doomxdriven

[doomxdriven]

[doomxdriven]

[doomxdriven]

Surrounded by tall spruces and illuminated by the streaks of celestial light that cut through the canopies above, Jin walks, each step carrying him toward a set of stone structures that could be glimpsed ahead.

"What don't you understand?"

Jin of course had an idea of what Fran meant, and before she might have uttered anything else, he speaks again.

"We may be monsters but that doesn’t mean we need to treat each other like animals," not without good cause anyway, "expressing that sort of knee-jerk disdain and disgust is for small minded Humans."

A strong, cool breeze begins to pass through the forest, swaying trees and Jin's long coat, and seemingly dancing around Fran, as if there was life to this wind, as if it were excited, or at least intrigued, by her presence.

If Fran listened closely enough, she might have heard a faint, disembodied voice coming from the wind as well, a voice that echoed Jin's when he smugly adds,

"after all, we're better than them."

There comes a point where Jin turns slightly, looking over his shoulder at Fran, his crimson eyes alight with a haunting, preternatural incandescence.

"There's something about us that rings familiar, too, you felt it didn't you, moments ago? The first time in ages, perhaps the first time ever?" Jin lets out a smooth chuckle, "this world of ours works in strange ways."

In time, the forest around Jin and Fran would begin to thin, and closer now, those stone structures could be made out as a collection of buildings enclosed within a tall series of walls; it was the lodge Jin had spoken of before, standing at the forest's edge, and flanked by a crystal clear lake that reflected the aurora laden sky like glass.

"Oh, and my name as of late is Jin, in case you were wondering," Jin says as he turns his head forward once more, the forest floor beneath their feet giving way to a finely paved path that led up to the lodge, "Jin Kariya-- you may hear the others refer to me simply as 'Kariya', but feel free to call me whichever."

The others, Jin's kindred who dwelt within the lodge, he wondered how they would react to Fran's presence-- hopefully most of them would behave themselves around her, and not have to be reigned in.

"On that topic, is 'Frankenstein' truly what you wish to be called?" Jin asks, "that's nothing but a name associated with your pitiful creator and the misguided stories about you, no?"

With a smooth, somewhat playful flair, Jin adds, "I would personally be annoyed if everyone referred to me only as 'Vampire', but perhaps I'm out of touch with the times."

Eyebrows furrow, unseen by the stranger. Mismatched hues had yet to leave him. Every subtle move could spell disaster. She had endured beatings, whipping, maimed time and again they were the real monsters. It was she who bore more hostility towards him. His motives were unclear, even as his stride was steady and calm.

Fran's shoulders tensed with his approach but ever step let her see a little more. Fangs like razors, hues the color of blood, a fellow who walked in the embrace of the night. He does not need to say more than what his appearance implies. They are similar in a way but this did not imply safety.

No, Frankenstein was prepared to swing at him break his bone, crush his skull if need be, but she found herself rooted to the spot. A simple touch upon the great dome of her mace. A stunted heart springing to life - almost excited, more so afraid but one thing was for certain. The electricity that ran up her limps and into her skull seemed to carry a message.

A fellow monster was in front of her and she need not fear him.

"Uuu...?" She lacks the words as the sound escapes her. As he walks passed, her eyes follow his movement. This man did not harm her, instead, igniting a strange spark that she had not experienced before. The static still seemed to linger at her finger tips. "D-don't un...unders-stand..."

And truly, for the first time in a long time, she was stumped by the motives of a stranger. No amount of observing had prepared her for the simple act of acceptance. It was so foreign it almost frightened her. Yet in spite of the instinct to fear, she began to place one foot in front of the other, trailing behind. It was a comfortable distance but she did follow.

"Wh-why?" Fran asks keeping an eye on his back. She could not explain this, one who only knew the ire of mankind. "I-I do...don-n't und-dersta...nd..." Whether she meant his words or the feeling that arose from the touch upon her heart, she didn't elaborate. Her mind already was a muddle of questions that begged for answers. All she could do now was trail behind this monster wearing the flesh of a man.

