Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
Oh good, our demon-latex BDSM suit has a gag mask now!
[Exalted] Ain’t No Devil
- Location
- Singapore
Nah. It's a Darth Malgus rebreather.Oh good, our demon-latex BDSM suit has a gag mask now!
Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
Whatever helps you sleep at night dude
- Location
- Ireland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Geeeeeh this is like.
Man, it's good writing but it's also sorta hard to read because like Ten said (one day i'll post first) Sidir is very clearly feeling miserable and wanting to show off and draw Jiro's attention and just like, be with him, but right now he's experiencing something close to that feeling when you introduce a friend to another friend and they hit it off well and for a while it's all three of you and then slowly it's sorta dawning that it's less the three amigos and more of a two and one sorta deal. And it sucks and it's not like anyone's done anything wrong really so you suck it up and shut up and bottle it up because you don't want to make a fuss, especially if you're as anxious as Sidir clearly is, and then it all just gets worse and worse and worse.
Jiro's totally oblivious and it's kind of understandable but at the same time it's really not something he should let sit but he doesn't have much of a choice because he's not recognising the problem and it's honestly just interesting to see and I'm excited to see how it'll resolve, but only if it ends with Sidir getting all the hugs. All of them. >:C
Ooooooh, plan All Cheeked Up paying tremendous dividends. This is really super cool and I do genuinely like that Jiro's soulbuddies are getting in on the action even without him activating his Devil Trigger, it's rad and I can't wait to see more of it.
Mmmmmm daji please
i know you're a lil shit but you're really hammering on sidir's no-no buttons and it's not gonna go well
Man, I do love how kinda natural this all felt. Jiro and Daji's relationship has gotten oodles better and now their banter just comes off as like- well, banter. It doesn't read like Jiro genuinely hates them anymore or that Daji wants to get under his skin for the fuck of it and it's all really nice to see.
Alas, it's coming at Sidir's expense.
ggggggod i wanna give the big guy a hug pls work this out soon ;~;
[X] Confront them. The scar-face guy thinks he can talk shit to you like that and walk away? Nah, you'll get up in his face and give as good as you get. Either he backs down, or he makes things real simple.
Jiro's pissed but he's not stupid. They're fucking with him to coax him into attacking them because they know something Jiro doesn't and punching them is just falling straight into their trap, while ignoring them ain't exactly an option now that we've stopped to hear them out and responded to them already. Give them a chance to back off or escalate and we avoid what's definitely a delicate situation with Sidir's old crew while not giving whoever's backing them an excuse to slap us silly, especially when we're trying to keep the whole Daji situation on the down low.
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Back In Hot Water
ZerbanDaGreat
Daemon Noble of D E M O G R A P H I C S
- Pronouns
- They/them
You walk up to him. Slow, deliberate steps, like you're taking your time, so you won't betray how much it still hurts. The ring of demons contracts around you as it puts them all on their guard but you ignore them. You keep your eyes locked firmly on the scar-face one and walk until you're practically touching. You lean in closer, cock your head to one side as if to get a better look at that old wound on his face.
"You must think I'm fucking stupid," you sneer. "You aren't even the first dipshit who's tried this on me. This isn't even for you. It's for whoever your boss is, because you think they can protect you, and because they were too lazy or chickenshit to come do this routine themselves. You know what I think? I think you won't throw the first punch no matter what I do, and I think you're wasting my fucking time. How'd I do?"
The kevastis glares sullenly back at you, mind clearly racing to come up with an appropriate comeback and finding nothing. He lets out a quiet 'tch' of annoyance, pulling a face with his one and a half mandibles that's probably a rueful grimace. "Yeah, heh. Ya got me." He shrugs but it's an insincere gesture. It doesn't reach his eyes. Those are still glaring, not at you but through you. Past your eyes and into the shadows of your soul where Sidir now dwells.
