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 Posted: Sat Mar 04, 2023 6:22 pm
Faustite was not in the office. While he had been cutting back his office time, and while the rest of the team could read the implication that he was too sick to spend as many hours in office, Faustite had guaranteed three of the seven days in a week as times to find him in his office. Those days were recorded by boys with better handwriting than him and hung outside his office door. Those days, clear to all, were Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
But today, a Saturday, Faustite was gone. His youma, under orders to send out a message about it, would confirm that Faustite was not in the Rift. He wasn't in Destiny City, scrounging energy or stirring up trouble with the White Moon. He wasn't in medical like he was when he ran across Cybele again. The only haunt left to check — the place that Headache didn't care to visit or know — was his shared home in the Sunken City. If anyone had such pressing business that they needed to see him at his worst, they would have to tread the treacherous path to the decadent, fallen capital and pick out the mildly less crumbling house among crumbling houses.
But, even if one lacked the address, the correct house was made obvious by the flickering light of a flame emanating from the bay window.
Inside, Faustite hadn't left his bedroom in the turret. He hadn't descended the winding staircase to the more sociable rooms where they could have their informal meetings or Emmy could read next to the fireplace while Waru was punished into being her footrest. It was home to a profusion of goods for the team, be it toys for Haymitch or yoga mats for Aelius or picture books for Waru. Upstairs, however, were the private rooms. The segregated spaces where the team could take time away from each other and recuperate without the fear of being discovered by the enemy or someone they didn't want knowing that they needed a break.
Faustite used his bedroom for that exact purpose. He wasn't still lying in bed, but he'd made it as far as the cushions for the bay window, where he had to recline again and hope that another nap could pass his ubiquitous exhaustion. In his hand was his tablet, where he was reading clandestine shots of a book that he had Albite photograph for him, even if the shots were blurry and out of order. It was something to focus on while he lacked the energy to do much other than move.meighei tama would know about the team house as he is part of the team! it is not in the rift, so tama doesn't need an escort to get to it!
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Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2023 3:27 pm
Tama held the package in his hands having second thoughts. As much as the man’s husband had assured him, he still wasn’t quite sure he could apologize to Faustite with some b-class literature about vampires no matter how steamy it was supposed to be. So, to be sure, he added to it. There was also a fancy fountain pen, a delicate glass jar of ink and a sealed card. He had even thought to add some tea, but then thought better of it. He really didn’t want to be offered any of it after it had been boiled by the general’s insides. Maybe he’d show him how to brew tea properly one day. For some reason, Tama knew how to do that. But he never remembered learning how or from who. Perhaps that was another memory he would never get back. He looked at the door of Faustite’s office and it was closed. He wasn’t there. Maybe it was for the best. The missing memories, too. “Where is he?” He demanded to no one in particular while letting himself in. He really should just leave instead of making a fool of himself. Again. But then a familiar bunch of fireflies appeared over Faustite’s empty desk. It confirmed Faustite was not in his office (clearly, Tama had no qualms about opening the door and letting himself in), the Rift (not like Tama could follow if he hand), Destiny City (when was the last time Tama had even been there) or the medical bay (a place Tama had no interest in going to lest he get muzzled for biting that one nurse). “I asked where the b*****d was, not where he wasn’t!” He berated Headche and it flew off. “Useless! And they wonder why I don’t like youma when this thing and Faustite are the main examples…”Tama grumbled. He supposed he was going to have to find Faustite himself. Bet he was in the City. It would take him forever to walk down there. Perfect. More time to overthink this. He knew the City very little. He knew he was welcome here and yet, he’d hardly ever been. Told he could stay in the barracks. Stay in one of the old buildings. Even claim one as his own, if he so wished. But Tama never had. For the past year, he’d holed himself up in Mauvian HQ. It was the equivalent of sleeping in your office, he knew. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to make a home here. It had never felt like home to him. He thought about Albite’s words over and over as he walked looking for Faustite. They were a team. But what did that even mean? Then he spotted the glow in the upper window of the house. This was it, though it didn’t look much different than the other abandoned places here. The place was rather large, though. He wondered why Faustite had picked this place. He guessed he should knock this time. ☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 4:54 pm
Faustite dropped his tablet when he heard the knock. Pausing, he listened further — it didn't sound like a youma, though they had been roaming around the house as they helped with some of the renovation projects. Sometimes he would catch them dawdling or making mischief while begrudgingly following his orders, and he would have to set them straight or dismiss them for youma who took their jobs more seriously. This didn't sound like youma mischief, however. If they were anywhere but the Sunken City, Faustite would have assumed that was a visitor.