[doomxdriven]

STRANGE ; a scent, not of man, nor of beast ... something darker. Claws dig, overturn the earth, cyan - hues narrow. He, himself, did not favor being disturbed ; be it at rest, or in the heat of a DANCE, with another dragon.

Body would rise, relaxed mood shed, for that of a defensive one. Of course, the lance is in his nest ; but he fears not, something - someone - so ... small. Someone that could be crushed underfoot.

❝ ... Those garments, do not come from the cities, and settlements. No one, above, wears anything like that.

... I want no quarrel, so, I give you the chance to provide a name. ❞

This…. incredible difference in height wasn't going to do, and so upward Jin goes, moving like an apparition as he levitates with ease and haunting grace, climbing higher and higher until he was at face level with Melynerys. As he hovers there before this draconic titan, Jin does well to look them over, to gauge just what he was witnessing, but his crimson eyes settle into a fierce gaze soon enough, staring into Melynerys own cyan hues, all the while maintaining a confident, calm posture that mirrored his tone.

"Well well well, the veritable Tatzelwurm you are, almost."

This place, and Melynerys themselves, weren't what Jin expected to see after stepping out of the Welttor (a gate of sorts that his people used to travel between the Living World and others), but here he was intrigued all the same-- by appearances and by the scent of their Soul, Jin clocked Melynerys as draconic, albeit a flavor of draconic he had not witnessed before. How strange.

"I would hope no one 'above'-- wherever that is-- dresses exactly like me, I pride my style on being unique," replies Jin with glib affection while a smirk creases across his lips.

"But, Jin, is what you can call me."

Jin appears to lean back now, as if there was a wall behind him to rest against and not the empty, open space that apparently surrounded him. There is a brief moment, too, where the air around Jin seems to shift and grow heavy, where a breeze suddenly manifests and circles his figure with purpose, but it's gone the moment Jin speaks again.

"I should ask your name as well, though I find myself more curious about what you are, and where we happen to be."

[doomxdriven]

Today I look for someone just for me. Someone who will love me even if I can't fulfill their wishes. Someone who has love for me alone...

[doomxdriven]

Cc: to the owner

[doomxdriven]

( @treeofcrucifixion continued from x)

What a strange, and intriguing sight, Jin thought. It was odd enough to think that this was the famed, or infamous Frankenstein, the supposed and quintessential 'monster' of many a tale, and they were in fact nothing of the sort, nothing close to monstrous, not as far as Jin could see (at least 'monstrous' in the way he knew Humans typically thought).

What was stranger, however, was this creature in and of herself, this self-proclaimed monster who somehow seemed both delicate wilting flower (so fragile and thin, holding onto themselves the best they can) and dangerous bastion of might all at once-- he saw the way they positioned themselves with mighty-sceptered hammer in hand, and knew it was not for show, he could feel it, he could smell it, the strength, the spark, the power that coursed through their every limb.

Jin had discerned that power the moment they crossed paths of course, but to see it at the ready before him, juxtaposed with the image of a ruinous bride beaten down by the world and tried by it for her nonexistent sins, why it made this 'Frankenstein' almost seem like a contradiction to Jin, an enigma.

There was clearly a STORY behind this creature Jin looked upon, too, one that was far from anything ever recorded about them in any book written by Human hands, and with that story, he also saw an INDIVIDUAL who had been misunderstood time and time again by the world, misunderstanding they were made to suffer for. Because of that, Jin saw a few potential parallels between this 'Frankenstein' and himself, and he saw a mystery, and Jin loved to unravel a good mystery.

"Human's don't care for monsters," Jin replies, smooth though with a wide grin that (purposefully) did not hide his razor sharp fangs, "I know that well from personal experience, let alone from the allegories within those tales spun about you and other such creatures of fantasy."

Jin steps forward, bringing himself closer to Fran after she had shuffled back, and raises one hand with a single finger outstretched.

From where Jin stood, he was only just able to touch his finger to the bulbous top of Fran's scepter, but that was all he needed.

