulling off her pants and leggings, she heard a soft whistle from Rokurou and a moment later a roll of medical bandages landed near her feet. She quickly snatched the roll as if it were gold, and hastily started wrapping up the abomination that was her left arm. She kept it wrapped to hide it from the world, but in truth it was mostly because she couldn't stand to look at it. Once her arm was properly covered, she made a grunt of annoyance. She spoke just loud enough for him to hear. "I hope you weren't looking to throw that." Granted, her hair was long enough that he wouldn't have even seen her exposed rear, but the thought of him looking at her nude made her flustered. "I'm a swordsman, Vel." He said in an equally quiet tone. "Even when I'm drunk I can hit targets without looking. Usually." She was slightly surprised that she was smiling. She mused on the fact that he just called her 'Vel' - she wasn't sure how she felt about the nickname and what it was supposed to mean. Once they were both clothed, they sat as close to the fire as they possibly could, and to each other. Velvet thought it was strange to see Rokurou wearing normal clothes, but he probably thought the same of her. They sat with their backs facing the fire, both wrapped up in thick blankets, and with the yaksha on her left side, she could only see the blackened side of his face. It was strange to think she came to know him so well that she could now read the emotion in his scarlet eye. "I've never been this cold before." His words were slurred and slower than usual. "If we wanted to warm up faster," Her words came out slowly as well, as if she were in a daze. "It would be better for us to get naked and heat up each other." Rokurou turned his head to fully look at her, his face scrunched up as if he were thinking too hard. "Joking." Velvet jabbed, although the word came out dully. "That only works if one of you doesn't have hypothermia." Eizen broke in. "I'm certainly not going to volunteer." "I was joking, Eizen." She waved her hand at him drunkenly. "I don't think we have it that bad." He let out an amused laugh. "If you say so. The soup is almost ready." ][ --- ][ After they ate a serving of soup (several for Rokurou) and their hair was mostly dry, the two of them were left in the kitchen as Benwick and Eizen returned to bed. Velvet was leaning into Rokurou's chest, his arm wrapped around her, and somehow her right hand found way to join with his left. Normally Velvet would have started reprimanding herself for getting into this kind of position with a man, but she tried to justify it with the hypothermia. It was just the hypothermia speaking, the instinct for want of warmth. "I'm sorry." "For what?" Her voice was tired, and sounded more like a statement than a question. "For trying to kiss you." A silence stretched thickly between them. The attempt to kiss her nearly evaded her mind - she was too preoccupied with surviving. With a sudden stab in her heart, Velvet wondered how long her life was preoccupied with merely surviving and fulfilling her brother's vengeance. When did Rokurou first fall in love with her? How long had she been oblivious? She knew he wouldn't have pulled a stunt like tonight on a whim. She said so herself, Rokurou had heart. He wouldn't have tried to kiss her unless it had meaning. When she saw Stormhowl glinting in the corner from reflected firelight, her eyes watered. Never leave your lifeline in the hands of another. Although Rokurou technically still had his daggers on his person, he treated that sword as if it held his very soul in its sheath. He gave it up to Velvet in order to help her hide the aberrations of her arm. She didn't realize how out of character that was for him until the hypothermia had faded. "Thank you." She said softly, her voice wavering. "For trying to kiss you?" Velvet elbowed his ribs. "No. For…for covering me." In more ways than one. "It's nothing." He said simply. "It's not nothing, it's-" "No, it's nothing." Rokurou said decisively. "Supporting you is no burden to me. In fact, I wish there was more I could do. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay that debt I owe you." "It all comes down to that debt, it would seem." "It's become more than just a debt, Vel." There was that nickname again. She angled her head to look up at him, her heart skipping a beat when she looked into his crimson and amber eyes. When did it become more than just a debt? When exactly did Rokurou change from an indebted samurai to someone who desired to always serve and remain at her side? When was he no longer a mere companion but instead became an invaluable partner? She couldn't imagine facing Artorious without him. She couldn't even think about what she would do with her life after the fact, and imagining it without Rokurou somehow felt…meaningless. She drew up the courage as she straightened her back to properly look at him as she asked, "When…when did it become more than just a debt?" "…When you said you'd care if I die." Rokurou claimed he couldn't feel emotion like he used to, but Velvet could have sworn his eyes were filled with it.  While showing him her bandages when they were still strangers was a vulnerability to her, this was Rokurou's. She had never seen him so vulnerable before - didn't even know he could be. "My whole life I was a number. The sixth son. A hired mercenary. Simply the next swordsman who had survived. I've never had anyone care if I died. Hell…not even I cared if I died." His right arm which was wrapped around her moved to entwine with her left arm, until he laced his fingers with her bandages. "I don't know how you did it Velvet, and I commend you for achieving the impossible…" He exhaled slowly, his lips turning into a sad smile. "…You gave someone who wanted to die a reason to live." Velvet's gaze softened, her lips parting ever so slightly. She saw the pain in his eyes and heard the suffering in his voice, and couldn't help but feel that she was seeing him in a completely different light. She pulled herself close, watching the firelight dance dangerously in his eyes, and hesitating for only the briefest of moments, moved to press her lips against his. She felt the conviction of his reason, and Velvet was moved by the amount of meaning in his kiss. After so many years of darkness, neither of them had ever felt so alive.