Given their location, though, Faustite had to expect trouble. Sliding off the bay's cushions, Faustite shuffled barefoot toward the turret door. It was slow going as he descended the stairs one step at a time, with nothing but his cinders and labored breathing and the scrape of his toenails to fill the silence between knock and not. His bedroom felt like it was miles above the rest of the house, he realized, as the knock repeated itself and he hadn't gotten halfway to the door yet. However, he knew that his condition had slowed him down considerably.
When a heat blister popped on the bottom of his foot, Faustite had to hesitate for a moment. Had to bite back a silent scream, curl in on himself, tense every muscle he could to keep himself quiet. Then he straightened out again and approached what he thought would be the source of the Mauvian aura, even if he was half-hobbled in his remaining descent.
Finally he reached the main room, then limped his way toward the front door. By the time he reached it, he was already out of breath. Already sweating. Already watching the landscape sway as he moved his eyes.
When the weary General threw open the door, he hadn't expected to find Tama on the porch. Nor did he enjoy seeing the furry rat b*****d staring him in the face again. "Piss off," he managed perfunctorily, then tried to shut the door on his newest and only visitor.
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 11:07 am
“Wait!” Tama shouted as the door began to close on him. “You can’t just close the door on me.”Where was those doubts he had before? Now he needed to do it. Before, he wasn’t so sure. Was it a function of his usual intellectual process? (Think through all options and access risk.) Versus his heart which was much much quicker in making up its mind? (I must do this and now.) Or was it simply that Faustite clearly didn’t want him to? (Oppositional and prideful.) Tama used the present to block the doorway from shutting completely. It ripped a small hold in the wrapping. The satin red bow was now askew. “Please.” He practically begged. ☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Thu Mar 09, 2023 6:00 pm
Faustite's eyes fluttered shut with a gravely annoyed face when the door did not shut completely. Whatever Tama shoved in the door, it had a ******** bow around it. And it was sturdy enough to not be crushed by a General trying to slam a door in the face of an a*****e Mauvian. He was already exhausted and they hadn't even started to fight again. He supposed that was coming, however.
"Don't have much time left," he rasped, scratching carefully around an open crack on his jaw as he spoke. "Not going to waste it on another fight with you."
Hadn't Tama already said what he wanted to say and accused him of everything under the sun? Hadn't he already bitched about the Cosmos knight that he suddenly remembers, that ******** blonde that he cared so much about? Faustite had expected him to put in for a transfer to another team, unless he was still around to play mole for the White Moon. Didn't even have to be to that boy — could've been with anyone. With Nectaris. ******** if Faustite knew.
But he did know that he didn't want to be stabbed again, so he turned away from the propped-open door and walked back inside.
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Posted: Sat Mar 11, 2023 7:46 am
Was this how this was going to go? Was he going to have to beg on hands and knees just to be let in the door? Tama wasn’t any good at putting himself at another’s mercy like this. But the door wasn’t fully closed, was it? He had managed to get the gift — messed up meticulous packaging aside — in between the door even if Faustite had walked away. And let’s be real. Tama had no problem letting himself in before when it was Faustite’s office instead of his home. “I’m not going to fight you.” He said as the Mauvian let himself in. “I came…”He sighed as he shut the door behind him, backing up to the door frame. He could quickly open it again and leave if he was met with a firery response. He wouldn’t blame Faustite if he tried to set him on fire again. “I came to apologize.”☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Sun Mar 12, 2023 5:32 pm
Much as Faustite would've enjoyed setting Tama on fire again, twice more, a dozen times more, he was too lethargic for it, given how the youma in him burnt away any energy he manifested. He could only arrest its growth with enough drained energy that it was satisfied, and on that day, he hadn't bothered going out.