Around the preternatural flesh of Jin's fingertip, a minuscule though pressurized concentration of wind gathered, sparking into a brief flare of lightning that did not assault Fran, but rather danced around her mace.

The lightning was PURPOSEFUL, it called to the electricity that animated Fran, it sought to impose a feeling of familiarity, of kindred spirit between she and Jin... and then it was gone, almost as soon as it had sparked to life.

"But that doesn't mean it's right, or that we monsters shouldn't try to understand each other."

Jin now walks past Fran, though he does so slowly, anticipating her to follow him when he asks, "I've rented out the nearby lodge, there's no reason for us to carry on out here in the woods; come and speak more with me."

[doomxdriven]

what kind of "I LOVE YOU" are you?

the confession

when you say "i love you," it carries the whole weight of your heart. it feels like closing your eyes and stepping off a cliff. maybe you've been planning to tell them for days now, or maybe it's just slipped out without you realizing, either way, it was inevitable. it's relief and dread all at once, it's mortifying yet hopeful. the words hang heavy and suspended in the air, thick enough to choke on, a brief and perilous moment against the mortal pull of gravity.

[doomxdriven]

"I'm not sure whats going on here but somehow this doesn't seem good."

"....... I may have miscalculated this--"

"Quickly, Captain, while the others are distracted."

[doomxdriven]

"Quickly, Captain, while the others are distracted."

[doomxdriven]

"Fuck, Marry, Kill, is precisely how my two marriages have gone."

"You should take that as a god-damned sign from above to give it a rest and not go for anymore of them, you poor bastard."

"This, coming from someone who's never managed the first part? I'm wounded, truly."

[doomxdriven]

Jin Kariya in Bleach cover page style for @doomxdriven ✨ Thank you!

Commissions info

[doomxdriven]

A few feet from the shop's doorway, Jin stands, and from him a great force emanates, an invisible yet commanding sense of his presence that would have made him known even if he had gone unseen to the eye.

At first, Jin merely looks over the many rows of shelves nearest to him, eying the plentiful arcane and high strangeness with which they were adorned, but it doesn't take long for his crimson eyes to settle on Blanca.

A smirk is Jin's initial reply, followed by a sudden…. breeze, that found its way into the room-- a strange wisp that almost seemed to slither past Blanca, many shelves, and Jin himself, causing his coattails to flow too and fro. That breeze would then be found rattling the sign behind Jin, causing it to fall and seemingly… vanish.

"Sign? I'm sorry, I must have missed it," Jin finally says in a manner that was smooth, menacing, and smug in equal measure.

Not two seconds later, that breeze moves past Jin again, and the locks on the door behind him can be heard engaging, followed by the drop of shutters over the store's windows.

"You should have time for one more customer; don't worry, I doubt anyone else will be barging in here to bother you tonight."

No just him, just Jin.

"Help would be nice," Jin says, as he now begins to slowly walk through the shop, all the while keeping his eyes on Blanca, "but it depends on how odd the oddities here truly are."

Jin raises a hand, a single finger extended, (almost bestially claw-like if one looked closely enough), pointing at the back room Blanca had emerged from, "I take it there's much more in there; show me, if you would."

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ starter. | @doomxdriven

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❝ CHRIST, you guys cannot READ, I am cl— ❞ ㅤㅤㅤㅤA pause ; ever - moving nose twitches a bit harder, than usual.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤThat wasn't a teenager. That wasn't an adult. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤTHAT WASN'T EVEN A HUMAN.

Box drops to her feet, hand feeling for her BAT, the only thing that seemed to ward off the ... more ghastly ghouls, and visitors. It's slipped to her back, knuckles white from her CLUTCH 'round it. From her back room she emerges, cascade of white tresses pulled into tamed, twin - braids ; her ears, on full display.

Eyes peer over the rim of her glasses, a motion not UNCOMMON, among librarians, growing tired of shushing noisy patrons. Clawed finger points to the door ; but her words are chosen with caution.

