video || open to all courts

[fuckchild]

[Maybe you've seen this punkass, maybe you haven't. He was kind of a wild thing in battle, hard to miss if you saw a lot of enemies floating in midair. Somehow, he doesn't look injured, not even a single scratch. The scar across his brow is an old one, from a time long past.

Dante's not one to mince his words, so...]

Alright, would anyone mind telling me what the fuck is really going on? First we're two pissed-off frat house that can't share a campus, now we're twenty invite-only clubs? And all of that because we wished upon a fucking rock?

[The expression on his face says he's clearly buying none of it. He's a stubborn one.]

I want answers. Real answers, not whatever fairyland shit you can come up with.

Comments

[erythristic]

[Grell nods again, eyes glancing away before they come back to him.]

There are artifacts that can help you, should things begin to become more pressingly dangerous than they are now. Objects imbued with some sort of spell to cloak your shard - jewellery is common, though other things are possible. As to how to obtain them...vastly impressing one's monarch is one way it's been done, and I know Seacht Realta managed it, at least before things all went backwards. The last idea I have is to look to the underground - it might involve money or a decent favour, but being smart and persistent generally gets you what you want.

And of course, if you have allies whose names you can pull down, things get a little easier. [like me, she almost says, but catches herself. being too willing to put herself out there would be suspicious even if it came from honest interest.]

[fuckchild]

[Dante's frown morphs into a scowl. He's not made for this kind of thing. He's the kill or be killed type. He wouldn't even know where to start because he's never been in the business of impressing anyone, not even himself.

Okay, maybe himself, but still.

And he's even less about money.

The whole thing is sending his head spinning, and rightly so: this isn't his forte. Dante even groans.]

So I have to kiss ass to some person that put me here so I can get back or fuck this place up.

[Eloquent as ever.]

[erythristic]

Only one of several options. The world is renewed. Shardbearers have more sway than they realize.

[fuckchild]

You all seem pretty okay being stuck here.

[erythristic]

The sentiment's less popular than the impression my words give. But for some of us...this place, it offers more of a chance than where we came from.

[her gaze goes down to her folded hands.]

I don't presume to know how your world was to you.

[fuckchild]

[He glances away with a shrug.]

Worse, but I've got things to do that's more important than being in this bullshit war.

[A part of him understands what's at stakes, but he can't just leave the entirety of Earth at the mercy of Mundus and Hell. It's not right.]

What I've seen here is nothing to what my place's got. But I can't leave it, not now.

[erythristic]

[she nods once - she can respect that line of thinking.]

Then it's lucky to have you as its chosen.

[fuckchild]

[Hardened blue-gray eyes focus on Grell.]

It didn't choose me.

[On the contrary, Vergil went looking for him. It wasn't his job and as it stands he's only here to fight back and kill Mundus.

He doesn't know what comes after that.]

[erythristic]

What do you want to call it then? Representative?

[she looks back up at him to meet his eyes.]

[fuckchild]

Its last stand.

[It's now when he realizes how dire it is. If they fuck up, how many times over will Mundus punish not only them, but humanity? He showed no mercy to the first nephilim, he showed no mercy to his parents, and all the while he grew more powerful.

So how would it end if the twins failed?

A sliver of fear registered deep within Dante. And out of this fear, grew a more powerful determination to finish what they started.]

[erythristic]

[her lips press together, and she's clearly thinking about something before she responds again.]

...Tell me this. How far would you go for your world?

[fuckchild]

Far enough.

[Farther than anyone would go, more than likely. He doesn't need to say much more on the matter, he thinks that's enough.]

[erythristic]

[leaning back in her seat, she takes a deep breath before she speaks again.]

If you mean that, then I can teach you how to use that shard in your chest, to a degree. How to wake it up and gain the power that will come from it. Not immediately, I need to still sort out some matters in this world, but once those are cleared, if you're interested, it can be so.

[fuckchild]

[His eyes narrow, unsure. He's dealt with power gains, courtesy of his father.

Then again, that's been curbed drastically. He's down to Rebellion and Arbiter, and though he can make do, he's not packing the same heat he once did.]

What can you do with it?

[erythristic]

[in a motion, she's to her feet, and she gestures that Dante should follow.]

Outside. I don't want to have to fix the furniture when we're done.

[fuckchild]

[He blinks, following.

Okay, now he's kind of excited if they're having to leave.]

Sounds like you've done that a lot.

[erythristic]

More like I'm just cautious. If I break anything, I'll have to repair it or replace it, and Ariadne would be upset with me.

[going outside, she keeps moving until they're a ways out in the front yard, where she stops, reaching up to undo the first few buttons on her dress and free her throat from its constriction.]

Whenever you're ready, attack me.

[fuckchild]

[... He's never going to get used to people telling him to attack them, is he?]

Don't say I didn't warn you.

[But he rushes, lightning fast, Rebellion pointing outward and intent on making its mark. Trillion Stabs, as it were, without so much of a flourish as anything outside of a nonstop flurry of movement.]

[erythristic]

[she knows he's coming, and so she thinks as her hand touches her sternum, her mind reaches backwards - the scent of the endless catalogue of records, the cold that bit skin deep, the sight of the sun peeking through the cloud cover, that building where she lived more than her rooms, the way shutting a file on a person almost seemed to echo - and with her memories, the shard wakes up in a flash of vivid green light that shines through her skin and clothes. a light pouring from her chest as she feels the power coursing through her, and she smiles.

the wall of force she draws up in that fraction of a second to deflect his attack is strong, uncracked by the assault despite the many blows it receives, and when he ceases, the wall pushes forward at a speed as fast as one of the swings of her scythe. even if he blocks it, the power will be enough to shove him back quite a distance, though it won't hit him like a truck in that case.

she has not budged an inch nor moved a muscle save to smile at him.]

Think about what you can do. Then imagine being able to do it even better.

[fuckchild]

[He does manage to block it, but just so. The pure force of the shield, then the force of the attack has him so thoroughly surprised it nearly knocks him onto his ass. Good thing he's learned how to recover over the years.

His jaw has gone a little slack.

Dante doesn't know what to say. I can already do that, he thinks, but can he really?]

How does it work?

[erythristic]

Do you sincerely want to know?

[she folds her arms, and for all the lightness in her voice, this is a very serious question.]

If you want to know, if you truly do, I'll take you on as my student. But I won't do it if you aren't prepared to try it out.

[fuckchild]

[He measures the offer, wonder if it's worth learning. To get stronger, he's going to have to learn this, isn't he?]

Fine. But I'm not doing this for them. If this means we can get out of here, then I'll do what it takes.

[erythristic]

[Grell nods, evidently pleased with the answer.]

I didn't offer for them. I offer for you. But, it's settled then.

[closing her eyes for a second, the light from her chest dies down until there's nothing left.]

I can't promise we can begin immediately. There's much I have to still see to while we adjust to these "invite-only clubs", as you so charitably called them. But once everything's handled, we'll start.

[fuckchild]

[He twists his lips, absorbing what just happened, the raw power of that magic. God, he's sure Kat and Vergil would have a field day with the shards.]

I don't think there's a real hurry to get started. Nothing's attacking us.

[The yet is left hanging unsaid in the air.]