He was too tired. A catch-22.
So when Tama barged in unbidden, Faustite couldn't give him a reason to regret it. Instead, the boy sat heavily on the metal bench that faced their glass coffee table and laid face down on it. If Tama was going to assassinate him, let him —
But Faustite cracked a smoldering eye open at the word apologize, and he searched for the puffy nuisance with an incredulous look. "You don't apologize." It was fact. Tama was a Mauvian. Mauvians didn't know what that word meant, because they assumed that humanity on a whole should be absolutely blessed to even look upon one of their kind, and servitude was a reward in and of itself. What was this about apologizing? Was this a trap?
"Unless you're not really Tama. Would assume you're Headache, but Headache can't speak."
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Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2023 10:37 am
“You’re right.” He sighed. “I don’t apologize.”I also don’t admit I’m wrong. And I certainly don’t beg. Yet here we are.He knew Faustite was difficult. In fact, that was the main thing he knew about Faustite was that he was difficult. And stubborn. And volatile. And didn’t speak in full sentences. A trait he was starting to pick up on and didn’t like. “And I certainly am Tama. Still have a patch of fur that hasn’t grown back on my a**, if you need proof.”He walked over to the table where Faustite’s head lay and dropped the gift box where he could see it without even moving. “I hope you like it. Albite’s idea. If you don’t, there is a card at the bottom of the box.”☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 10:38 am
"Don't want to stare at your starfish," Faustite groaned.
Fine, it was Tama. Now he had a pain in the a** in his house when all he wanted to do was sleep through the day. He expected this must've been how Cela was feeling through the winter, though he hoped the boy didn't suffer similar pains to his body falling apart. Faustite hadn't thought to ask at the time.
At least Cela didn't have this ridiculous animal marching out to pretend to apologize to him for stabbing him.
Faustite looked at the wrapped gift, whose ribbon was slightly askew. Where Tama got the idea to get him a — Oh. It was Albite. That explained all of it. Apology gifts were one of his favorite things, and it must've worked well for him, considering how often he was apologizing to others.
His glance moved from the box to the cat, who indeed still looked mussed from the flames. "Is it flammable?" He might've been tempted to set it on fire and tell Tama to go ******** himself for all the cat had been a chore, but he'd also been genuinely useful in ways that Faustite had rarely seen a Mauvian be so indispensable.
Finally he snorted thin rivulets of smoke, like a lethargic dragon. "Not pissed because you stabbed me."
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 11:06 am
“Probably. With you, everything is flammable. Won’t know until you open it.”Tama knew he wouldn’t be happy to have him here. That he may even get angry. That he may try and test what parts of the gift and its giver were flammable. (Answer: Everything is flammable.) But there was something off, too. Something Tama couldn’t put a finger or claw on. Faustite seemed less… fiery. Personality-wise, anyway. His body was still on fire, too, still spilling smoke into the room, still making the place smell like ash. “You’re not pissed that I stabbed you?” The Mauvian questioned, taking the bow off the box and pushing it towards the general, who looked rather small and lethargic and listless like a spent candle. “I find that hard to believe. Unless you’re into that sort of thing. You never know who is a masochist.”☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Tue Mar 14, 2023 12:23 pm
Faustite huffed. It was all the energy he could expend to drag the box closer to himself once Tama pushed it. His nails made quick work of the knot in the bow, though the ends had begun to singe before he finished spreading the ribbons away.
