beyond-illusion-blog1

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ Kael x Katy } Lost And Found

"Hmmm..." Her lips are pursed, her eyes narrowed slightly in concentration. "Hmmmmmmm......" Kael stares at Katy who is staring at a bracelet very intently. "What... are you doing?" He asks carefully. As far as he knows, that pondering look is normally only reserved for picking shades of lipstick. "I don't know..." She turns her attention to him, and Kael almost reels back upon seeing her pout on full force. "Will that bracelet suit me?" D= Kael blinks, his eyes trailing back to the bracelet. It's pretty, a fancy design, silver in colour. "I do not see why it would not." He says with a shrug. She puffs up her cheek- aparently the wrong answer, though Kael doesn't see how. "Nevermiiiiiind... Kael, you idiot!" She turns on her heel and walks off, leaving a bewildered Kael behind. "What...?" He blinks a few times. What just happened?

"Stupid Kael," Katy pouts, moving through the town their mission brought them to, her cheek puffed up. "If a girl asks you that, you should be a bit more enthousiastic, and say things like- it'll look GREAT on you! Or! Or! It's PERFECT for you! What kind of half-baked response is, 'I don't see why not'?" She mutters under her breath, ignoring the strange glances tossed her way. "Or maybe even a- " She stops, looking around at the unfamiliar streets. "... Where am I?"

"Bloody idiot," Kael mutters, running through the streets to find his missing teammate. "She should know better than to run off in a strange town... Does she 'ave any idea what can ‘appen?" he sighs, narrowing his eyes a little as he stands at a corner, looking around to try to decide what way Katy had gone. "Bloody hell..." He sighs before going into a random direction.

"Uhm... This... isn't it either." Katy sweatdrops, looking around. By now, people have thinned out, people having retreated for food and the likes a while ago. "Haa... I should've asked them where to go when people were still out..." she groans, crouching down against a wall of a shop that closed its doors for the day. Then again, that would have been easier if she'd have known exactly where they are currently staying. "I'm hungry..." She groans.

His leg muscles are sore, and his lungs are burning. 'I bet she is wandering around aimlessly and is currently at a place where I 'ave been already.' He thinks, coming to a stop to catch his breath. Kael doesn't know how long he's already been searching for Katy, but he's getting steadily more and more worried. The street lights have already turned on, and he doesn't want to imagine what can possibly happen to a lone girl in a foreign town. 'Please be alright...' He thinks, ignoring the soreness of his legs and running on, again.

Katy blinks when a shadow falls on her, slowly looking up. Her eyes widen. "Ah!"

"Ah!" Kael's ears pick up on the voice immediately - Katy. Katy is near. And from the sounds of it, very likely in trouble. The pain in his tired body is ignored as he tries to run faster, towards the sound. ''ang on, Katy. Almost there.' He thinks. When he does get to the scene, he finds two persons towering over Katy- one is tall, the other around his height. He can't see who they are due to the lack of light, or if they're armed, but that doesn't matter. Katy is in trouble, and he'll make sure to save her. He jumps at the taller one, crashing his shoulder into him, sending them both to the floor. Kael makes quick work of using his knees and a hand to pin the guy down, his other hand raised into a fist- as he stares down at Seven's confused face. "... Seven?" "Uhhh... Hi." Seven blinks a few times. 'Which means...' He looks back, noticing up close that the other person is Vesta, who is sending him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "..." He is fairly glad he didn't tackle her. "... 'ello." Kael says, awkwardly moving off of Seven. "Nice of you to drop in," Vesta says in a dry tone, while Seven gets up, miraculously unharmed. "... Sorry about that." Kael says. If he could die, then now would be a good time. "Don't worry about it," Seven says, tossing him an easy going grin. "We just saw Katy alone, so we decided to check if she was okay." "What are you doing 'ere? A mission, as well?" Kael asks, while Katy hops up from her crouched down position, dusting off her shorts even though they didn't touch the ground. "Yeah, but it's pretty easy, so we think Jace just wanted a change of pace..." Seven laughs a little sheepishly. "Uhm... We're about to go for dinner, want to join?" he offers. Katy seems ready to accept, but Kael is faster. "Thanks, but we will be returning to our 'otel first. After running all over the place for the past couple of 'ours" he tosses a glare at Katy who looks sheepish "I cannot wait to take a shower," "Oh, okay," Seven shrugs a bit, unbothered by the rejection. "Well, maybe tomorrow?" He grins. "We're staying at Fair's Flair Inn, so drop by, kay?" "We will see," Kael shrugs. Seven smiles, before walking off with Vesta. "Bye, Sev! Bye Ves!" Katy calls after him, waving. "See you tomorrow!" Seven wavs back at her, while Vesta keeps walking. Kael sighs. Now that everything turns out to be fine, his legs wish for nothing more than to give up on him and rest, but he should at least wait until they're back at the hotel. "Come on." He says, turning on his heel and walking off. The walk home is mostly filled with silence, and Katy's failed attempts to starting a conversation. She bites her lip, glancing at Kael from the corner of her eyes. "... Are you mad?" Kael doesn't reply, nor does he look at her, keeping his gaze steadily focused on the streets in front of them. "..." Katy wordlessly looks down, before peeking at him through her bangs. "......... Sorry for running off." "Something could 'ave 'appened." Kael says, sounding none too pleased. Katy perks up slightly, a grin on her lips as she links their arms. "Then, you would've saved me, right?" She grins at him. "Like a knight in shining armor~" Kael sends her a strange glance, before sighing and looking away. No matter what, it is simply impossible for him to stay mad at her. He digs into his pocket. "... 'ere," he awkwardly holds out a small box. "What's this?" Katy asks curiously as she takes it, then takes off the fancy decorated lid. "Oh!" Inside is the bracelet she was trying to decide on, with a pair of matching earring. "... I think it will look better on you than it did on the display." Kael mutters awkwardly, relying on the darkness to hide the face that his cheeks turned two tones darker. "Thank you!" Katy happily glomps him, burying her face into his chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you~!!!!" Kael sighs, a small smile appearing on his lips as he pats Katy's head lightly. "No problem... Time to 'ead back to the 'otel now, though." "Okay!" Katy grins, slipping on the bracelet and switching on her new earrings as they walk. "How do I look?" She asks when she's done, her hands clasped behind her back as she turns to Kael. "Same as always," Kael replies with a shrug. "EH!? No- No way! You're supposed to answer differently!" Katy objects, before going on a small rant on what answers are socially acceptable as they walk. Kael's eyes soften a bit as he watches her. 'You always look beautiful,' he thinks, before looking ahead, Katy's chattering continuing on long after they reach their destination.