❝ Sign said closed. I know the light's on, but I see like shit, normally ... Can I ... help you ? This is just an oddities shop, y'know. Not the corner store. ❞

[doomxdriven]

@hollownekomata (continued from x)

"There are many here who would see your guts spilled for that attitude alone," Rudbornn initially scoffs, looking down at the battered Miele both figuratively and literally, "not to speak of the garb that adorns you-- an Arrancar playing the part of Shinigami, what folly."

Rudbornn might have actually spit on the ground next to Miele, if his helmet was not in the way. Rudbornn couldn't fathom what twisted circumstances would drive one of his kind to throw their lot in with the Soul Society such as Miele apparently had, but he found the idea highly repugnant.

"You are lucky that I do not harbor the same temperament shared by some of my fellows," not anymore, not ever again if Rudbornn could help it, "I will not be killing you today, not under these circumstances."

Rudbornn extends toward Miele his gloved hand, whilst in the background, the strange Hollow that had done them harm, the Hollow that moments ago had been clearly killed by Rudbornn, somehow began to stir once more, developing a deep purple aura that began to distort the sands around it.

"My pity for you, however, is most certainly non-negotiable; I will not let you die here, either, not to that abomination behind us, now rise."

Rudbornn stands there, unmoving, almost statuesque in his posture, his gloved hand and the deliverance it promised waiting to be taken.

"I can explain things more thoroughly to you and tend to your wounds once we are away from here, but we must get to safety."

[doomxdriven]

Silence, Rudbornn kneels there before Momo in silence, contemplating her correction. Rudbornn wasn't offended of course, he sat more along the lines of mildly confused. On one hand, Rudbornn knew that Momo spoke the truth, insofar as he had heard others-- Gin, Kaname, and some Números even-- refer to her as 'Lady Hinamori'. On the other hand, Rudbornn personally found it hard to speak of anyone in a way that suggested he saw them as equal to Aizen, who was his savior, his leader, and his god rolled all into one.

However, Rudbornn's personal feelings on the matter were ultimately just that, personal, and unimportant, because he knew, too, that Aizen would likely want everyone to refer to Momo as 'Lady'. That is why Rudbornn would inevitably muddle through his confusion and break his silence with,

"Lady Hinamori, my deepest apologies."

Rudbornn rises to his feet now, hands placed behind his back while he speaks from beneath his mask, "there is only one custom, or norm, that has ever held weight here in Hueco Mundo, and that is El Poder hace El Derecho, or Power Makes Right."

It wasn't something Rudbornn was wholly fond of at times with how certain individuals would wield their might over others, but it was the closest thing to a 'law of the land' in Hueco Mundo all the same.

"Here, the strongest-- the Espada and their Lord-- have always stood above the rest, and their will has always been paramount. Lord Aizen has changed this hierarchy somewhat with the inclusion of others such as yourself and Master's Kaname and Gin, but all the same El Poder hace El Derecho persists." 

Rudbornn takes a few calm steps toward Momo, and then turns around to look out at the sight that was Las Noches; its many towers and fortresses, the dome that encapsulated it, and the small glimpses of Hueco Mundo's haunting sky that could be seen through the dome's glassy sections.

"You more than anyone must keep this in mind, for you alone have been chosen to stand at our Lord's side. The Espada, the Números, myself and the Exequias, all beneath Hueco Mundo's sky besides our Lord himself are subject to your will; do not squander this status or suffer challenges to it."

Whether Momo's will would be recognized by others through her might or by the threat of Aizen's remained to be seen, but Rudbornn was ready to adhere to it all the same-- after all, she had been chosen by Aizen to be what she was, and in turn, as far as Rudbornn was concerned, her will was an extension of Aizen's own. 