"Still irritated at you," Faustite muttered as he started pushing the top off the box. He hadn't sat up yet to see over the lip of it. "But beating the hell out of someone's cathartic enough. Easy to let go of feeling betrayed after. Just ask Albite." Sometimes for play, sometimes for spar, sometimes for real. It'd been some time since they had an actual fight, likely because they've finessed their communication styles well enough to get across their intentions to each other. Shockingly, no one had been making stupid mistakes worth fighting over just yet, and if that did happen, Faustite was quite sure that breaking his knuckles on Albite's face would resolve his tumultuous emotions quickly enough.
And Albite would have been happy for the attention. And the comforts afterward.
Finally he sat up, feeling like he wouldn't be seeing into that box unless he developed x-ray vision. When he did, and he glanced inside, he then stared at Tama. "Never mention this to anyone." He said gravely, as he dragged the box closer to himself by the tip of his nail. Once he'd gotten it down onto the floor, he slid it under the bench where anyone walking in would have a much more difficult time spying it.
"And tell Albite to keep his damned mouth shut about my guilty ******** pleasures." Half the sentence was mumbled as he went prone again, face down against the no-longer-cool metal.
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Posted: Thu Mar 16, 2023 10:36 am
“Still irritated, huh? Not sure if that’s just your usual state of being or if I need to add this, too. Tama slid an envelope towards Faustite. It was the finest stationary. Sealed with a gold paw print, the pads stars themselves. Slid it right under the half-youma’s face, if he had to. What was with Faustite? If he’d stabbed him today, he’d hardly be sure if Faustite would fight back. “Not going to ask Albite what your kinks are as well. Knowing your guilty pleasures is enough.” The Mauvian gave a side-eyed glance as if looking for any rise he could get out of the general. Strickenized Letter reads: “In case Albite was pranking me about the vampire erotica, this letter affords you one month of me doing whatever you want. Without complaining about it. Lack of facial expressions not included.”
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2023 6:45 pm
Loosing a huff through his nose, Faustite used a single clawed finger to drag the envelope the rest of the way toward him. He reached for the letter opener, fully intent on cutting the damn thing open before it burned to ash in his hand. And when he removed the letter inside with the edge of the opener, when he read it over, his brow furrowed in consternation.
Was the cat really — for a month?! "Glutton for punishment, aren't you." Faustite set the letter back down.
He was certain to save that for a particular need; Mauvians were very adept at technology, and a favor from one that lasted an entire month would be terribly helpful. He didn't see an expiration date on it. No mention that it started immediately. Helpful for him.
"Fine, you're forgiven for now." Maybe Tama wouldn't even do something to ******** that up, he thought. "Guess you can use the cat bed for the night."
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2023 9:59 am
“You know I am.”Something about this was far too easy. His rational mind knew this must be harder. Surely, Faustite wasn’t going to let him off this easily. Now, he wasn’t sure if it was the vampire smut or the card and its promise that got him back into the general’s good graces. Or perhaps something else was going on? Too late for him to figure out, though. He’d been truly invited in now. “Are you serious?” He eyed the cat bed with a sort of contained envy. Like he really wanted it, but didn’t want to say it. Some twitch in his ears gave him away. “I can have the cat bed?”☆
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Bishoujo-senshi Mahou-shoujo
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Posted: Thu Apr 20, 2023 6:24 pm
"Don't make me change my mind."
Sighing, Faustite pushed himself to get to his feet. It was a slower process than normal; he missed the days when he had too much energy and tried to burn away the excess by pacing. Now, he wondered if this was how old people felt. Always tired, body always groaning about having to move. Faustite heaved a sigh through his nose at himself.
"One. Night. Only. Better choose that night wisely." Much like how he intended to choose that month of total indentured servitude of a Mauvian quite wisely. For now, however —
He spared Tama an exhausted look. "Going back to bed," he explained, as he scooped up his apology gift and disappeared it to nowhere. Thus would begin the long trek back up the spiral staircase and into the turret's bedroom…
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