paramythas

[paramythas]

𝐎𝐇 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓, 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐌𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐓, 𝐀𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐀𝐋𝐋 of this bullshit wasn't too familiar already. Neo's face twists in a way that conveys that she's had to deal with something like that before- and that she's not keen on doing so again. However, she can't help but scrub a hand over her face in frustration- grateful she hadn't bothered with her makeup before leaving her borrowed accommodations.

(She'll have to sneak back in and grab her stuff after this, she thinks.)

When he says the word 'pope' the question mark over her head is almost tangible, but she figures now isn't the time to ask about whatever that's supposed to be. Someone 'good', she supposes, judging by the context. Which again- she remembers what this Fyodor freak's power is, and while she's not a fan, she still doesn't get why he's such a problem.

Then again, she supposes if it were obvious, he wouldn't be so difficult to handle.

If she's being honest though, that man is the least of her problems at the moment. In Neo's mind, Mori is the greater issue- not only because he clearly wants her on as short a leash as he has Chuuya, but also because of the leash he has on Chuuya. If she thought she were capable, she'd consider trying to break it. But Chuuya thinks this is a place worth protecting- that he's worth protecting. She didn't miss the way he fell into indecision, uncertain whether to deal with her, or try and get The Cat off of his precious Boss. Neo doesn't have the pull to slip him off that leash and honestly? She's not sure he'd know what to do if it came off.

(He seems like he wouldn't know what to do if he landed himself in the doghouse either, but she keeps that thought tucked tight in her ribs for her own good.)

He's right though- she doesn't trust him. Or well, she doesn't trust him at the moment. Yet somehow, someway, she's still standing here listening to him and she still doesn't know what to think about that.

So she answers him instead of dwelling on it.

No, I don't.

Her crossed arms tighten marginally, and she shifts, looking off to the side and frowning at nothing. It's an almost hesitant, uncertain posture for someone who always seems to do and express exactly what she pleases. Much like her current employer, Neo's version of vulnerability is hardly what anyone would consider average.

But I was trying to. You know I've got issues about trusting people, but I was still... trying.

Because she can't keep falling into the same patterns that have failed her before. Can't go back to just letting herself exist in a bubble that contains only herself and her anger. Herself and the emotions that burn through her sometimes faster than she knows what to do with them. All she's going to do is end up burning herself out again- and she doesn't want that yawning pit of emptiness opening up in the space beneath her lungs again.

(Nothing here to be angry enough at to claw out of it. Nothing here to try and get better for, again and again-)

A heaving of breath. The hand on her face pushing up into her hair and dragging her bangs back away from her face. Claws that have ripped through parts of the fabric of her gloves catch and she stares at her hand for a moment after she tugs them out, pouting.

As quick as it appears, the expression disappears again, her eyes lifting to Chuuya.

Stepping forward into his space, she peers up into his eyes- sharp, wary, a little dark underneath but all too piercing- and regards him for a good long moment. Her lips press thin, but then she sighs again, tugging off her gloves as her eyes drop away, tucking them into a pocket of her borrowed blazer.

So you're not a backstabber, just dense as hell. Alright.

She doesn't 'say' it with any malice, just the sort of resigned understanding of someone who realizes things have gone sideways in an unexpected way. She wants to stay angry, really she does, but it's just so tiring right now.

Maybe I... should've been clearer. Even if talking's not easy.

It's strange, wanting to believe in someone. Maybe it's because Chuuya really did try his best to make her feel... something akin to welcome, before. Maybe it's because he looks like thinking about this from an emotional standpoint is close to giving him an aneurysm. Maybe she's just lonely enough that she doesn't want to lose the closest thing she has to an actual companion she's had in years. Whatever pathetic reason it is, she'll have to think about it when she's not less than a foot away from him, holding a hand out expectantly.

Gimme your hand. Gonna do a little trust exercise, you and I.

From the look on her face, it's clear this is something he shouldn't decline, if he really wants to keep her around. Yet Neo doesn't push, just holds her hand out, expectant, Hush swinging slowly on her opposite wrist, a blade ready to fall.

He doesn't really blame her, for thinking this is all just some ploy to get her to become another lackey for his organization. He knows too that Neo holds a decent chunk of Mori's interest in having her answer to them properly, but that's not what he was going to ask, and he knows -- even with that interest -- that Mori wasn't going to either.

At least, not yet, when Neo was clearly so damn flighty like a stray alleyway cat just looking for an excuse to bolt.

In time, he's sure Mori is hoping for it. His Boss knows how to be patient and play the long game, when he spots something valuable.

But currently? Mori already knows -- from his own reporting -- Neo has no interest whatsoever in that path, and the fact of the matter is, neither of them have anything valuable enough to hold over on her to force her to join, the way he had been made to all those years ago (not that he even cared to think of doing so).

Without proper leverage, and with the very real threat she could become, as well as her overall distrust, that's a gamble even Mori won't try to push his luck on.

She was -- or had been, no telling how it would go now -- willing to work with them, even if as hired outside help, which was the best any of them could really ask for at the given time. It was more cooperation they were getting than they would be from some other people Mori wanted under his thumb.

But that all makes things tricky, also, because there's not a lot they can do besides appeal to her interests to keep her from flipping them off as she disappears over the horizon.