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ Jace x Ludwig } The Morning After

His head hurt - heck, everything hurts, not just his head. "Ngh..." Ludwig slowly opens his eyes, the bright light sharp against his aching eyes, forcing him to close them again.

He waits a few moments, then tries again. This time Ludwig is more successful in opening his eyes slightly as he sits up. His hand slowly moves to his head, pinching the bridge of his nose- what had happened? The blankets pool around his bare waist and he stares as blankly as his hang over will imply. In fact, where is he?

He can hear a shower stop in the bathroom, movements indicating that someone is in there. Tensing up, Ludwig's eyes snap towards the door. Who is in there? And why is he naked in what seems to be a hotel room, with a hang over? Last he remembers is...

... Not much. Something about his sister being invited to a party and turning the eyes on him, to get her to come with her as her escort. Only he was abandoned fairly fast... Why was that again?

"Ah, Luddy-kins~ Morning~"

"Ngh..." Ludwig grabs his pounding head again, levelling the other blonde with a glare.

Right. THAT's why. Jace had been there, too, so Luise had abandoned him in seconds flat, leaving Ludwig to boredly nurse some drinks at the counter. The woman behind the bar seemed to have taken a fancy at him, slipping him drink after drink, until... Until what?

"Vot did Sie do to Mir." He demands, his voice raspy.

"Me?" Jace leans against the doorway, his face the perfect picture of innocence. It takes Ludwig some effort to keep his gaze level, to not look down at the body underneath the head, a low-dipping towel being the only thing to cover Jace up, his skin still slightly wet with water.

Ludwig's attention is lost however, when a drop of water falls down from Jace's hair, landing on his shoulder, before sliding down his chest. Amethyst eyes follow the path the drop takes, before it settles against the towel where it disappears, absorbed into the fabric.

Jace chuckles, a grin on his lips as he shifts his stance lightly, hip sticking out. "Like what you see? Or do you want to see more?" He teases, his hand moving to undo the towel.

Ludwig's eyes widen as a dark blush spreads over his face (one he likes to associate with severe anger when Jace is involved). He forces his eyes away from Jace, glaring sullenly at the wall. "Sie sind impossible, Herr Arani," he spits out.

"Back on last-name basis? And we made such progress on that yesterday~" Jace chuckles, moving towards the bed, like a panther stalking its prey.

Ludwig tenses up. All the signs lead towards it, but... Surely he couldn't have, right? No matter how drunk he was, surely, SURELY he couldn't have been drunk enough to do... that with this guy, right? "... Vot did ve do, Herr Arani."

Jace smirks, placing his hands on either side of Ludwig's lap, his smirking face inches away from Ludwig's shocked face, the German hastily leaning back some. "Shall I refresh your memory?" Jace grins, a tad too happily for Ludwig's tastes.

Narrowing his eyes, Ludwig grabs the closest thing he can grab (which is a pillow), smacking Jace in the face with it, hard.

Not exactly having expected that, Jace stumbles back a little, blinking a few times. A pillow. Did Ludwig really just smack him with a-...?

Ludwig brandishes his 'weapon' at Jace. "Sie vill not come near, Herr Arani." He threatens, regardless of how unthreatening he looks considering his undressed state, pained face, red and squinty eyes, and the fact that his weapon is a fluffy white pillow that smells of mint.

Jace chuckles and holds up his hands in defense. "Easy there, tiger." he chuckles "By all means, don't try to mutilate the poor pillow, hm? It's hotel property."

"Vy are ve in a hotel, Herr Arani."

"Come now, Luddy-kins~ You don't really need the talk about the birds and the bees, right~?"

