#the fuschia ardent flameheart

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

Rumination and Repose

Closed Starter for @sins-of-the-sea;

Two Souls, two sides of the same coin, ever held in orbit of each other even as they tore at each other, struggling to find balance. That is what was beheld of Guy and Phoebus Duchamp from the perspective of their Master's Rival, at least when watered down.

But reductionism is the last thing on the 'Great Spirit's' Mind, as he meditates not far off, watching and contemplating on the recent events... before he reaches a decision, and reaches out...

Before a soul of pale blue, a wooden snake appears within his psyche, with emerald eyes glinting curiously as it seems to regard the displaced medic... before twisting upon itself and becoming a staff, which where once it was alone found itself in the gentle grip of the same figure that had observed as he renewed his vows... smiling softly, if somewhat sadly at the fellow redhead.

Hello again, Phoebus. Would you terribly mind if I wished to talk to you right now? I wish to offer my assistance - it would be poor of me to convince you to be better only to let you suffer in silence... even if in self-harming ways, you have done your best to stick to your word, and one way or another I feel I must honor that with whatever aid I may muster, one Healer to another...

Before a soul of bright fuchsia, a wooden snake appears within his dreamings, with amber eyes glinting cryptically as it seems to regard the heartbroken duelist... before twisting upon itself and becoming a staff, which where once it was alone found itself in the gentle grip of the same figure that had tried to offer warnings to him... scowling down at the fellow redhead, if with a notable sense of self-reproach to his tone.

Hello again, Guy. I do wish to offer my condolences for how things have progressed, I would not have wished this on either- no, any of you. Dark as things may seem, however, I do wish to stress that not all is lost... would you mind if I offered some advice in these troubling times?

[hriobzagelthewanderer]

(sins of the sea) 🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️ (lmao you don't have to do them individually, the Crew as a whole is fine)

It is not hard to pity them, those fools who have been trapped and tricked by the likes of Gorgos - or the many other names the vile thing has become known by over the many millennia it has existed, just as your predecessors have for at least as far back. That might surprise them... you do not judge them as readily as they seem ready to judge themselves, but rather you are more 'disappointed' than 'angry', at least as far as the Seven Sins are themselves. Hatred... that is more in line with what their 'Master' deserves, but not them per se.

Each of the Seven is in many ways self-made as what they are, but you perhaps are objective - or perhaps simply amoral - enough to look past the clear and obvious wrongs and see the potential beneath... the true kindness and goodwill they still have that could have left such a mark, if only they had not fallen into their respective pitfalls... or into His cold, clammy clutches.

'The Master' as he currently calls himself is another beast altogether - hard to place despite proudly(?) wearing the moniker of 'Sea Demon' in many times and tongues... you know from much experience, however, that he is no more a true 'demon' than you are 'simply' Fae - ironically enough, the Devil's in the Details to the point that even if a simple human is enough to harm him, truly ending him outright is, while possible, extremely unpalatable given what else would get dragged down to the depths of oblivion with him...

In spite of the clear hatred between you for all the most valid reasons, you have always had an odd mutual respect despite that; for all your respective power and history, it is hard to deny the true cunning and vicious skill in each other, enough to make calling him a 'Rival' as much as an 'Enemy' a fair admission, and him towards you in turn.

...That said, you can admire someone's talents and still hate their guts - that much has always been true, and never been in question. The true question is how to 'fight' the Master effectively... you have several options, but even so your current methods seem to be gaining traction... for now... though another little 'intervention' may be in order given recent events...

After all, Pettiness is not solely the domain of 'The Master', any more than Deal-Making is... And if nothing else, there are few things you enjoy inflicting upon your enemies more than Irony...

"...even now, even weakened and literally half-blinded by his own hubris... even now I still feel the ache of loss, watching Atlantis sink into the ocean, knowing I at least saved their souls but still bearing painful witness of each life being snuffed out as the waters claimed them... And the less said of Pompeii, the better. I know my time has passed, and my successor is likely not the one to end that cancerous blight of bloated corpses... but is it wrong to hope he bears witness to that vile creature's demise, all the same?"

"...Alas, it appears that there are so-called 'Demons' beyond my ilk that can rival us all the same... yet what claims has he to our kin? Naught but a shambling orifice of lies and stolen souls, Mockery of the highest order! May my power aid in the deposition of such filth, for even now, my bile churns at the notion of its victory."