TO  BE  TREATED  WITH  SUCH  REVERENCE  ,  WAS  A  MOST  PUZZLING  THING  TO  THE  PHOENIX  .   It  hadn't  been  long  since  the  defection  from  the  Soul  Society  and  Gotei  Thirteen  ,  but  how  long  …  well  ,  who  could  say  ?  Nasal  voice  resounded  from  helmet  ,  beneath  it  being  none  other  than  THE  CAPTAIN  OF  THE  EXEQUIAS  ,  RUDBORNN  CHELUTE  .  LADY  MOMO  paid  little  mind  to  it  ,  as  her  gaze  shifted  to  witness  his  display  of  reverence  ,  before  her  (  such  what  would  become  her  new  normal  ,  in  time  )  .  In  truth  ,  her  thoughts  were  elsewhere  .  Mind's  eye  recounted  how  she  was  the  only  one  permitted  to  stand  with  LORD  AIZEN  as  the  boulder  and  light  would  transport  them  to  Hueco  Mundo  ,  the  chill  in  the  air  at  the  God's  proclamation  that  HE  ALONE  WOULD  ,  HENCEFORTH  ,  STAND  AT  THE  TOP  .  Sheer  awe  (  and  a  little  fear  )  had  pooled  in  her  stomach  at  that  display  of  power  ;  and  power  was  something  her  Lord  was  not  too  shy  to  demonstrate  ,  like  before  any  misbehaving  subordinates  ,  ESPADA  or  otherwise  . 

Still  ,  Rudbornn  had  made  one  small  mistake  . 

❝  Lady  ,  ❞  Momo  corrected  ,  intonation  airy  and  even  ,  yet  commanding  all  the  same  .  ❝  I  am  different  from  the  Espada  ,  or  from  Gin  and  Kaname  ,  even  .  ❞

(  …  For  even  ICHIMARU  GIN  referred  to  her  as  LADY  …  sarcasm  or  not  .  )

(  She  could  only  hope  she  didn't  offend  Rudbornn  Chelute  ,  demanding  to  be  addressed  appropriately  for  her  stature  .  Who  could  afford  to  claim  they  stood  WITH  Aizen  ,  as  opposed  to  behind  or  below  …  ?  )

❝  …  Rudbornn  ,  was  it  ?  …  Apologies  ,  I'm  …  not  used  to  how  different  Hollow  names  are  ,  from  what  us  Shinigami  are  called  .  ❞  She  averted  her  gaze  ,  folding  hands  before  her  ,  ❝  Is  …  there  anything  ,  that  I  should  know  ,  about  Hueco  Mundo  …  ?  Any  cultural  ,  customary  norms  that  I  should  observe  …  ?  ❞ 

[doomxdriven]

Rudbornn feels a pang of embarrassment run through him when Sylvia cites his initial stammering and associated awkwardness, but he's relieved that she is otherwise understanding or at least unbothered by him and what he had suggested.

Steeling himself a bit, Rudbornn focuses on the stand he had pointed out before, following up with, "it could be a game, I suppose," Rudbornn wasn't aware of what kinds of 'games' would be played at a gathering like this, but it made sense that there might be some, even the likes of which Sylvia had suggested, after all, the purpose of festivals was to celebrate and have fun, from what he understood of them.

"I would not say I am much of a marksman, but I may give it a try, if it does turn out to be a game of that sort," Rudbornn see Sylvia's playful glance and her grin, and in a sense he feels them, too, feels them as if they were weights swinging into him, into his heart, sending a slight blush onto his face, "how could I not, when you are so encouraging."

With a nod of the head, a smile, and a gesture made toward Sylvia to walk with him, Rudbornn would set off toward the crowded stand, and as they approached, it did appear to be a game, exactly as Sylvia had predicted too; numerous people at the front of the stand could be seen holding toy guns, shooting for moving targets behind the stand's operator.

"Amazing, look at all of them," Rudbornn mumbled, observing the handful of people wielding the toy weapons-- it didn't necessarily look like a lot of fun, but he could see that these people were enjoying themselves immensely. Would he enjoy himself just as much when he tried, Rudbornn wondered?

Taking a look around, Rudbornn scans their surroundings once again, though this time he isn't looking for Quincy or anyone who might cause trouble, he's making sure that no one in the crowd ahead or on the nearby streets is looking in his and Sylvia's direction. Rudbornn didn't want anyone to see what he would do next, and with good reason; it would probably cause a panic.