"Fact of the matter is, doesn't matter what we do or don't do today," he goes on with a shake of his head. The look he shoots Sidir somewhere deep inside you is a festering, furious, personally wounded thing. When he speaks his voice drips with venom fit for Kimbery's sea. "You were one of us, Sidir. Zabah's own. And of all the Princes you could've run off to hide behind you picked one of his?"
With that much sheer disgust packed into a single word, there's no prizes for guessing which of your patrons he means. And yeah, in any other situation you'd be quick to jump in on anyone talking shit about Ligier, but right now it's different. Right now this asshole's caught you in the worst mood possible. You glare right back at him, practically daring him to make the first move. His mandibles clack against his jaw in irritation.
"In a way I suppose you're lucky. He's backed into a corner now. He can't run out on you like the rest of us."
"You done?" you say icily.
"Yeah. M'done."
"Then get the fuck out of my way."
He stands his ground a few moments longer, a resistance as spiteful as it is petty. Yeah, you get the appeal. He backs off in the end and you keep walking, shoulders stiffly squared and head held high, ignoring the ache in your gut like you're flexing the wound shut. There's murmurs behind you, no doubt the gang's having a little chat about how they totally could've taken you and they just felt like letting you go. They can say what they like. About a block away from the plaza you strike up one of your own.
"(So how'd I do?)"
<6/10>
"(Cheeky fuck.)" You flick your head. "Alright Sidir, those assholes are gone. You alright?"
Silence. The omnipresent dull roar of Malfeas is rushing back in to fill the void left by your standoff with that demon gang but it all seems so distant to your ears. Your stride falters. You come to a stop and glance over your shoulder.
"Sidir?"
<Y-yeah. Yeah m'here.> Sidir sounds like he had to sprint across the room from a standing start just to reach whatever apparatus lets you hear him. <Sorry I jus' gotta- there's this thing I gotta check an' a job I been meanin' to do so don't wait up for me yeah?>
"No, wait we have to talk about this!"
<Annnnd he's gone,> Daji observes. <Running off like an Immaculate monk when you tell them the stale bread and water is ready. He is freaking out on us.>
"Yeah, no shit. But how am I supposed to figure this out and fix it when he won't even talk to me about it?"
<You got me. Considering how explosively needy he is, running away from an opportunity to talk about himself doesn't seem like him at all.>
"Hey," you say, your tone hardening. "Don't you start on him."
<I'm not!> Daji protests. <I'm agreeing with you, something's really wrong if he doesn't wanna talk about it. But you can't exactly hop into the soulscape with me and go hunt him down now that we're back in Hell. So try business-as-usual and see if he comes back?>
You don't like it. You're not accustomed to passivity, but you're even less accustomed to talking about your shit so maybe this is the lesser of two evils. You stare at the street before you with a sour expression as you plod along toward the Conventicle Malfeasant, sidling your waythrough the endless crowds of demons and tuning out the veritable walls of noise between you and your goal.
It takes you a while to remember where your mansion is thanks to the inherent mental block over the concept of 'your mansion' and the weeks of beatings between the last time you saw it and now, but your majordomo is waiting for you at the door like you left an hour ago to pick up fish from the market. You ask him if he knows how to get in touch with Lilunu before you're even over the threshold and to his credit he takes it totally in stride. He warns you that you're unlikely to get an audience today or even tomorrow, the likes of Lilunu often having schedules jam-packed with official Reclamation business and other important meetings, but the pain in your stomach overrides the pain in the ass so you take it in stride. You want the first possible appointment with Lilunu, no matter when that is or what it takes, and your majordomo is already drafting the petition as you go slouching off to the bathroom.
On the way to the baths you're assaulted by the pair of neomah women who live in your house that you completely forgot about. It takes some doing to convince them that you would prefer to be alone, but they get the hint in the end. Once again you curse whoever decided to assign you servants.