Ludwig narrows his eyes, unamused.

Jace chuckles. "Well, if you must know~" He plops down on the bed as well, a little out of direct reach of Ludwig, before he sits back slightly. "I was dancing with dearest Lulu," he ignores the glare tossed his way "when you suddenly came up to be, red in the face, and demanded that I ditch 'ze harlot' and take responsibility for 'our baby'."

Ludwig looks at him, absolutely mortified. Did- did that really-!? Luise always did warn him to stay clear from alcohol since he's a... strange drunk, so to say, but... Really...?

"Oh yeah, if you must know, I think I saw your pants in the bathroom. I folded them onto the sink so that they'd stay dry while I showered," Jace says in a light tone.

Ludwig scrambles off of the bed, wrapping the sheet around his waist (a feat made a lot harder thanks to Jace laying on it, though a glare and a growl made him move with an easy going chuckle) and storming into the bathroom to retrieve said pants and put them on. He even finds a shoe, though he is unaware of what it was doing behind the toilet, or where the other shoe is. At this moment, he doesn't care too much, though.

Jace watches curiously as Ludwig walks out of the bathroom in his pants, holding one shoe in one hand, and the sheets in the other. He tosses the sheet onto the bed before his eyes sweep the room.

"I think your other shoe is under the bed, but you'll have to bend for it... Well, there was plenty of bending practise last night, so I doubt that's a problem~ Your ass fine, Luddy-kins~?" Jace asks cheerfully.

If he didn't need it so much, Ludwig would've tossed his boot at Jace's head. "Mir body parts are none of Sie concern, Herr Arani," he spits out.

"Haa~ Such anger, and you were so cute last night, too~"

On second thought- he doesn't need the boot after all. Jace narrowly dodges the incoming footwear by rolling to the other side of the bed.

"Sie is lucky Ich do not have Mir guns vith Mir, Herr Arani," Ludwig glares before snatching up his jacket from the desk and storming out.

Jace listens to the sound of retreating footsteps, biting his lip as he waits to make sure Ludwig is really gone, before cracking up, clutching his stomach as he doubles over. He doesn't doubt that it won't take TOO long for Ludwig to realise that nothing has happened. Ludwig will get over the shock soon enough, then realise that his body doesn't have any signs of anything other than sleeping. While it's true that Ludwig had come up to him, talking about... something or another in a drunken mood, Jace had simply excused them from a slightly horrified Luise, before he scooped up Ludwig like a princess and carried him to the nearest hotel. The nudity was a bit of revenge for interrupting his impromptu date with the blonde model.

Jace calms down, a few stray chuckles leaving him as he picks up Ludwig's phone from the nightstand. "Well then~" He gets comfortable. "I wonder how many of his contacts I can turn into my number before he comes back~" He grins. "Let's find out."

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ All } A Drop Too Much

A glass shatters against the wall, "What was that," her eyes are blazing as she leans towards Seven who is slumped over a bar, a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand, a miserable expression on his face. "Huh?" Vesta narrows her eyes, their foreheads almost touching as she glares. "Got something to say, punk!?" "It's all my fault!" Seven's eyes fill with tears. "It's always my fault, I'm sorryyyy...!!!" He lets out a sob before dropping his head onto the bar, the thud going unnoticed under the sound of the booming music. "Hey! Look at me when I talk to you, damnit!" Vesta shakes him harshly. Her hand gets removed from his shoulder by a big and warm hand, their fingers laced. "Come on, love~ Let him sleep, hm~?" Jace purrs, his eyes half lidded as he gets a little too close to comfort. "Instead, focus only on me~" The ring around Vesta's finger flashes and her crossbow appears around her hand, "I will kill you, you son of a-" "SIE!" Luise stomps on the ground hard enough to startle even Seven into lifting his tear-stained face a little, before he drops his head again. "Voz does she have zat I don't, huh!?" Luise demands, pointing at Vesta with a shakey finger, her white wine long since forgotten on the table at which she has left her brother. Jace's fingers slip from Vesta's as Jace sasshay's over to Luise, smirking a little as his hand hits the wall behind her, trapping her between the concrete and his own body. "Don't worry, love. You know you're the only one for me~" he purrs, reaching up with his other hand to stroke Luise's cheek, effectively turning her into a happy puddle of goo. "Jace..." Kailah says timidly from behind Jace, her bright green eyes on the floor as she bashfully hides her hand and chainsaw behind her back. "Hm?" He tilts his head to look over his shoulder. "For you..." She removes her hand from behind her and holds out a bottle of high quality red wine. Jace pushes himself off of the wall, "Thanks, love~" he purrs out as he brushes his lips over hers while taking the bottle. Blushing, she ducks her head while Luise seethes, "Vot does she have zat I don't!?" "Wine," Jace blows her a kiss before leaving the two females behind. His eyes land on Ludwig who is at his table, shoulders slumped as he sips his beer, looking like he's sulking. "Luddy-kins~" Jace calls in a sing-song voice. Ludwig looks up and almost immediately his hazy eyes brighten up slightly before he is suddenly attached to Jace's side. "Sie vos gone!" He complains. "I'm back now though~" Jace grins as Ludwig's arms wrap around him tightly, as if the other male has no intention of ever letting him go. "Just as I thought, you really are the best!" Jace declares before pouncing. The bartender watches with a rueful eye as a peach haired girl kicks the chair a boy is sitting at hard enough to break it, while a blonde woman shakes a too-happy looking red-head. This really is the last time he'll just sit back and watch exorcists get drunk.