"That's not what I'm trying to do, and it's not what the Boss was going to ask you either. I already know that much."

It's spoken more as a growling grumble, veiled frustration that he's trying to keep in-check.

"And Fyodor doesn't much give a damn whether you're chummy with me or not. I told you, he's basically the enemy of the world. He just likes causing problems, for everyone. That includes all of the people he keeps close at his side. He could really teach the Mafia a thing or two about using people that makes the Boss look like the fucking Pope."

Whether or not her world has a 'Pope' (and it probably doesn't) doesn't even cross his mind at the moment. He has too many other, more important thoughts to sort without diving into explaining mid-argument.

Even if he ends up falling entirely silent, trying to dig for the right thing to say, but he's really not good at this sort of thing.

Always too abrasive; too hard-edged and crude, and he feels himself struggling to grasp anything worth saying that will make much of a difference here.

Of course, a lot of things come to mind to say, but none of it he thinks she'll find very satisfactory, much less convincing, so a good dozen or so arguments that flit through his mind end up discarded before they ever find voice.

Which means at the end of everything, if thinking with objective reason and tactic doesn't work, the only thing he has to fall back on is improvising with whatever feels right, even if it feels like being backed into a corner.

Its not quite vulnerability, not quite an apology either, but sometimes a little bit of genuine humility could go a long way.

"...look. I know that you don't trust me a whole fucking lot any more than I do you yet, but I really wasn't trying to do anything that would screw you over. You asked me to keep one thing from him. I thought that meant where you came from, not keeping your Semblance a secret, and I wouldn't have told you that I could or was going to if I thought that's what you were asking. Genuinely. It didn't even cross my mind that you would care all that much, much less explode about it like that. I wouldn't have told the Boss anything that I thought was going to put you in jeopardy or get you hurt when you haven't given me a reason to. Yeah, I'm being cautious because I have to, but I--"

His words falter a moment, not quite sure where he's going when he trails off and needing to pause to collect his thoughts into some form of coherency.

"I really didn't think I was doing anything wrong by you, and whatever you do or don't think of the Boss, anything I told him I did so with the confidence that he'll make the right choice with that information. I've served him a long time and he's never screwed me once or did anything illogical. I know who I trust doesn't mean anything at all to you, but I wouldn't sell out anyone who hasn't done wrong by me or the Port Mafia if I thought they were going to come to harm because of it. Maybe we don't trust each other yet but we're still allies, or at least... I think we still are. That means something to me, believe it or not. Whether that actually matters to you or you just see it as bullshit... well... I guess that's not really for me to decide."

[paramythas]

chuuya keeps thinking of neo as a cat and/or in cat terms and every time i hope cawky can feel my [looks into the camera] stare boring directly into his soulllll

[paramythas]

me when i find replies i hadn't drafted just as i think my drafts are getting under control: ...ah-

[paramythas]

𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐍 acknowledgement because she hadn't asked to be coddled. He has to choose- is Neo a threat or isn't she?- and treat her accordingly, if he's going to.

So if he's expecting that to upset her, he's going to be disappointed. Neo knows she's dangerous. She was trained to be dangerous, and then she had to make herself more dangerous out of nothing but pure spite. 'Dangerous' isn't a bad thing, or even an insult when it comes to her- it's an objective fact.

So when he continues, she's not sure what he's trying to get at. Neo became the kind of person she is early, and so far in her life, only one person's warranted her acting any other way. Only one person's ever really made her want to. Which isn't to say that Neo goes into every interaction with the intent of impressing just what a problem she can be on people, but that most people who spend more than any cursory amount of time with her treat her the same way.

If you're trying to sell me a recruitment pitch, I already told you: I'm not joining the mafia.

Especially not after this. While Chuuya might have his reasons, and might find those reasons satisfactory enough reasons to go back on his word to her, Neo doesn't really care. She's selfish that way. If he'd at least brought it up to her first, explained the situation- and it does sound like a Situation in the sternest sense of the word- then she could have been convinced, for convenience's sake, to let him tell.

That there wasn't even that much consideration is another point against him.

How can he keep saying that she has to earn his trust- earn their trust, apparently- when he so repeatedly refuses to realize that it goes both ways and she at least, has been trying?

And the thing is he's right- she isn't stupid. However things are different as a criminal when you're essentially a two-person operation. Just because Roman occasionally hired peons didn't mean any of them meant anything- and maybe that's where the disconnect is.

Not that it really matters- it's one that she's not sure can be reconciled.

What bothers her, now, is that she's ended up wrapped up in another fucking fight that she never wanted to join to begin with. She just wanted to work, find a familiar way to get a paycheck and maybe meet a person or two to hang out with. This, more than anything else, is what makes her hesitate in turning around in leaving again, and she crosses her arms- though Hush remains unsheathed- giving him a narrow-eyed stare as she takes a moment to put together what she wants to ask.

Feel like telling me that greasy bitch you showed me was going to try and kill me just for existing was a thing. Didn't you say he has an ability too though? Isn't that kind of-?

Hypocritical- which seems to go around a lot, she thinks. So it makes sense, in a fucked up way, even if she doesn't like it.

Anything else like that I should know about? Other ability users who'll hear that I'm chummy with you and come for my throat, for example? Maybe try and brainwash me to join their side?