Sweet relief does come, and you had no idea how much your body was crying out for it before you actually slip into the hot water. A simple hot bath feels so fucking good it almost knocks you out, and it does send you into a sort of half-sleeping stupor draped along the edge of the tub until your head rolls too far and you awaken with a start and a splash. Shit, you were in worse shape that you even realised, huh? You settle in for the long haul, arms spread out along the rim and ankles propped up on the far end. The heat makes your new scar throb - an unlovely star-shaped thing with twisted skeins of brass and stony darkness threaded through the scar tissue - but when you stay still it dies down enough to enjoy the soak.
Hah. What a journey it's been already. You remember the day before all this really took off, renting space for a quick rinse before a woman who was afraid to even touch you beat the shit out of your back. Now you're sprawled out in a mansion you own in the middle of Hell, waiting for your people to get in contact with Lilunu's people. It's weird to think about. You stare into space for a few minutes before you realise you're doing it.
Trying to relax is harder than you thought. Doing it alone is harder still. It's not that you wanted Sidir and Daji to bother you all hours of the day, it's just that... hell, once upon a time you could go for days without even hearing the sound of your own voice. Now the silence just makes you uneasy, shifting your weight back and forth as you begin to wonder where Daji's gone. There's always the possibility they're trying to give you privacy, but to keep their mouth shut for this long? It feels like something's up. Now if you just knew what-
skitterthumpCRASHskitterskitter
You whip your head around, glaring at the door like it just tried to shoot you. It's still locked, doesn't look damaged, but you know you heard something. You set your mouth in a grim slash as you hoist yourself back out of the bath, armour wrapping itself around you again before you even have time to dry, and with a quick twist of your wrist you summon your sword from the soulscape into your waiting hand. You pull the bolt back and sidle into the hall, ever wary of the disadvantage your sword's size puts you at indoors, but a big fucking sword makes a strong opening statement in most arguments.
Nobody out here. No sign of intruders up or down either end of the carpeted hall lit by flickering emerald torchlight. But- there it is again, a sort of rummaging noise from further in. You press up against the far wall and listen in, sidling along bit by bit until the noise starts to get louder. Closer and closer, more and more distinct, until you find another brass-handled door and realise the sound is filtering through the cracks. Got you you little shit, you think to yourself. Whoever it is, they're about to understand just what a fucking mistake they made interrupting your long-deserved bath. You whirl around and tear the door off its hinges with a swift front-kick, leaping through the yawning opening with your sword held high.
"Don't move, shithead-!" you shout.
Daji whips their head around and stares at you, a tub of something pale yellow and creamy cradled in their arms. The icebox that they retrieved it from is lying on its side before them, chunks of shattered ice like broken glass strewn across the hard pantry floor. The fox-demon blinks rapidly, searching for words and finding none. They slowly lift the spoon one more time and lick the last traces of dessert off the inside curve.
"I-"
"I didn't do it," Daji says quickly.
"You-"
"Did you see how easily that thing tipped over? Someone could have been seriously hurt! You should be thanking me for exposing a workplace hazard."
"Daji what- what the fuck are you doing here!?" you ask plaintively, voice near cracking from the strain. Your sword vanishes back into the soulscape - where Daji is supposed to be - in a flash of green light.
"This is our house," Daji replies, as if you're braindead.
"I mean how you insufferable little shitgoblin, don't play dumb with me!" You go pick up the door and hurriedly try to stick it back in place for the sake of privacy. The hinges have other ideas. You end up wedging it into the frame and leaning your weight against it to hold it there. "How are you-" you gesture frantically "-out here? You're supposed to be stuck in there, with Sidir?"
"I dunno, am I?" Daji responds.
"Don't you start with me," you mutter, your eyes wide and staring. Daji seems to notice the psychotic levels of strain in your gaze.
"Hey, I'm just saying, do we know I'm supposed to be stuck in the soulscape or are we just assuming because Sidir is?" Daji replies, patting the air to placate you. It doesn't really work the same with the spoon in their hand. They dig up another spoonful of the frozen treat they coveted so desperately and swallow with relish. "Sidir carried the spark to you and fused with you to make you an Exalt, right? He's been heat-welded to your soul, sure. I was born from your soul, and now here we are in Malfeas' quite literal landscape body. Or- Lilunu's. Lilunu's inside Malfeas'. The point is, this is where demons thrive. Why shouldn't I be able to jump out of your soulscape to stretch my legs a bit?"