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

Seven Sins Of Lace

Lust

"Sie Sind impossible," Ludwig scowls. "It's not my fault that I want to eat you up whenever I see you~" Jace coos. From the look on Ludwig's face, he is not impressed. Jace chuckles and leans closer to Ludwig, smirk firm on his lips. "I don't know why you insist on being so difficult, but I suppose that side of you is what draws me to you, like a moth to a flame~" "Ich vill burn Sie," Ludwig scowls. Jace's smirk merely widens. "Then let's burn together."

Greed

"Luddy-kins, we should buy up all the coffee, everywhere." Ludwig stares at Jace, did he hear that correctly? "Vat?" Jace blows out some air boredly, draped over the tabletop of Ludwig's kitchen table. "All the coffee should belong to me." Ludwig continues to send Jace a blank look, did someone slip the other some alcohol? "Is Sie drunk?" he ends up asking." "Drunk on looooove." "... Vat?" Jace lifts his head to send Ludwig a cheeky grin. "Want to kiss me sober~?" Ludwig shakes his head and simply walks off, leaving Jace to his plans of coffee-domination. 'Greedy demon.'

Envy

"Later, love~" Jace blows a kiss at a giggling woman, lounging in the doorway of his quarters. His shirt is still on the couch, one of his shoes temporarily missing, though Jace has a feeling he'll find it in the bathroom? Whatever, he'll find it later. "Ich see zat Sie is ze same as ever, aren't Sie? Herr Arani." Jace looks up before smirking as he spots Ludwig leaning in the doorway of his own borrowed quarters. Since he's not on a mission, Ludwig has discarded his coat, instead wearing the sleeveless white top that he often wears under it, showing off his toned arms. "Ah, Luddy-kins~ Spying~?" "Hardly," Ludwig rolls his eyes "I am merely waiting for my own company," Jace's smirk widens just a bit as his eyes narrow a little, "Really now~?" his voice is a purr, causing a shiver to run up Ludwig's back. "Ja," Ludwig tosses him a smirk of his own "Sie charge, Fraulein Moira." Jace blanks at that. "Wait, Vesta?" he blinks "What for?" Heck, he wasn't aware they even talked? "Ich don't see how zat sind any of Sie business, Herr Arani." The elevator gives off a ding and both exorcists watch as Vesta steps out of it, sharing a quick glance with the woman who was waiting for it to arrive, before the nameless exorcist leaves for downstairs while Vesta moves down the hall. She raises an eyebrow when she notices Jace, "Morning?" "Morning, love~ What are you doing here so early in the morning~? Come to have some fun with me~?" Jace asks easily enough. Vesta scowls and opens her mouth to reply, but Ludwig cuts her off. "Again, zat sind none of Sie business, Herr Arani." Vesta closes her mouth, smirking lightly as she sees Jace's eyes narrow. "There you have it," she says "and just so you know, it's not YOU I've come here for. Later, Jace." she says as Ludwig steps aside to let her into her chambers, something she makes use of. Ludwig sends Jace one last smirk before closing the door with a small bang, the sound of the lock falling into place shortly after. Jace scowls lightly as he stares at the innocent piece of wood. 'Over my dead body...'

Sloth

He buries his face into his pillow a little more, not quite wanting to wake up just yet. "Sie should get up," is muttered next to him. "Sie alarm clock has gone off four times now." "Hmm..." Jace smiles slightly as his arms wrap around a waist that dips in just a little "I know some part of me is up," he murmurs, abandoning his pillow to nuzzle golden hair. The comment earns him a swat to the arm. "Sie has a debriefing, does Sie not?" "I'll cancel, no problem." Jace tosses a leg over Ludwig's legs, pressing their bodies even closer than they already are. "Ich vill not let Sie cancel Sie debriefing." Ludwig scowls, trying to look back at Jace over his shoulder, though all he can see is messy platinum blonde hair. "How about I debrief you, hm?" Jace murmurs, one of his hand sliding down, to the top of Ludwig's briefs; he never gets why the other insists on dressing before sleeping, he's only going to end up undressed in the morning anyway. Ludwig flusters, spluttering out some German words indignantly. Jace takes these words as a, 'yes please' and, much like a lion, he pounces. "Let's spend all day in bed~" he smirks before yanking the covers over them, shrouding them in darkness.