She doesn't bring up his apology. In fact, she doesn't acknowledge that she's even heard it, because it's not one. 'Sorry your feelings are hurt, but here's why that's stupid' doesn't really count for much to her.

"You're dangerous," he repeats, succinctly and without hesitation, making no effort to soften his words.

He's always leaned more into hard truths. Sometimes that serves him well. Whether or not it will here, he was just going to find out.

"Whether you want to be or not. If you trust nothing else, trust me when I say I have plenty experience with that. But that doesn't mean that you have to act like it, or that you have to be alone because of it. Even if the rest of the world doesn't like people like that," like himself, maybe like her, by the sounds of it, "there's a place for that here. This is somewhere that rewards being dangerous, but that also means for every dangerous person we take in, we have to take precautions. All of us here have done our time under the microscope proving ourselves, including me."

And if she's had as much experience with crime rings as that cat of hers claimed, suffered being back-stabbed the way she has, then he doesn't think he really needs to explain why those precautions are necessary.

Neo is stubborn and a little bit paranoid, but she's not stupid.

"And maybe it doesn't have to do with you directly, but you're working with the Port Mafia now, which means at some point it will concern you. And even if you weren't, not all our enemies are small time local gangs that you can just get rid of in a night. As far as anyone in this world is concerned, you're an Ability user, same as I am, and Fyodor's war is on all Ability users. He poses a global threat, so unless you're going to go find yourself some uncharted island separate from all of society or hop to another world entirely, chances are good you're not going to be able to avoid it until that bastard is dead, and none of us know how to kill him yet."

Theories, yes.

Dazai, probably.

But Fyodor knows of Dazai's Ability, and the man had managed to outsmart them all, one insult after another. Even with everyone's combined efforts, even with people like Dazai and Mori making active plans to counter him, they still kept falling for that man's damn schemes one after another.

For a moment, he steps back, takes a breath, and tries to force some of his nerves to settle. To take some of the edge off his own voice.

"...you still don't know a lot about this world, and you haven't met Fyodor, so I don't blame you for not being able to see our reasons in everything. I'm sure you have your reasons as well for all of the things you do or that you see in what we do. I'm not going to lie and pretend that the Mafia isn't the type of organization that uses people for gain, but you already knew that the moment you signed on, right? I'm genuinely trying to work with you, as best as I know how, and as much as circumstances allow. I'm sorry if that doesn't look how you think it should, but I am trying."

[paramythas]

i'm sexually interested in whatever's wrong with you

[paramythas]

more redraws

[paramythas]

breakfast > inbox call > starters > replies & such or that's the plan at least. wish me luck

[paramythas]

𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐔𝐘𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑, 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 intentionally or not, of just how much more he has to lose than her at any given time. It makes Neo bristle, just a little, like an angry cat, the whole of her body seeming to tremble with her indignation. Even as she feels another spike of frustration, she can't hep but point out the lack of sense in the statement, from her point of view.

So am I dangerous or not? Which is it, boss?

He keeps telling her, after all, that at the end of the day, she's not an issue for him. Maybe, though, that's the problem. That it's him that can handle her, which means he thinks she's a danger to his boss, which is where the real problem lies. It's not even the rest of the mafia, though she's sure there's one or two he'd be upset to lose- or so she thinks- but very specifically Mori.

A piece for the board. Okay.

Again the comparison comes to mind- the near-fanatical devotion to someone, being a vessel for more power than the average person, a decidedly terrible track record of interpersonal decisions-

-if this is fate's sense of humor, she thinks it's absolutely shitty.

Wouldn't go putting myself on a scale of my favor right now, if I were you.

'If it were me or someone you knew longer and cared about', huh? Yeah, right. Part of her wants to say 'of course' she'd try and protect the people she cared about, but she knows that's not true. Or it hasn't been, and the one time it might have been, she hadn't even gotten the chance.

But she thinks about the way she'd turned on Lady Beat. Turned on her own father. Turned on even Roman, at first, before she'd realized what a mistake that was.

People don't care about me like that, so I don't bother.

Not unless they do. Simple. Neat. Transactional maybe, but it's easier that way. Bonds people expected to be infallible, unbreakable, had never done anything for her but try and drag her down with them. Tried to use her as a means to their own ends. The only time Neo hadn't felt like a knife people kept passing between them was long gone now.

Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't get what your war has to do with me. You hired me to do a job, and to keep me out of enemy hands. We had a deal. I've been keeping my end.

'Why are you having such a hard time keeping yours' remains, hanging in the silence between them.

(Neo's blade doesn't budge- she knows the shield is there, but it makes her feel like she's at least got control of something by having it in hand.)

Getting her blade pointed at his throat was starting to become a habit. One he's not particularly fond of (he doesn't have great history with pointed metal objects), and one he'd like to break sooner than later, but at least twice now tells him to expect it more in the future, if they end up having a future after all this.

The cloak of his Ability is up (of course, always) but he raises his hands in a show of surrender. Much as he loves a good fight, he doesn't like this kind of fight.

Still, his eyes narrow a little bit, breathing out just a small, frustrated breath.

Okay, note to self: be more clear in the future about specifics.