"I dunno I guess I'm not arguing with the logic so much as wondering why you're putting us all in danger," you hiss. "Sidir hasn't exactly made it unclear that you're not supposed to exist! Orabilis and Iudicavisse will have all our asses if they find out I'm growing souls before we can talk to Lilunu so get. back. in. here." You stab your finger against your chest repeatedly for emphasis. Daji suckles on the spoon thoughtfully for a moment.
"Isn't Elloge's most basic ability being hard to notice?" they ask.
"You're not serious."
"Isn't that so entry-level a power that even you use it?" they ask.
"I know where you're going with this and I hate it, stop it."
"Jiro I think I would actively have to try and explain the insanity going on with your soulscape before anyone even began to suspect what I really am," they insist, gesturing with the spoon for emphasis. "Until then I'd just be a- what is it, Second Circle soul? Yeah, Second Circle. You could say I'm Viermaan's replacement and I'm tiny because he only died recently or something, I dunno. Point is, we'd be fine. No way we'd get caught, trust me."
You scowl at them. "Just because we worked together to kill Ayano doesn't mean you get your way all the time."
"Yes it does," Daji replies with a very foxlike smirk.
"I hate you so much."
"No you don't~"
You turn around and bang your head against the door, hammering it into the frame like a nail. You have a few moments of peace to let the enormity of the shitstorm subsuming your life properly sink in before the crunch of ice alerts you to Daji trying to put the frozen dessert back in the icebox and clean up the mess. There's a lot of grunting and straining and whining, but even a slender, pubescent demon is still a demon and they manage to flip it upright. They close the top door with a leaping open-hand slap, and take a few steps back to admire their handiwork.
It- nrgh. You should just grab them and stuff them back in the proverbial soul-box. It'd be so much easier for everyone, especially Sidir who'll probably have a heart attack if he comes back and notices. But you look at Daji standing there all proud with their hands on their hips and you hesitate. You think about shoving them out of sight again as they kick and protest and call you names and you just feel uneasy. Would it... really be so bad to let them stay out? They have a point about Elloge's power, it's how you can move around in Creation at all and you'd sure as shit stick out otherwise. Maybe... at least until Lilunu gets back to you? One day. Two, max. That's probably fine.
So uh.
That just leaves.
Finding an activity to do together.
With your sort-of demon child.
[ ] Sparring? They did sound pretty positive about the novelty of getting to kick ass when you fused like that, and if there's one area you know where you stand in it's fighting. Maybe you could show them a few moves?
[ ] Theatre again? That place you went when it was just you and Sidir might be playing something new by now, and that's Ellogean shit too right?
[ ] The library? You forget if your place has its own library but you definitely remember Lilunu telling you there's one in the Conventicle. You could grab some books and see what Daji likes.
[ ] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
"You must think I'm fucking stupid," you sneer. "You aren't even the first dipshit who's tried this on me. This isn't even for you. It's for whoever your boss is, because you think they can protect you, and because they were too lazy or chickenshit to come do this routine themselves. You know what I think? I think you won't throw the first punch no matter what I do, and I think you're wasting my fucking time. How'd I do?"
The kevastis glares sullenly back at you, mind clearly racing to come up with an appropriate comeback and finding nothing. He lets out a quiet 'tch' of annoyance, pulling a face with his one and a half mandibles that's probably a rueful grimace. "Yeah, heh. Ya got me." He shrugs but it's an insincere gesture. It doesn't reach his eyes. Those are still glaring, not at you but through you. Past your eyes and into the shadows of your soul where Sidir now dwells.
"Fact of the matter is, doesn't matter what we do or don't do today," he goes on with a shake of his head. The look he shoots Sidir somewhere deep inside you is a festering, furious, personally wounded thing. When he speaks his voice drips with venom fit for Kimbery's sea. "You were one of us, Sidir. Zabah's own. And of all the Princes you could've run off to hide behind you picked one of his?"