Pride

"I don't see what the big deal is, Luddy-kins. You look fabulous~" Snicker. Amethyst eyes narrow, "Sie just laughed at me, did Sie not?" "Of course not, I don't know how you can say that~" a grin, meant to placate the other but not quite succeeding. "Ich can't believe Sie is drawing amusement vrom zis," a scowl "Nein, Ich actually can. Is Sie not in the least affected by wearing zis, zis monestry? Has Sie no pride!?" Uncontained laughter, "Oh Luddy-kins, you're just sulking that you look better in a dress than I do~" "Hmph!" "Don't worry, love~ You'll never look as fab as me no matter what you wear~" a wink. "Sie really has no pride, does Sie?" "None whatsoever~"

Gluttony

"Err... Luddy-kins?" a tenative tone. "Vot." an annoyed look. "What... exactly, are you doing...?" a questioning glance. "Can't Sie see?" an impatient tone. "... All I can see is you eating nothing but snickerdoodles for the past... what, ten minutes? Without stop. Are you okay?" An uncomfortable look. "Of course Ich am fine," a miffed huff. "... Why are you eating them all at once?" Confusion. "To make sure zat no one else vill," a roll of the eyes. "O... kay then," even more confusion "You just... enjoy it, then." Oh, so much confusion. "Ich vill," a huff. "Right, you do that," a resigned sigh, before the focus returns back to the TV, rather than the near-non stop crunching next to him.

Wrath

"Vot, Herr Arani, is zat." Jace blinks at his fellow blonde innocently, as if he isn't currently throwing out an empty box of snickerdoodles. "Nothing~?" He tries, an easy grin hiding the discomfort he is actually feeling. He hadn't expected Ludwig back yet for at least another hour or so - just enough time for him to get the golden blonde exorcist a new pack. "Are zose," the words are spoken dangerously calm "My snickerdoodles?" "... Probably~?" The grin is starting to look a little strained as Ludwig's eyes narrow slowly. "... I am getting you a different pack, Luddy-kins. Don't worry, I will," Jace says before adding quickly, "In fact, I'll get you two, okay? How's that?" He honestly hadn't intended to eat them all. He just wanted to try one and see what Ludwig liked about them enough to turn him into a psychopath the moment someone even looked at them a second too long (really, Jace hadn't expected Ludwig to react like that to something other than his hair), and before he knew it, his hand was grabbing at empty carton, the oil-stained packaging the only thing left. Ludwig looks, in one word; unimpressed. "Die." "Ah Shi-"Never piss off a generally unfriendly German.

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ Ludwig x Anubis } Smitten

He can still see her clearly when he closes his eyes. Half-lidded ruby eyes, set in a heart shaped face that is framed by long, dark brown hair. Dainty hands that no doubt possess more strength than they should held a sceptre loosely. Her golden-tinted skin made it obvious to him just what she was, even without the way she set his exorcist senses on high alert. ("What have we here? A lost little lamb?") He still shivers when he thinks back to her sultry voice. (Full lips shape into a slight smirk. "Would you like me to tell you how to get home, little lamb?") Through her taunts he'd been unable to do anything but stand there and stare. His fingers twitch now, too late, as he remembers how his guns were loose in his hands. She had been a demon, obviously. She had been in the forest near building seven, completely undetected by the barriers. She had been- ("My name?" a smirk "Perhaps I am a sheep-dog, hm? Little lamb?") perfect. And Ludwig never knew just how hard a person could fall. "Oi, Luddy-kins~ What are you spacing out for?" Ludwig snaps out of his thoughts with a scowl. "Zat sind none of Sie business, Herr. Arani." He walks off, ignoring the pout Jace sends his way. 'Ich vill find Sie,' Ludwig licks his suddenly dry lips as an image of the woman flashes by in his mind. 'Sie just vait, Anubis.'

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ Jace x Ludwig } The Final Battle Can Not Always Be Won || tw death

His cracked lips form a pained grin, his usually white teeth dyed pink with blood. "Crying?" he croaks out before a small cough escapes him, a few drops of fresh blood staining the corners of his already stained lips. "Silence!" Comes the hiss as trembling hands move about quickly, trying to stop the bleeding without knowing what wound to tend to first. White clothes are no longer white as Ludwig rips off yet another strip of cloth from his mud and blood stained coat, turning it into make shift bandages. "Hold zis," he demands, his voice not betraying the feelings that can be seen in his wide, panicked amethyst eyes as he stares at the still shape of the other, patches of skin ripped open, clothes turn, limbs broken; the man that always rose above all, broken. Jace smiles wryly as Ludwig forces him to hold onto the strips of cloth, blood already seeping through them. "It's over." "Lies!" Ludwig hisses, though he knows he's merely deluding himself. "Sie can still be saved!" Another cough comes forth as Jace chuckles, "Now who's lying?" "Sie can't die yet, Ich have yet to prove zat Sie sind a demon," Ludwig says stubbornly. Jace smiles gently as he lets go of the cloth, reaching up his trembling hand to cup Ludwig's cheek, streaking the pale skin red. "You stopped trying to prove that years ago, love." His voice is a whisper and it's obvious that every word hurts to speak. "Zat has nothing to do vith zis!" Tears prickle at Ludwig's eyes as he grabs onto Jace's hand hopelessly. "Sie can't die before Ich-" "I love you," the words are barely audible, but Ludwig hears them clearly. "Always have, always will." Ludwig presses his trembling lips against Jace's hand, firmly squeezing his eyes shut as he can feel a tear run down his cheek. "Ich don't know vat Ich should to vithout Sie..." his throat constricts some. "Live." Half the word fades away as Jace's voice gives out, but Ludwig can understand it nevertheless. Jace's hand goes lump in Ludwig's voice, blank silver eyes staring ahead unseeingly. A sob rips from Ludwig's throat as he reaches out a trembling hand to gently close Jace's eyes. He can feel the hand he is holding turn brittle, such a strange sensation, before a fingertip turns to ashes, soon followed by the rest. Ludwig can do nothing but stare as the man he loves disappears, turning to ashes. His heart crumbles at the same speed Jace's body does. "Ich liebe dich..." he croaks out before biting his lip and turning his face to the sky, Jace's ashes staining his suit. The sun really picked the wrong day to shine so brightly.