"I didn't. Believe me or not, but I didn't. I told you when we first met, that ability of yours -- that Semblance -- is dangerous. So yes, that was need-to-know. It's been need-to-know ever since you and I first exchanged words in that alleyway."

Ever since Neo tried to copy Arahabaki unknowingly, not understanding exactly what she was getting herself into.

"And I also told you then that I'll do whatever I have to to keep the place I call home protected. I'm not trying to screw you over. I'm not trying to screw anyone over. I'm just trying to keep everyone safe, including you so long as we're on the same side. Look, I get that you have history and people who've done you dirty and you've probably dealt with a lot, but we have to. You haven't been here to see what we've dealt with and we have reason to be cautious."

His arms drop back to his sides after a moment, not terribly threatened by her blade at the moment, but how she might react still has him a little on edge.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, but even if it doesn't look like it to you, we're at war, Neo. Even if you don't intend on being a threat, I can't take chances that more people will die over sentimentality for someone I barely know. Would you really feel differently in my position, if it was me or other people you knew longer and cared about?"

[paramythas]

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑, 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀 moment, she thinks that Mori's decided she's a liability. The whole 'if she won't do what I want, it's best no one else get her to work for them either' kind of thing. It wouldn't have surprised her, really, and the fact that her hand immediately goes to Hush's handle says as much. When no movement comes from Chuuya- an insect Grimm crawls overhead, acting as extra eyes- to fight her, she's surprised.

But she's still irritated.

He's following her out, dogged and determined judging by the look on his face, and Neo feels her temper rising again. When she looks over her shoulder, she's both incensed and incredulous. Does he just not take her seriously at all?

When he calls out to her, she falters for a half-step, no more than a quarter second, and then whirls to face him, Hush's blade coming to a halt right under his chin.

(Something under her skin feels like it's cracking, white-hot with rage. People only ever really think about themselves when deciding they can just use her and she's getting so fucking sick of it-!)

In the end, she has no idea why she doesn't keep moving after the obvious threat. Why she doesn't just turn around and leave him behind. Maybe it's how confused he sounds, or maybe it's the way he doesn't seem to either realize or care that he's being a massive fucking hypocrite right in that moment.

I let you know I didn't want him to know anything about me. You said you wouldn't tell him anything he didn't need to know. What about that in particular did he need to know, exactly?

With every word she 'speaks', her eyes get wider, wilder. Pupils contracting to sharp, glowing slits. Hush taps against his chest, and she bares her teeth at him almost on reflex

You're not dumb enough not to realize that. Which means you actively made the choice to break my trust.

Pausing, her eyes narrow.

And if you say one word about him being your boss I swear I will throw you out the nearest window.

Mori watches, serious-faced, but still unreadable.

Chuuya watches, alarmed and dismayed (and perhaps the tiniest touch relieved when that creature disappears) all at once.

A fight isn't what he wants, no matter the end goal of that fight, be it to simply stop her from leaving or to put her down, and he sees nothing good for any of them coming out of one, but ultimately, that's not his call.

He glances over to Mori and defers to his judgment, exchanging a look with violet eyes that only give away as much as the mafia boss wants them to. Silently, Mori closes his eyes, and lightly flicks his fingers in a small shooing gesture.

Although there's no words spoken, he knows exactly what it means. The lack of a sharp-edged held stare, the way he leans forward in his seat to rest his chin on his fingers. It's not a death order, but even with all that, he wasn't expecting one.

So damage control it is.

Even if he hesitates a moment, protective instinct fighting him, before turning to dog Neo's steps out the door, hasty strides bringing her up alongside her as he walks.

He could step in front of her, but with her Semblance, he's sure she can go right around him, and failing that, he thinks she would escalate to fight her way past. She'd probably do so if he tried to touch her as well, or tried to use his Ability to block her, so he doesn't.

At the very least, her intended parting words give him something to work with, instead of just grasp at straws desperately trying to figure out how he'd managed to piss her off so badly.

"Neo, wait. I didn't bring anything up we didn't agree on. You asked me not to bring up where you were from and I didn't. I thought that was the part we agreed on. Can you just slow down for a damn minute?"

[paramythas]

𝐈𝐅 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐄𝐎 𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒 at Mori would have struck the man dead on the spot. She hadn't expected either of them to actually try and say something to stop her- much less to have it be the man who seems to think of this entire situation as something beneath him. He's acting as though he's still perfectly in control, and given that Chuuya is still close enough to snatch Neo and snap her neck if he deems it necessary, she can understand why he might think so. It almost makes her feel bad for him, how tight a leash he's on- but she's not feeling particularly charitable toward him at the moment, so she doesn't really care.

Does Chuuya realize the layers of manipulation at play here though, she wonders, or is this so par for the course for him that he can't see it for what it is? Honestly, she can't imagine he doesn't- Chuuya isn't stupid from what she's seen of him, even if he's just as reactive as —

— ah. She thinks she's thought this before. Salem and Cinder, the sequel.

He even talks like the old witch, in that same, superior tone, even when threatening to kill someone. Like talking about the weather, and not the fact that she's been, once more, just so, so casually stabbed in the back.

'Throwing a tantrum', he calls it.

What a condescending fucking prick.