With that much sheer disgust packed into a single word, there's no prizes for guessing which of your patrons he means. And yeah, in any other situation you'd be quick to jump in on anyone talking shit about Ligier, but right now it's different. Right now this asshole's caught you in the worst mood possible. You glare right back at him, practically daring him to make the first move. His mandibles clack against his jaw in irritation.
"In a way I suppose you're lucky. He's backed into a corner now. He can't run out on you like the rest of us."
"You done?" you say icily.
"Yeah. M'done."
"Then get the fuck out of my way."
He stands his ground a few moments longer, a resistance as spiteful as it is petty. Yeah, you get the appeal. He backs off in the end and you keep walking, shoulders stiffly squared and head held high, ignoring the ache in your gut like you're flexing the wound shut. There's murmurs behind you, no doubt the gang's having a little chat about how they totally could've taken you and they just felt like letting you go. They can say what they like. About a block away from the plaza you strike up one of your own.
"(So how'd I do?)"
<6/10>
"(Cheeky fuck.)" You flick your head. "Alright Sidir, those assholes are gone. You alright?"
Silence. The omnipresent dull roar of Malfeas is rushing back in to fill the void left by your standoff with that demon gang but it all seems so distant to your ears. Your stride falters. You come to a stop and glance over your shoulder.
"Sidir?"
<Y-yeah. Yeah m'here.> Sidir sounds like he had to sprint across the room from a standing start just to reach whatever apparatus lets you hear him. <Sorry I jus' gotta- there's this thing I gotta check an' a job I been meanin' to do so don't wait up for me yeah?>
"No, wait we have to talk about this!"
<Annnnd he's gone,> Daji observes. <Running off like an Immaculate monk when you tell them the stale bread and water is ready. He is freaking out on us.>
"Yeah, no shit. But how am I supposed to figure this out and fix it when he won't even talk to me about it?"
<You got me. Considering how explosively needy he is, running away from an opportunity to talk about himself doesn't seem like him at all.>
"Hey," you say, your tone hardening. "Don't you start on him."
<I'm not!> Daji protests. <I'm agreeing with you, something's really wrong if he doesn't wanna talk about it. But you can't exactly hop into the soulscape with me and go hunt him down now that we're back in Hell. So try business-as-usual and see if he comes back?>
You don't like it. You're not accustomed to passivity, but you're even less accustomed to talking about your shit so maybe this is the lesser of two evils. You stare at the street before you with a sour expression as you plod along toward the Conventicle Malfeasant, sidling your waythrough the endless crowds of demons and tuning out the veritable walls of noise between you and your goal.
It takes you a while to remember where your mansion is thanks to the inherent mental block over the concept of 'your mansion' and the weeks of beatings between the last time you saw it and now, but your majordomo is waiting for you at the door like you left an hour ago to pick up fish from the market. You ask him if he knows how to get in touch with Lilunu before you're even over the threshold and to his credit he takes it totally in stride. He warns you that you're unlikely to get an audience today or even tomorrow, the likes of Lilunu often having schedules jam-packed with official Reclamation business and other important meetings, but the pain in your stomach overrides the pain in the ass so you take it in stride. You want the first possible appointment with Lilunu, no matter when that is or what it takes, and your majordomo is already drafting the petition as you go slouching off to the bathroom.
On the way to the baths you're assaulted by the pair of neomah women who live in your house that you completely forgot about. It takes some doing to convince them that you would prefer to be alone, but they get the hint in the end. Once again you curse whoever decided to assign you servants.
Sweet relief does come, and you had no idea how much your body was crying out for it before you actually slip into the hot water. A simple hot bath feels so fucking good it almost knocks you out, and it does send you into a sort of half-sleeping stupor draped along the edge of the tub until your head rolls too far and you awaken with a start and a splash. Shit, you were in worse shape that you even realised, huh? You settle in for the long haul, arms spread out along the rim and ankles propped up on the far end. The heat makes your new scar throb - an unlovely star-shaped thing with twisted skeins of brass and stony darkness threaded through the scar tissue - but when you stay still it dies down enough to enjoy the soak.