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{ Team 7 } Coffee Days

"The coffee is gone." The sentence that is uttered by Vesta is so innocent, and yet it is enough to get Seven's eyes to snap open, rousing the boy from his previous slumber. "Wha?" Seven wonders if the words were a dream. "The coffee is gone." Vesta repeats. Apparently they weren't. "And Jace...?" "Still asleep, for now." Vesta reassures him. "What time is it?" Seven asks, literally rolling out of his bed, twisting his lower body weirdly to land on the floor with both feet. "9, so we still have about two hours before he should wake up." "Hmm..." Seven looks around the room he shares with Vesta. Since they are in the middle of a two-week mission that landed them in a quaint little cottage, they have to make do without the luxuries that building seven grants them. "I don't have any coffee?" Vesta sends him a flat look, "Of course you don't." "Hmm... Yeah, yeah..." Seven rubs his eyes. "So, uh... what do I need to do?" "Since you have the best stamina," Vesta takes out a bill of 10 and holds it out to the sleepy boy "you get to run to town to get some coffee." "Yeah, okay." Seven stifles a yawn before taking the bill from Vesta's hand and moving to leave the bedroom. "Oh, and Seven?" "Hm?" "Put on some pants." "Coffee, coffee..." Seven mutters to himself as he moves through the aisles of the local supermarket. "Coffee is..." he looks at the empty coffee aisle. "Not... here. Shit." Vesta drums her fingers onto her arm impatiently as her foot taps the floor. 'Seven should be back by now,' she thinks, her eyes on the clock which shows over half an hour has passed. 'So where is he...' As if on a cue, her phone rings. Without bothering to look at the display, she picks up. "What's keeping you?" she snaps. There is a pause, then a, "Pardon?" Vesta blanks a little. It's Kael. "Oh, it's you." "I do apologise if you expected another person to call you from my phone," Kael says in a dry tone. "Yeah, whatever." Vesta sighs. "What is it?" "Do you happen to have some time?" Vesta notices that Kael sounds a little nervous, though he seems to be trying to cover it up. "Not really," she says, leaning back against the counter "So, if there's anything you want to say...?" A slight pause comes, followed by a, "No, no. Not quite. I'll talk to you again when you three are back. Bye." Vesta blinks as the dial tone follows. "... Wonder what that was about?" she shakes her head with a sigh before looking at her phone. No missed calls, Seven didn't try to send a text message either. A little annoyed, Vesta narrows her eyes before dialling Seven's number. It takes a few seconds before Seven picks up with an out of breath, "H-Hello?" "What's taking you so long?" "I don't know why, but I can't find coffee anywhere?" Seven sounds a little panicked. "What do you mean, you can't find coffee anywhere?" Vesta asks incredulously. "Aren't there like, twenty brands in every super market?" "Twenty is a bit... anyway, the entire coffee aisle was empty?" Seven clears his throat "And so were those of the two other supermarkets?" Even he sounds unsure. Vesta stares at the wall in front of her without actually seeing it, "You're joking." "I'm not joking! I'm just as surprised as you are, honest!" Seven objects. Vesta pinches the bridge of her nose, "Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone went and made all the coffee disappear?" "It sounds like a really lame lie when you put it like that," Seven groans. "but it really is true!" Unlikely, but Vesta will just have to believe it. She doubts Seven will joke with Jace's prized coffee on the line. "It's a temporary solution, but just get a cup at a café." "Okay, that still gonna be good by the time Jace wakes up?" Seven asks. "We'll just wake him up when you get here, no problem." Vesta decides. "After that he can get some coffee himself." "Alright... I'll be off then!" Seven says before hanging up. Vesta bites her lip as she lowers the phone from her ear. 