Whoever else that tone might work with, whoever else he's manipulated with that calm exterior of his, Neo doesn't have time for it. Doesn't care to be talked down to, as if she's got no right to be angry. No right to feel betrayed. It's the one thing she'd asked Chuuya to keep his stupid boss from knowing, and here he is, telling her that he'd heard it from the other man himself.

(She isn't stupid, she knows Chuuya was going to report anything and everything he could to Mori. All she'd asked was for one thing- just the one- to be kept until she thought he could be trusted with the knowledge. That he'd immediately come to try and use her like some kind of 3D printer for his own means disgusts her, but also proves just why she'd been right not to want him to know.)

And really, it's the fact that he acts as though he didn't do this to provoke this exact reaction that pisses her off more. Because there was no way he didn't know that his knowing about her Semblance would set her off. It's the most plain-as-day tactic for getting rid of a perceived problem as she's ever seen- and even if that's not the play here (though she wouldn't put money against her estimation) it's still a shitty thing to do- to her and to Chuuya.

(She might be pissed at him, but even she's got standards.)

"You seem to be under the delusion that there's a way to salvage this situation," the Cat drawls in her stead, even as Neo opens the door. "But he knows what he's done, and more importantly, you know what he's done, don't you? 'Don't screw me on this' is what was said, right? And yet... here. We. Are."

Her head tilts, and the look in her eyes is deathly serious.

"Come and kill me if you want. Not like I have anything but my life to lose." A sweet smile, showing fangs that certainly weren't there earlier. "But you already knew that, right Chuuya?"

There's no intent to fight them, and the Cat's purring hum disappears along with his body as Neo takes her first firm step out of the office.

For all intents and purposes, Mori is rather good at figuring out and poking at -- whether intuitively or deliberately -- the vulnerable parts of people with surgical precision, and doing so in an arguably short amount of time. He knew that first-hand, could still remember his own first formal invitation to this office way back when as though it was yesterday.

Back then, he'd exploded Mori's floor underfoot, and his fist had cleared the room from one side to the other in the time it takes to blink, ready to guillotine Mori's head right off his shoulders.

Obviously that hadn't happened (because Mori had had the one leverage that made him stop short of killing him where he sat), and just like back then -- with Chuuya's fist a mere inch from his face -- he didn't so much as flinch once at Neo's angry explosion directed towards Chuuya, merely watched the entire thing unfold with a more drained expression that was still otherwise unreadable.

Chuuya, perhaps unfortunately, doesn't manage to keep the same unshakable face of steel at the outburst, not so much stumbling from her shove (Gravity, automatic and instinctive, raised to protect him if she decides to do more than point fingers in his face) as much as stepping to the side away from her as she does, retreating.

He almost winces a little, instead furrowing a tight brow as she angrily spits venom in his face. He's been called a lot of nasty things throughout his life, but admittedly, the suggestion of being a traitor is one of the ones he likes hearing the least.

Especially when, by all rights, he doesn't think he's actually done something to warrant the accusation, in his eyes.

"Hold on, Neo, I didn't--!" His words catch, his gaze sliding to the side at that large, menacing cat thing that coils its way up behind Mori, visibly bristling with dilated eyes at the obvious threat that he sees in it, his lip turning upward in a slight but feral snarl at it.

For as calmly as Mori seems to be handling things, even with a pair of claws over his shoulders, Chuuya isn't, and he's caught for a moment between what to do.

He can't run damage control on one side of the room and defend his Boss from that thing on the other at the same time.

He doesn't want to, but if she forces him to, he'll take her down, to protect Mori and the Port Mafia, long before she can make good on her promise to harm it. Of that, there's no question, no matter how much he does or doesn't like her. He's put bullets in traitors and moles, before, despite toasting with them once, as was his duty as an Executive, and he'd put one in her just the same if she posed a genuine threat to his family.

Mori has Elise, still, even if she hasn't shown herself, to defend himself with, but he knows that Mori would rather not reveal her if he doesn't strictly have to, especially not if he plans to leave Neo alive and working with them.

And if he lets Neo just leave--

"You're free to decline and leave if you really wish."

Mori -- in typical fashion -- is quicker on the draw than he is of sorting the entire situation out and deciding how to move forward with it regardless of how far south its all landslided, his smile gone but sounding entirely calm. As if this is all just standard fair, an average Tuesday, and not worth worrying about.

"However, you seem to be a smart woman, so I think you must realize that -- working for me or otherwise -- there are ramifications to making threats at and laying your hands on the leader of an organization such as this one that one does not simply avoid by throwing a tantrum and storming out. And if you did more than simply threaten, the organization as a whole would have great personal motivation to see you found and dealt with, assuming that you even made it through those doors first before Chuuya, or past any of the other many Ability users at my disposal waiting for you below. Let me assure you, even with that Ability of yours, you'll be hard pressed to slip past them unnoticed and unharmed. If you were so determined to leave, it would be in your best interest to do so on amicable terms, and these are less than amicable terms."

[paramythas]

RWBY HYPE !!!!

[paramythas]

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓, Neo is really trying to give Mori a shot. There's no real reason for her to try anything with him besides the fact that he gives her a bad feeling. Not that she's going to ignore her instincts (they're a good part of what's kept her alive after all) but she has every intention to try and hear Chuuya's boss out. Honestly, he would be on a good track, giving her credit where it's due- and while Neo wouldn't preen like she might if it were Chuuya alone, she would have still been pleased. Having her efforts acknowledged- especially on the heels of what had been a pretty uncomfortable infiltration initially- is all she really asks, apart from her pay, at least.