Hah. What a journey it's been already. You remember the day before all this really took off, renting space for a quick rinse before a woman who was afraid to even touch you beat the shit out of your back. Now you're sprawled out in a mansion you own in the middle of Hell, waiting for your people to get in contact with Lilunu's people. It's weird to think about. You stare into space for a few minutes before you realise you're doing it.
Trying to relax is harder than you thought. Doing it alone is harder still. It's not that you wanted Sidir and Daji to bother you all hours of the day, it's just that... hell, once upon a time you could go for days without even hearing the sound of your own voice. Now the silence just makes you uneasy, shifting your weight back and forth as you begin to wonder where Daji's gone. There's always the possibility they're trying to give you privacy, but to keep their mouth shut for this long? It feels like something's up. Now if you just knew what-
skitterthumpCRASHskitterskitter
You whip your head around, glaring at the door like it just tried to shoot you. It's still locked, doesn't look damaged, but you know you heard something. You set your mouth in a grim slash as you hoist yourself back out of the bath, armour wrapping itself around you again before you even have time to dry, and with a quick twist of your wrist you summon your sword from the soulscape into your waiting hand. You pull the bolt back and sidle into the hall, ever wary of the disadvantage your sword's size puts you at indoors, but a big fucking sword makes a strong opening statement in most arguments.
Nobody out here. No sign of intruders up or down either end of the carpeted hall lit by flickering emerald torchlight. But- there it is again, a sort of rummaging noise from further in. You press up against the far wall and listen in, sidling along bit by bit until the noise starts to get louder. Closer and closer, more and more distinct, until you find another brass-handled door and realise the sound is filtering through the cracks. Got you you little shit, you think to yourself. Whoever it is, they're about to understand just what a fucking mistake they made interrupting your long-deserved bath. You whirl around and tear the door off its hinges with a swift front-kick, leaping through the yawning opening with your sword held high.
"Don't move, shithead-!" you shout.
Daji whips their head around and stares at you, a tub of something pale yellow and creamy cradled in their arms. The icebox that they retrieved it from is lying on its side before them, chunks of shattered ice like broken glass strewn across the hard pantry floor. The fox-demon blinks rapidly, searching for words and finding none. They slowly lift the spoon one more time and lick the last traces of dessert off the inside curve.
"I-"
"I didn't do it," Daji says quickly.
"You-"
"Did you see how easily that thing tipped over? Someone could have been seriously hurt! You should be thanking me for exposing a workplace hazard."
"Daji what- what the fuck are you doing here!?" you ask plaintively, voice near cracking from the strain. Your sword vanishes back into the soulscape - where Daji is supposed to be - in a flash of green light.
"This is our house," Daji replies, as if you're braindead.
"I mean how you insufferable little shitgoblin, don't play dumb with me!" You go pick up the door and hurriedly try to stick it back in place for the sake of privacy. The hinges have other ideas. You end up wedging it into the frame and leaning your weight against it to hold it there. "How are you-" you gesture frantically "-out here? You're supposed to be stuck in there, with Sidir?"
"I dunno, am I?" Daji responds.
"Don't you start with me," you mutter, your eyes wide and staring. Daji seems to notice the psychotic levels of strain in your gaze.
"Hey, I'm just saying, do we know I'm supposed to be stuck in the soulscape or are we just assuming because Sidir is?" Daji replies, patting the air to placate you. It doesn't really work the same with the spoon in their hand. They dig up another spoonful of the frozen treat they coveted so desperately and swallow with relish. "Sidir carried the spark to you and fused with you to make you an Exalt, right? He's been heat-welded to your soul, sure. I was born from your soul, and now here we are in Malfeas' quite literal landscape body. Or- Lilunu's. Lilunu's inside Malfeas'. The point is, this is where demons thrive. Why shouldn't I be able to jump out of your soulscape to stretch my legs a bit?"