'Someone is playing a really, REALLY awkward prank...' Seven is about ready to dance the Macarena (the only dance he knows properly) in the middle of the street when he finds a café that is still open. Most of the café's he tried have closed down for the day due to their coffee running out of stock. It's surprisingly quiet inside, but Seven doesn't let that deter him as he rushes inside, "One coffee please!" He calls, before letting out a startled sound as he nearly trips over a bag filled with... boxed coffee? "Wha...?" The entire floor is littered with bags that are filled with coffee. Looking up, he can see a sleek black tail move back and forth happily as Bastet is leaning against the counter. "So~" Bastet purrs at the startled woman behind the register, a grin on his lips as his cold, golden eyes are on her. "Like I said, I'll buy up all your coffee~" he easily takes out a cheque book. "Bu-but..." she looks unsure. "All of it." "Not so fast!" Getting over his shock, Seven jumps over all the bags. "You! You're the one buying up all the coffee!? Why!?" "Tsk," Bastet huffs a little before turning towards him "So you found out~? Well, nothing you can do about it now~" he grins a Cheshire grin. "The coffee is mine." "I'll buy a pack from you, any kind!" Seven says, taking out the bill of ten. "Here, I'll even pay extra! Please?" He is not above begging a demon when the other option is Jace without coffee. "Hmm..." Bastet taps his chin with a clawed finger, then grins. "No." "What!? Why not!? You're not really gonna drink all this yourself, right? Or are you planning to stay up for the next millennium or so!?" "Maybe, I guess you won't know, will you now~?" Bastet smirks. "If that oh, so, interesting handler of yours wants his coffee, he can come and get it himself~" he purrs out. Seven blanks, this guy actually knows about Jace's coffee addiction? And still bought all the coffee? Or... did he buy it BECAUSE he knew about the coffee addiction...? "Uh... Did you, maybe, buy all the coffee to... mess with Jace?" he asks a little weakly. "Bingo~ Give the man a prize~" Bastet claps slowly. "I can't wait for him to wake up and find the coffee gone~" "He'll kill you! He'll definitely, definitely kill you!?" "Nothing better than a little murderous intent in the morning, is there now?" Bastet smirks. With a scowl, Seven puts the bill away again, taking out the hilt of his sword, "I can't let that happen. Especially since his murderous intent will get to ME long before it'll get you," the hilt glows red before the blade forms. "I will get a pack of coffee from you, one way or the other!" Bastet's eyes light up. "Oh~ Interesting, interesting~" he grins brightly. "How interesting you can be, sometimes~ Fine, we'll do this~ Try to get some~" "I won't TRY to get some... I WILL get some!" And with that, Seven charges at the demon. Vesta bites her nail, her eyes on the kitchen clock. It's nearing 10:30 now, Jace can wake up any time. 'Seven, hurry up...' She hears a slight creaking of Jace's bed, the man no-doubt starting to wake up and trying to catch a few extra minutes of sleep by getting more comfortable. '... Damnit, Seven, get back here!?' The waitress is cowering behind the register, peeking over the rim as she behinds the other-worldly fight that is going on. She can practically hear battle music in the background as the two clash. "Is that all you got~?" cackles the demon, dodging the swipe of the sword. "Like hell it is!" Seven pushes himself off of the counter, practically flying at Bastet who's eyes widen in pure joy. "That's more like it~" he purrs before placing a foot against Seven's shoulder, kicking the other back while at the same time flipping back. Nevertheless, the sword grazes him. With a pout he looks at the cut that appears on his shin. "I just got this body, be nice to--- it?" He looks around, blinking. Seven is gone, one of the bags of coffee missing. "Tsk," he narrows his eyes a little before plopping down with a solid pout on his face. "Do you still want the coffee, sir?" the counter-girl asks timidly. "No." Bastet huffs. Next time, he will no longer underestimate Jace's charge, that's for sure. 'Little thief.' "Quick!" Vesta opens the door just as Seven reaches it, water already boiling in the kitchen "You got it, right?" Seven nods, holding out a bag, "Here, it's all in here." "Perfect, great." Vesta nods before grabbing the box on top and quickly retreating to the kitchen to pour some coffee while Seven collapses onto the couch for some well-deserved rest. "Morning, loves~" Jace greets, as he walks down the stairs, voice a little croaky after waking up, bit his mood no less cheerful than usual the moment he smells coffee. "Strange to see you up so early, something happen?" he asks, tossing a glance at Seven. Seven musters up a grin, "Nope, nothing happened. Nothing at all." Jace eyes him a bit longer before shrugging and entering the kitchen, deciding that some things are just so much more important than grilling his charges, like his morning coffee. Seven and Vesta let out a sigh of relieve. All's well that ends well. "... This is decaf?" ... Or not. Hell came down on earth that day.