Mori, unfortunately for him, ruins any of that possibility by preceding it with one single, smug comment.

'Cat got your tongue', he says, and Neo is tempted, for one moment of blazing fury, to use the Cat to take his.

It shows on her face, she knows, but she doesn't try and temper it. In fact, she makes it more obvious, hair seeming to lift in an unseen wind out of sheer rage. Fingers tighten on Hush, but she doesn't move to draw it. Instead she turns to look at Chuuya, brows rising sharply, and schools her expression into what clearly means 'is he fucking serious right now!?' as she gestures at Mori with her flat palm.

All the rest of his talking might as well go in one ear and out the other, because after he follows with something worse —

Chuuya's told me a great deal—

– you have an ability that can copy other abilities—

Neo's eyes land on Chuuya, wide and wounded and don't move.

Without hesitation, she whirls, plants her palm against Chuuya's chest and shoves.

"You liar!" Yowls a Jabberwalker, voice rattling, reeling, hoarse with rage as it materializes from seemingly nowhere. "Liar! Traitor! B̸̧̫͖̠͖̐͘a̴͆̅͋̑͘��̞ć̷̡̘͕͇͉̗̗̑̎̅k̷͇̠̠̲͍̓̈́̂͛̄̀͝ş̴̞͒̀̊t̷̡̧̟̦̤̫͍͑̈́a̵̮͚̦̝̗̼̯̔b̴̢͈̑͌b̵͔͚̜̽͗̾e̸̼̬̪͗̈̆̿͝͝r̷̛̳̣̹̱̪̥͗͗̈͋͜—!" Neo's small, slim little hand pushes with each subsequent word, lips parting as if she wants to be the one yelling at him. Each step forward she takes puts her more and more in Chuuya's face, and she ends up grabbing the lapels of his jacket, eyes wide, pupils narrowing to pale eerie slits as they focus on him.

'And you tried to talk to me about trust!?' appears in the thin span between her face and his as her breath catches, shudders.

Her nails are shredding through her gloves, suddenly, and she yanks her hands away, closing them into her palms. A step back—

— then another and another.

"She doesn't work for you," speaks that familiar, lilting voice, the Curious Cat winding around Mori's ankles- and then settling a suddenly white and clawed paw on his shoulder. Their looming form gives a smile that's all knife-sharp teeth. "And from the looks of things she won't be working for the little one much longer either. Oh...! How easily you humans go back on your word..." A little chuckle, and the clawed appendage squeezes, warning. "So I think we can all tell what her response to your little offer is, yes?"

Neo squeezes her eyes shut, hands clenching tighter, blood pooling in her palms. Shoulders trembling, breath still hitching- she's not going to cry, she's not that pathetic- she stares Chuuya down as she takes a step toward the double doors.

Try to keep me from leaving without a damn good reason and I'll bring this whole fucking building down.

It won't kill Chuuya, she knows. It might not even kill his bastard of a boss. But it'll at least make her feel better, and it will cost them plenty.

(She ignores how the thought doesn't actually make her happy. How it doesn't overwrite the unpleasant twisting in her gut. The acidic taste in the back of her throat, sour and spreading. Doesn't make her feel anything but angry, angry, angry—)

Storming toward the door, she stops just shy of leaving, looking back over her shoulder, face twisted in distaste.

Hope that collar doesn't choke you one day.

Chuuya keeps a slight eye on her, in his periphery, and while he's still internally as watchful and cautious as Mori himself is, maybe her small curtsy sets his mind a little bit at ease. Not enough to entirely drop his guard, of course.

While he's not explicitly worried Neo will do anything, he still has a job to do, ever watchful, and fully aware -- never quite forgetting, really -- that Neo's Semblance makes staying situationally aware that much more difficult to stay on top of, if she means to do anything.

He doesn't think she will, but he won't totally write off any possibility prematurely.

Mori, for his part, remains perfectly unreadable, even as he slips into a small, short chuckle that has him momentarily close his eyes.

"Cat got your tongue? Well, that's quite alright. If you'd rather just listen, then that's just as well."

He sits back in his seat, violet eyes flicking open again.

"I suppose the first order of business. I've read over the reports quite thoroughly about the raid on our rivals in Sagamihara, and while Chuuya did come back injured and we lost two of our men, your contributions significantly bolstered our fighting force against the enemy and reduced our overall losses to both life and resources quite effectively. While this is obviously a business partnership, I'm still inclined to thank you for that. You've proven quite useful to us so far, and I suspect you'll continue to do so."

Chuuya placed his hat back on his head as Mori spoke, remaining silent for the moment, but he knew the man wasn't apt to waste any of their time with only thanks and little else. He could tell they were leading into that as the corner of Mori's smirk turned a little higher up.

"Chuuya's told me a great deal as well. Of most notable interest, he tells me that you have an Ability which can copy other Abilities, either partially or in their entirety -- we're not completely clear on that yet. If such is true, then I'd have a proposition for you, if you'd like to hear it."