"I dunno I guess I'm not arguing with the logic so much as wondering why you're putting us all in danger," you hiss. "Sidir hasn't exactly made it unclear that you're not supposed to exist! Orabilis and Iudicavisse will have all our asses if they find out I'm growing souls before we can talk to Lilunu so get. back. in. here." You stab your finger against your chest repeatedly for emphasis. Daji suckles on the spoon thoughtfully for a moment.
"Isn't Elloge's most basic ability being hard to notice?" they ask.
"You're not serious."
"Isn't that so entry-level a power that even you use it?" they ask.
"I know where you're going with this and I hate it, stop it."
"Jiro I think I would actively have to try and explain the insanity going on with your soulscape before anyone even began to suspect what I really am," they insist, gesturing with the spoon for emphasis. "Until then I'd just be a- what is it, Second Circle soul? Yeah, Second Circle. You could say I'm Viermaan's replacement and I'm tiny because he only died recently or something, I dunno. Point is, we'd be fine. No way we'd get caught, trust me."
You scowl at them. "Just because we worked together to kill Ayano doesn't mean you get your way all the time."
"Yes it does," Daji replies with a very foxlike smirk.
"I hate you so much."
"No you don't~"
You turn around and bang your head against the door, hammering it into the frame like a nail. You have a few moments of peace to let the enormity of the shitstorm subsuming your life properly sink in before the crunch of ice alerts you to Daji trying to put the frozen dessert back in the icebox and clean up the mess. There's a lot of grunting and straining and whining, but even a slender, pubescent demon is still a demon and they manage to flip it upright. They close the top door with a leaping open-hand slap, and take a few steps back to admire their handiwork.
It- nrgh. You should just grab them and stuff them back in the proverbial soul-box. It'd be so much easier for everyone, especially Sidir who'll probably have a heart attack if he comes back and notices. But you look at Daji standing there all proud with their hands on their hips and you hesitate. You think about shoving them out of sight again as they kick and protest and call you names and you just feel uneasy. Would it... really be so bad to let them stay out? They have a point about Elloge's power, it's how you can move around in Creation at all and you'd sure as shit stick out otherwise. Maybe... at least until Lilunu gets back to you? One day. Two, max. That's probably fine.
So uh.
That just leaves.
Finding an activity to do together.
With your sort-of demon child.
[ ] Sparring? They did sound pretty positive about the novelty of getting to kick ass when you fused like that, and if there's one area you know where you stand in it's fighting. Maybe you could show them a few moves?
[ ] Theatre again? That place you went when it was just you and Sidir might be playing something new by now, and that's Ellogean shit too right?
[ ] The library? You forget if your place has its own library but you definitely remember Lilunu telling you there's one in the Conventicle. You could grab some books and see what Daji likes.
[ ] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
- Location
- Portugal
Oh my god Daji you literal ice cream demon child. Also featuring more Sidir questions and Hell DIY: Jiro and Brass Doors edition.
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
- Location
- Austria
I am sure we can trust a teenager to be mature and responsible and in no way reckless and overly confident about their ability to get away with no consequences.
[X] Theatre again? That place you went when it was just you and Sidir might be playing something new by now, and that's Ellogean shit too right?
Eh, Daji might like it, idk?
[X] Theatre again? That place you went when it was just you and Sidir might be playing something new by now, and that's Ellogean shit too right?
Eh, Daji might like it, idk?
Vocalist
Verdant Maiden in Violet
- Location
- By a Cedar Tree
[X] Theatre again? That place you went when it was just you and Sidir might be playing something new by now, and that's Ellogean shit too right?
I think the theater will no doubt be appealing to both of them: Daji because they live for drama, and Jiro because he gets to sit still and rest. There is some risk from taking Daji out in public like that, but...well, unless your average demon on the street has an encyclopedic knowledge of all the hundreds of Second Circle Demons, I think we can get away with it. And even if Orabilis's spies figure out that Daji isn't who they say they are, all he'll know is that "Jiro is hanging out with a fox demon of mysterious origin." I think the risk is manageable, if we go to one play and keep a low profile.
