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[attr="class","lyrics"] half gods are worshipped [break]
in wine and flowers [break]
real gods require blood
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As his brother-in-law and friend, Jayden holds a decent regard for
Tempest Quinn. But lines must be drawn, especially when it comes to the respect of members of his chosen
family..
[break][break] Deep down, Jayden knows one thing for certain:
Naomi Sato, as kind as she is to everyone she encounters, would
never betray him. Would
never betray Rocket —
[break][break]
HATRED sweeps through the room in icy waves, and Chien Pao bears it's teeth eagerly, frost-covered fur crackling with the energy that only such raw emotion can summon.
[break][break] However, before things can escalate as it so desires, several things happen all at once:
[break][break]
BARNABY FINCH's hand ghosts across his thigh, reminding him of their newly-strengthened bond.
[break][break]
fern delaney's accompanying grip, a reminder of all things they have held dear, both good and bad, over the last several months.
[break][break]
mint frost's reliable defense, reflecting
jayden cross's very own feelings, without any of the uncontrolled vitriol that accompanies the Cursed.
[break][break] And most of all —
[break][break]
declan walsh and his shadows manifest into the room, ceasing all conversation and announcing the start of their meeting.
[break][break] They all rise.
[break][break] Twin pools of frost-bitten sapphire lock with that of unending emerald, his mind flashing with images of thorny rose vines and twisted vengeance — a connection that pulses, undeniable, between them both.
[break][break]
FATE[break][break] The haunting echo of
TRUMPETS in the darkness, rising from deep within Hoenn's treacherous underbelly, carrying the unmistakable cry of
FEAR.[break][break] As last, Jayden breaks his silence, cold rippling through the room as black crystals form beneath his collarbone.
"Welcome home," he said, head dipping towards her.
"You certainly took your time, didn't you?"[break][break]
"I worried you may have forgotten about us, Underboss Elisabeth Fiorelli."[break][break] After all, was it not true what they said?
[break][break] Siblings knew each other, like no one else in the world.
[break][break] And for better or worse, destiny had tied him and
Elisabeth Fiorelli together. Unlike his bond with
Naomi Sato, this one was strengthened by the impenetrable bonds of their
RUINOUS fate.
[break][break] As a mixture of relief, surprise and unease ripples among the upper brass, Jayden takes his seat. He says little — there's no need. He may not have
known exactly what his fellow sibling had planned, but Chien Pao had known. It had warned him. Jayden had been skeptical, and those close to him knew that, but there wasn't enough evidence to dismiss the rumors surrounding
howard slayte's so-called "victory".
[break][break] Instead, as others jump to question her, he studies
Elisabeth Fiorelli. Watches her closely as she speaks, as she details the secret plan with
howard slayte, unraveling the mystery behind her faked death. How clever they had been. How perfectly crafted. How it had easily been a machination of their own making —
[break][break] But was it her? Or was it —
[break][break] Was it
FEAR that had driven her to such ends?
[break][break] Beside him, Chien Pao parts his maw, tasting the air as the discontentment ripples throughout the rest of the table, namely those like
mint frost whose vocal
HATRED is impossible to miss. If cats could smile, its fanged maw would've twisted into a feral grin — the same grin that
Elisabeth Fiorelli had pierced
Hitoshi Inoue with moments ago.
[break][break] When a pause finally comes, Jayden speaks. His voice, calm and impossible to read, carries across the room easily.
[break][break]
"Can you do it again?"[break][break]
How many times can you die?[break]
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[attr="class","icon-rocket"] ❄️ tldr:[break][break] • sitting between fern and barnaby (ICE CREAM SANDWICH)
[break][break] • jayden is calmed by his fellow admins (
BARNABY FINCH and
fern delaney) as they both touch his thigh (got lou's permission for this)
[break][break] • is only slightly surprised by
Elisabeth Fiorelli's sudden appearance, as he had an inkling before. focuses more on elisabeth than whatever anyone else is talking about, curious to how much her powers had changed
[break]