"One moment," Rudbornn then says to Sylvia, plunging a hand into one of his uniform's pockets, from which he pulls a small round object. Rudbornn then…. blows into the object in the same way someone might blow air into a balloon, and right before Sylvia's eyes, that object would turn into a life-sized replica of Rudbornn, only one with more casual, Human-natured attire.

"The man who gifted this to me, Urahara Kisuke, called it a Portable Gigai," Rudbornn comments, as he stands the simulacrum up straight, "I have not used it until today, but I am told it is crucial for beings of my nature to operate inside these 'Gigai', should we wish to engage with Human society."

Without another word, Rudbornn then appears to meld with the 'Gigai', and before long, it, or rather he, opens his eyes, and runs his hands over his body, feeling and looking at the white buttoned up shirt and black pants he was now wearing.

"I assume I do not look too badly?" Rudbornn says to Sylvia, holding out his arms and turning around, as if to allow her better inspection of his clothes.

Meanwhile, in the background, a few festival goers step away from their stations at the stand, freeing up enough spots for Rudbornn and Sylvia to take up, once they were ready.

"That Urahara character told me this Gigai came with premium attire, however I cannot help but feel this is far less appealing in terms of aesthetics, compared to my uniform…."

for being seen as so terrible, ruthless, and heartless, he was certainly an awkward sort. words came out in stammers when implying more than just a friendly togetherness. more than something that was simply platonic. sylvia’s smile widened. Though she does not say it out loud, he is an enigma that was far more adorable than he might realize.

best not mention it, however, in case of wounding pride.

“trouble may not find us this day; it could be he’s moved on entirely,” sylvia points out, knowing full well that it might be a vain hope. taking comfort in the thought did no harm for now. Instead, she took advantage of his pauses, looping an arm through his own.

“i am not opposed to such things either; there’s no need to worry about overstepping, rudbornn.”

awkward politeness, genuine, and warmhearted is he. To have been spirited away by someone so sturdy like the great trunk of a tree yet so gentle; sylvia considered herself lucky.

he points out a stand in the distance. bright light glows in what is now the dimming of evening. people milled about looking into the stand. perhaps a game of some sort or something for sale. sylvia could only fathom a guess as she decided to take the lead.she does not drag him, but her steps are the first to pull them from their rooted spot.

“do you think it’s a game, maybe?” sylvia suggests as she picks up their pace a little. She found it difficult not to wonder, as she had seen these things from a distance for so long, never bringing herself to experience them. “maybe one of those where you use a fake gun. I fancy myself a good marksman, you know.” she had enough experience throughout the years, of course, between her blood and her bow. “if not, maybe we can find one, and you can have a try! It may be too easy if I were to have a go; I might clear a place out with ease.”

once started, sylvia couldn’t bring herself to start. There was a sense of normality as they walked, something that she very rarely experienced throughout her life. The abnormal walking among the normal as if they truly belonged. wasn't that how it always was? such thought she buried in a sense of bliss, a giddy feeling blooming in her chest.

"if you don't mind that is," she finally finishes with a grin and playful glance, "i believe you could do it though, something tells me you've more talents than i know of."

[doomxdriven]

Jin looks on at Isaac with a raised brow, hearing them again heave those words, telling him to leave and with a more pointed warning this time, or perhaps it was a threat, if he considered the now mangled chair they had so fervently thrown. Be it warning or vicious threat, Jin still wasn't spurred to simply get up and leave-- to turn away from all of this without learning anything, and to turn away at the point of a metaphorical sword no less, that wasn't going to do. If anything, Jin now felt even more inclined to remain here.

"How dull," Jin replies, leaning back leisurely in his chair, before rhetorically asking, "am I truly that offending to you?"

Jin knew that he was intruding here to some extent, and that he wasn't presenting himself as the most accommodating or amicable person even if he sounded the part at times, but still, Isaac's attitude toward him seemed inane. Between the way Isaac was acting, and their peculiar way of speaking, Jin almost felt that he was dealing with a glorified child, or a bonafide fool in the form of an unknown and ominous supernatural force.

Of course, Jin knew better than that. Jin may have still been unable to discern what Isaac was among the throngs of phenomena and entities he had encountered throughout his many years, but he knew that it could be unwise (and at times perilous) to write any of them off as witless.