And I also want to say that this chapter is one of the funniest yet. Stuff with Sidir aside (I really hope we get a chance to sit down and talk properly with him soon) the image of Daji eating a brazenly eating a tub of vanilla ice cream was enough to make me laugh out loud.
I think the theater will no doubt be appealing to both of them: Daji because they live for drama, and Jiro because he gets to sit still and rest. There is some risk from taking Daji out in public like that, but...well, unless your average demon on the street has an encyclopedic knowledge of all the hundreds of Second Circle Demons, I think we can get away with it. And even if Orabilis's spies figure out that Daji isn't who they say they are, all he'll know is that "Jiro is hanging out with a fox demon of mysterious origin." I think the risk is manageable, if we go to one play and keep a low profile.
And I also want to say that this chapter is one of the funniest yet. Stuff with Sidir aside (I really hope we get a chance to sit down and talk properly with him soon) the image of Daji eating a brazenly eating a tub of vanilla ice cream was enough to make me laugh out loud.
- Location
- London, England
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
I have a great love for Malfeas as a setting, and I think it's probably useful for Jiro to get a better look at the people whose cause he is nominally championing.
Also I want to see what Daji does, the horrible little gremlin.
I have a great love for Malfeas as a setting, and I think it's probably useful for Jiro to get a better look at the people whose cause he is nominally championing.
Also I want to see what Daji does, the horrible little gremlin.
- Location
- Vermont
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
We're technically super rich I think, and I want to see what trouble Jiro can dig up, but also what kind of memories Sidir has of the place.
Also, Hell is just absolutely fucking amazing the way Zerban writes it.
We're technically super rich I think, and I want to see what trouble Jiro can dig up, but also what kind of memories Sidir has of the place.
Also, Hell is just absolutely fucking amazing the way Zerban writes it.
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
Deadly Snark
Tryhard As Fuck
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
So the less responsible parent is going to go out with the overconfident teen while the responsible parent is having a breakdown.
I see no way this could go wrong.
So the less responsible parent is going to go out with the overconfident teen while the responsible parent is having a breakdown.
I see no way this could go wrong.
- Location
- Library
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
Let's see more of Demon City.
Let's see more of Demon City.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[x] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
Why, yes, let's go exploring and run into some more people who don't like Sidir for some (clearly bad) reason. Show them our non-binary second circle fox that no one has heard of before.
Why, yes, let's go exploring and run into some more people who don't like Sidir for some (clearly bad) reason. Show them our non-binary second circle fox that no one has heard of before.
- Location
- my house
So sparring it out, I don't trust us not to be mean and drive Daji away under the cover of "preparing him for real combat"
The theatre is too boring for us. We need something both people can enjoy.
Same for the library.
Exploring is week and leaving it up to chance.
So...
[X] Go kick some ass. Daji can have fun being an ass to people and then we can beat them up when they try to make an issue of it. He might like watching us kick there ass as much as he likes being a terrible goblin
The theatre is too boring for us. We need something both people can enjoy.
Same for the library.
Exploring is week and leaving it up to chance.
So...
[X] Go kick some ass. Daji can have fun being an ass to people and then we can beat them up when they try to make an issue of it. He might like watching us kick there ass as much as he likes being a terrible goblin
MiracleGrow
Miracles for only $19.99 [They/Them]
- Location
- DOOR STUCK DOOR STUCK PLEASE I BEG U
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
Whynot.jpg
Whynot.jpg
Imrix
Periodically Malevolent QM
[X] Just go exploring? It occurs you haven't actually gone very far around Malfeas - basically just a handful of places in the Conventicle then beelining straight to the doors. You could go wandering with Daji, make a day of it.
...
What has happened to my capacity to make long comment posts? Grmph.
...
What has happened to my capacity to make long comment posts? Grmph.