While Chuuya didn't say anything, careful not to interrupt what was clearly directed at Neo to answer herself, he had already figured out where this was likely headed. Mori liked to collect powerful and useful Abilities to strengthen the Port Mafia at every given opportunity, but there was one in particular that he wanted that he was unlikely to ever get his hands on.

So, if he couldn't get it directly--...

[paramythas]

EVEN MORE ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED COMEDIC RELIEF

@caemthe asked: “   Contrary to popular belief, violence solves a lot. ” / conall, for rie

"...𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋-𝐒𝐀𝐍, 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 stuff for like, two seconds here? This is a totes serious strategic meeting and just going 'fuck it we ball' 'cause of your fightboner isn't really very productive."

Rie's clear disapproval- no, disdain- is evident from the tone of her voice. Whether it's because of the situation at hand, or because of Conall himself, it's clear her patience has been worn thin. Fingers press to either side of the bridge of her nose, and she exhales heavily.

"Actually, why don't we take that as a sign to take a break everyone? Get snacks, take a walk, whatevs. We'll reconvene in thirty."

Her eyes lift- up and up and up and why are European servants so friggin tall- and land on Conall's face with a squint. She really doesn't know what it is about him that lets him get away with this kind of thing so often, but she's about on her last nerve about it. Honestly, between him and Cu, she's not sure who's on the faster track to give her a heart attack- though for wildly different reasons.

(There are some things she really just doesn't need to know about her Servants.)

"You, come with me. Feels like you're gonna start something if I leave you alone."

[paramythas]

𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐘, 𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐌𝐀𝐍, 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 paragon of beauty; so resplendent as to be mistaken for one of his fellows, or an effigy from tales they tell. Fascinating, yes. Beautiful, without a doubt.

And still so sharp-tongued as to be cruel, so dismissive as to be disrespectful. Yet somehow even this is possessed of its own charm, the weight of the expectations he believes are constantly placed upon him more tangible than even the very real pain Argenti knows him to be suffering at this very moment.

"Even when shattered, the pieces of something beautiful may still hold the beauty of the whole. More so, perhaps, for being so many facets, so many fragments of something once admired."

He knows, of course, that is hardly what Aventurine wants to hear; but platitudes are an inelegant means of communication, and Argenti's own version of the truth as he perceives it suits this situation more.

His companion would not want to be coddled regardless; Argenti firmly believes he would take affront to his resilience being questioned, even unintentionally.

"Are weapons not also possessed of their own beauty?" Rhetorical, the question, the knight's hand twitching briefly as if expecting the weight of a spear. None materializes, but the gesture, minute as it is, speaks volumes. "True beauty is not destroyed, regardless of how it is... refined," he continues, and his eyes linger on the slow motion of Aventurine's thumb, the steady metronome of motion- back and forth, like the pendulum of a clock.

Counting down the time to when next he'll be sharpened, no doubt.

Even so, Argenti cannot fault him the bitterness for the experience- the one to come, the ones that have passed. What makes some glitter is not always something to envy, or even to wish upon them. Yet denying that it will happen will do them no good, and will only lessen their possibilities in the future.

"I have no expectations," he assures, warm and gentle, even as he knows he will soon leave Aventurine upon a sacrificial altar. "Simply bearing witness is all a knight so humble as myself could dare to ask for."

𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆 a beat too long, basking in the echo of Argenti’s reply like it were a fine perfume — bold, opulent, and just evasive enough to leave the imagination running riot. The knight spoke in tapestries, spun threads of praise and sorrow with the same ease he wielded his blade. A poet garbed in gleaming armour, laying flowers at the feet of a man who long since forgot how to hold them.

His gaze shifts, soft but deliberate, tracing over Argenti as if to remind himself he was real — and not just another delusion born of wine and late night strategising. “You really do know how to make a man feel like a ruin worth preserving,” he murmurs, amusement curling at the corner of his mouth. “Or is that the whole point of your charm? That you find beauty even in things already broken.”

Aventurine’s thumb runs along the rim of his glass, slow and pensive. “You see all that, and still think I’m meant to shine brighter? You’re either an optimist or a masochist,” he says, and this time the smirk does reach his eyes — just barely. “You know the kind of creature that comes out the other side of refinement like that, don’t you?” He raises the wine again, lets it swirl like a storm in miniature. “It isn’t a gemstone. It’s a weapon.”

Still, there’s no venom in the words — only quiet resignation dressed in velvet. A sigh not quite released. A truth too expensive to trade freely.

“...But for what it’s worth, Argenti,” he adds, gaze finally returning to meet the knight’s with something more grounded, more real, “If you do keep looking, I won’t stop you.” A pause. “Just don’t flinch when the reflection isn’t what you hoped for.”

[paramythas]

𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐄𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈𝐍 recent years, far better than she had ever understood it as a teenager, is this:

If you know someone is strong- astonishingly so- but they still listen to someone else without question, there's one of two things at hand. They're either much stronger themselves... or they're more dangerous in a way that's more difficult to quantify. Neo isn't entirely sure which Mori is just yet, and that's honestly part of what makes her so leery. It's hard to gauge here, just how much someone is capable of. Even as she'd realized just how powerful Chuuya was after experiencing his ability (and more so after understanding it) she hadn't been able to make her usual assessment of the kind of threat he could really be.