However, as Jin stared across the table at Isaac, into their many, many eyes once again, he did get an idea or two.

"Is it so bad for us to try and know each other, for us to be friends, Irrlicht?" Jin posed, his voice smooth and (for a moment) a bit softer than before, affecting a kindness that was wholly unnatural to him and yet, to anyone else, could easily appear pass as the genuine article-- mortal lies plied with immortal skill.

"Even a creature like you needs a friend or two."

Not everything had to be a complete lie, though. Friends, friendship, Jin had long used those terms loosely, because such concepts could only ever be finite and fickle in regards to a being like himself that would inevitably see time and entropy waste such bonds away, but that didn't mean he shirked from entertaining them to certain extents, especially if there was something to be gained.

"Friends give each other gifts, you know. I think I have something you will appreciate."

Grinning, Jin reaches into his coat and begins feeling around for something, all without taking his eyes off Isaac for a single moment.

Being as close as Isaac was, the wind almost started to kick up again, too, being ever defensive of Jin, now more than ever after Isaac had brutalized that chair. Jin, however, stifles the knee-jerk reaction of his unseen compatriot, and the space between him and Isaac remains calm, or at least, as calm as things had been between them so far.

"You have no issues with a friendly gift, do you?" Jin asks, stopping short of pulling out the supposed gift he had been referencing.

Despite Jin not yet unveiling what he currently clutched between his fingers underneath that coat, if Isaac listened closely, they might have begun to hear a rising noise from within Jin's coat, a haunting, and faint chorus that seemed to be calling to them.

"What do you say; give it a chance?"

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤFelled. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ Falling. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ Fetid.

The foolish, of mankind ; those who saw BEAUTY, in the catacombs THEY themselves, had created. ( Beware the Still Water. ) Corridors, rooms, escalators to nowhere, all, ALL had entranced them. The irresistible Siren's Call, to the void. Their mothers, had prayed for them, knowing that some day, their boys would not come home. The singular factor, in disappearance, after disappearance, had been THIS PLACE ; this place, now of myth, of LEGEND - Those who stepped foot inside, did not succumb to acrid stench, nor a slip into an elevator shaft. BUT, STUMBLING UPON IT, THEY CERTAINLY WISHED THAT FATE UPON THEM, IN THEIR FINAL MOMENTS.

And, now, here ; one unlike them. One that does not cower, at the echo of his footfall, one that does not peer, into the consuming void, no. As if, with PURPOSE, did he come here, swagger that of a man having lived dozens of lives. One PERPLEXING, to Isaak, and all it had come to know.

This mall, an area of neutrality ; while IT would dwell here, it was not the sort of home, a human could understand. As the ramora was to the shark, so too, was Isaak to the Mall, itself. A mere, mutual relationship that benefitted BOTH, without sacrificed.

To him, does Isaak listen, but maw does not part in answer ; for why would one be given ? The arrogance with which he spoke, an authority from centuries ago, settled ill in the BELLY OF THE BEAST. It's only response is the curl of lip, low snarl emitted, as it lingers just at his back, animal eyes glinting in the barest light.

Breeze, flits by, and Isaak - though strange, unusual - had mind enough to know ; whatever THAT was, had been a means of protection. And though, nothing could truly 'kill' it, it did not find a preference, at the best of times, to work for its' food. 'Pon bare heel does it turn, gait a lumbering one, into food course. Pizza, Chinese, a few sandwich places ; bare and barren, yet aglow, still. Flickering neon that refused to DIE.

Eyes narrow, and long digits do take hold of chair, only to fling it back, metal twisted, mangling upon impact with the wall. It merely leers, REFUSING to be instructed by some trespasser.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❝ GET ... OU-OU-OUT... ❞

Whatever, this creature, this beast of a man was, he too, was anomalous. A danger, in his own right, and one that - in truth, - Isaak had reservations about disturbing. Largs hands plant, on either side of the table, FRIEND leaning in close.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ❝ You-u-u will die if-f you don-on-on't ... ❞