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

[beyond-illusion-blog1]

{ Jace x Luise } Meeting

It wasn’t the kind of party he’d expect to see someone like her around at - it wasn’t the kind of party he would normally be at either, but he noticed her right away. The coy smile on her full red lips, her indigo eyes half-lidded. Almost like in a fairy tale their eyes met at the same time, yet unlike in a fairy tale there were no butterflies in his stomach, no sparks in the background, no gentle music suddenly sounding. However, there was a fascination caused by the way her eyes moved away from him soon enough. A grin grows on Jace’s lips, ‘Interesting.’ He thinks. His suit would have looked out of place in the club if not for the fact that he’s left his blazer at the lobby, his dress shirt having two buttons open at the top, then another at the bottom, the shirt untucked as per usual. Plenty of glances come his way, yet they’re not particularly interesting, especially when compared with the lovely lady his eyes landed on. Her hair shines red, blue and green under the flickering lights, making him wonder what colour it really is. He’s betting on a light colour, since his own platinum blonde hair is no doubt reflecting the same colors. “Hey there,” he says when he’s close enough, her hips swaying to the music “you look like you might make for an interesting evening.” he tosses her a grin that has captured many hearts. She looks like the type of woman to play the same games as he does, a battle of wills of sorts - but Jace does like the challenge. Her eyes slide over him slowly, her lips twisting into a coy smile. “I don’t know, I think Sie might not be able to keep up vith me.” Her German accent is there, yet not to the extent there it bothers him. Something about her is familiar, though he can’t place it at the moment. His own smirks form a seductive smirk, “Want to bet?” She smiles at that, pearly teeth showing, and it finally hits him where he’s seen her at. He’s seen her in a perfume commercial - a German super model. 'Nice,’ he thinks 'I haven’t had a model yet… well, recently at least.’ “Zen, what does Sie propose?” she asks as she shifts, dancing against him slightly. His fingers grip her hips loosely as he moves with her and for a moment it’s like they’re the only ones in the club. “One evening wouldn’t be enough for the things I propose, love. I can show you the world.” His voice is low, her eyes widen slightly as his silver eyes glint in the light of the club. For a moment she can almost believe the promise - she can believe that this man really can show her the world, but then the moment passes. Nevertheless, her interest is piqued. “Alright,” she tells him, ignoring the voice in the back of her mind which is telling her this is a bad idea “I’ll give Sie my evening.” His chuckle makes her stomach clench in something that can be either excitement or fear, yet she can’t break the gaze they share, spell bound. “Love,” his voice is light, teasing “by the time the evening is over, you’ll give me your whole world.” Even though the evening has yet to actually start, Luise can’t help but to agree. A 'game over’ from the moment their eyes first met, she lost this game before it even began.

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{ Kael x Vesta } Why Me

Kael lets out a sigh, “Alright, I give up,” he says, making Vesta glance at him in question. They have been walking through the shopping hall for a few minutes now, on their way to the bookstore. “Is there any particular reason as to why Seven and Mr. Arani would try to stalk us?” Kael asks a little dully, shifting his brown eyes to meet Vesta’s blue ones, receiving a smirk in response. “Maybe,” she says cryptically. “Did I get caught up in yet another one of your silly disputes?” Kael asks with slight dread. Last time that happened, Jace had grinned, slung an arm around his shoulder, and told him that he’d best try to live a long and careful life, because accidents can happen around any corner. Kael still has nightmares. “Pretty much,” Vesta says with a shrug, sounding a tad too happy about it for Kael’s liking. “What could it possibly be this time?” Kael lets out a resigned sigh. “Nothing much,” Vesta looks ahead again, her lips twitching into a smile “just that I told them we were going on a date.” Kael chokes on his spit, “A date?” His voice is a bit higher than he’d like. “But this isn’t a date.” he objects. “Oh, I know that,” Vesta says, flipping her hair over her shoulder in a casual manner. “But they don’t.” she tosses him a smirk. Kael groans and pinches the bridge of his nose - no wonder the two had been stalking after them, probably to see if it’s really a date. “You know, they might try to off me in my sleep.” he says in a dry tone, tossing a slight glare at Vesta who doesn’t seem particularly bothered by the news. “Best not sleep then.” She says simply. “You have got to stop dragging me into your petty fights.” Kael mutters. “‘ow exactly do you plan to convince them this is a 'date’ anyway? We don’t look the least bit smitten with each other.” Especially since while they walk besides each other, they do not touch, looking like a pair of acquaintances at best. “That’s pretty simple.” Vesta shrugs, making Kael quirk an eyebrow in silent question. “Do share,” he says dully, not at all interested in Vesta’s plans, yet resigned to his faith. There is little that can be done if Vesta has her mind set on anything, which is something he has learned the hard way in the past. “Alright,” she shrugs again before suddenly grabbing his hand and tugging him to face her. Kael’s eyes widen as Vesta stands on her tip-toes slightly, her eyes half-lidded as her smirking lips near his - and then she’s gone. Or, better yet, he’s gone, suddenly standing a while away with Jace’s arm slung over his shoulder while Seven is with Vesta, stumbling out an explanation on how him and Jace 'happened to be around and spot them’. He’s always been such a bad liar. “So~” Jace grins cheerfully, yet his eyes are a little narrowed, causing a shiver to run over Kael’s spine. Is this how a guy would feel when caught trying to kiss a man’s daughter? Probably, only this man is known for his skills with a scythe. “I hope we didn’t interrupt you two~ We just happened to pass by and saw you, then decided to say hi~ No problem, yeah?” “No-” Again, his tone is a little too high, causing Kael to clear his throat before he tries again. “No problem.” “Great!” Jace grins at him. “How about we take the lead, yeah?” His voice leaves very little room for argument as he starts to guide Kael to the bookstore, his hand on the younger’s shoulder. 'Bloody 'ell…’ Kael thinks, barely suppressing the groan as he walks in front of Seven and Vesta, who is no doubt smirking. “ow is it this always ‘appens to me…?’ It’s times like these that he rues the day that he met this particular team.

[beyond-illusion-blog1]