Initially, she'd chalked it up to Chuuya being the anomalous kind of being he was.

Then she'd realized, after fighting those other Ability users, and then after meeting Mori the first time, that this was also a new problem to contend with. Ways she'd known to be able to assess people before were of little help here. Especially when someone's looks couldn't tell you much about what they did, and the few people who could be a problem seldom carried themselves like they were.

Once again, Neo finds herself fidgeting in the silence as they make their way up.

Fingers tug at her gloves, thumb brushing along the mechanism to extend Hush's blade from its tip. She doubts it'll be necessary- or that Chuuya would give her the time to use it, if she felt the need to- but it's good to know it's there. That even if she's alone, she's still got some way to take care of herself.

As the doors open, and Chuuya leads the way inside, Neo hesitates, but eventually follows after him after a moment's hesitation, her heels the loudest thing in the room. Her eyes flick sideways to where there should be scenery, open sky. Instead there's metal, and her fingers tighten on Hush slightly. Well, that's certainly welcoming, she thinks to herself, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. When Chuuya stops, so does she- this much of a cue she can follow. And when Chuya doffs his hat (unexpected and oddly amusing), Neo follows after as well- by making herself an elaborate ballgown to offer a curtsy that would have made Lady Beat weep with pride.

It disappears in a blink, however, and Neo plants Hush into the ground, its tip flat against the floor, blade still concealed for the moment.

Eyes sweep the room, then fall to Chuuya, a hand gesturing to him, then downward. They were just about to leave, so...

Her head cocks, expectant.

No text materializes in the air in front of her. No sound comes from another source. Neo keeps her words firmly to herself in Mori's presence, and waits for either him or Chuuya to tell her exactly what she's doing up here.

He gives a little roll of his own shoulders before going to pick up his discarded coat, pulling it neatly back over his shoulders. Even a cursory glance told him that Neo was less than fond at the idea of meeting with Mori. Perhaps even a little bit scared at the idea.

Exactly what the Boss wanted? Even he didn't really know, but he had a few solid guesses. Nothing that she really need worry about, he thinks, but a part of him prefers that she be a bit intimidated, if she can't be convinced to see him in a positive light.

It means -- if her trepidation is true and not just a put-on act -- that she won't get it in her head to raise any sort of threat towards him, which means regardless of how she feels, things should go well. As well as any meeting can go between Mori and people who don't like him.

He doesn't have a lot to say when they move upward, from one elevator to another, then a third that leads further up, entirely separated from all the rest. The last elevator up soars through a tall shaft with thick, clear picture windows that give a stunning view of the city below as it rises, interrupted only by the occasional structural support.

After that, its a walk through a long, polished hallway to a single, fine double door that Chuuya pushes open ahead of her, and steps into a large, darkened room.

The picture-windows' armored shutters are drawn when they enter, rather than providing an open view, which doesn't completely surprise him, but it does let him know that Mori is prepared for anything and being cautious, not taking chances. There are probably other unseen measures as well, if Neo does prove to be hostile in any way, but what those measures might be besides himself being present, even he couldn't be certain.

Mori himself was more properly dressed this time, a fine black coat with a high collar framing a clean-shaven face and immaculately combed hair, the stripes of his red sash down either shoulder and gloved hands neatly laced in front of him with that friendly yet mysterious smile.

Chuuya made a point not to cross the whole of the room to Mori's desk, stopping back about halfway, and he gave Neo a subtle glance that she should do the same and stop where he stops.

For a moment, he takes his hat off and gives a small bow of his head in respect. Whether Neo does or doesn't do the same was her own business. He didn't imagine Mori would care either way, nor demand she likewise bow, so much as simply observe and mentally catalogue.

"Boss."

"It's good to see you, Chuuya. Thank you for coming swiftly. And you as well, miss Neopolitan." Violet eyes shifted from the redhead to her idly as he addressed them both. "We've met before, of course, though under arguably less than ideal circumstances. Still, a formal meeting is better late than never."

[paramythas]

Endless Edits: 5 / ???? — Thaddeus

"To the little bros lying down, just wait — I'll beat you up soon!"

[paramythas]

𝐔𝐍𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐃

@nouvomond asked: ❝ I cannot bear to look upon this farce any longer. Were it possible, I would carve my own eyes out to spare me from this embarrassment. ❞ -- Casgil @ Lartoria (Watching their younger versions interacting)

𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐈𝐍 her own hands, and simply turns the page languidly at the Caster's proclamation. While Gilgamesh may be more concerned with the behaviors of his alternate self than she, there is a degree of understanding she has for it. Her younger self is... certainly reactive, for someone who tries to act so above it all. Even so, it's not her place to think about her behavior, or anyone else's; the only pride Saber is damaging is her own.

Though if perhaps her gauntleted arm hits the table beside her a little harder, a little louder than one might expect startles her enough to make her realize how she's acting...

Lancer hums, turns another page.

"Perhaps thine eyes would be best served observing the innumerable missteps that can be attributed to thy personality as a younger man." Because if nothing else, at least she can say, with considerable certainty, that she had never acted like her own younger self, no matter how badly she may have wanted to.

Another turn of the page, and at last she looks up to peer at Caster from the corner of her eye.

"...or art thou incapable of correcting thine own behavior?"