kenoslogs | I saw Mommy kissing Samba-Claus (KISS BINGO EDITION) 💋🌿

I saw Mommy kissing Samba-Claus (KISS BINGO EDITION) 💋🌿

QIASU (HIGHSTORM)

On December 15th, the marker of the latter half of Takiltu, Kenos comes together to celebrate unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time. This celebration is an amalgamation of many worlds’ winter festivals, and as such, is known in the two cities as the Year’s End Festival, or Qiasu as Highstorm calls it.

This part of Takiltu is when Highstorm truly starts to hit winter. Snow is a frequent occurrence, but it’s one that the city welcomes, since with the snow comes a few of the most beloved traditions of the city. By far the most popular is heading to Greenwood Yards. The gardens themselves may be either dormant or showing their simpler winter gardens, but you may have noticed an area by the bathhouses left in surprising amount of disrepair… This is because during the winter months, this area fills up with a natural outdoor hot spring! Take a swim under the moonlight, and even explore some of those ruined old manors, now with their first floors warmly flooded. It’s a tradition to bring in your favorite drinks and spend an evening sipping it in a parlor with friends, and to make new ones by sharing your drinks. Of course, do watch out for the ghosts. They’re mischievous more than malicious, but this is their favorite time of the year too!

You can also head to the Great Tree, which is decorated for the season with glittering glass orbs and is the current roost for the pale Moonbugs of Highstorm. Write a wish on a slip of paper and hold out your hands, and one of the Moonbugs will come sit within them. Whisper the wish to the Moonbug and it’ll take the paper and fly away to find someone to fulfill it. Of course, this also means that a Moonbug is likely to come find you! Besides it being good karma to fulfill the wish, you’ll be given a brief vision of the person whose wish you fulfilled and be blessed by the tree for the duration of the month depending upon your Aspect:

Advocate: People are more likely to buy you meals/rounds and every recipe you make turns out perfectly.
Exalt: Animals seem to think more kindly of you, and you'll find them much easier to befriend.
Harbinger: You're given a more silver tongue as your arguments seem to be better at persuading people.
Iconoclast: You won't be effected by cold weather in any way.
Savant: You heal much more rapidly from any injury and are generally the very picture of health.
Stargazer: Your indulgences (whatever they may be) are both easier to find and are of higher quality.

And of course, there’s one more well-known practice in Highstorm, though it’s more of a tradition of Kowloon’s… The Gävle family is a well-known family who has lived in Highstorm for a long time, and they brought a tradition of building a festive Yule goat made straw in the square outside of their businesses. However, it also happens to be outside of Yura Szczepanski’s home. He’ll never do it himself, of course, but if you manage to burn it down? He’ll reward you, obviously. It doesn’t make it any more legal, so those that try generally spend some time in a Highstorm jail, but it’s an enshrined enough practice at this point that not only has it burned down more often than it’s survived, but there’s even a betting pool in Kowloon for whether it survives or not.

Of course, if these traditions aren’t quite your vibe, you’ll also find the city just generally set up for a metropolitan winter. The Antiques & Baubles Market is rearranged to make room for a large ice-skating rink, Tasseography (the coffeeshop by the Tomes) has a seasonal special for a hot chocolate that will fortify you from the cold for a few hours (and make you fire resistant? Weird,), and the city also hosts a full-size gingerbread house that you can indeed take a bite from, to name a few things. Generally speaking, if it’s something you could do in a snowy city at home, you’ll probably find an equivalent somewhere in the city of moonlight.

Be warned, however, if you are visiting from out of town. Highstorm's reception seems just a touch bit chiller than the weather!

YEAR'S END FESTIVAL (SPRINGSTAR)

Springstar will never turn down a chance to celebrate, but eternally Highstorm’s opposite, this is the warmest time of year. With the sun always shining, some days can get near sweltering, but that just means you have a different set of traditions to have fun with it!

The ivy-like vines that decorated the city in the beginning of the month (November) are now in full bloom, and you’re now likely to learn why the Meri consider them sacred. Wherever the flowers bloom, they encourage feelings of warmth and slightly higher inclination for physical contact within those that encounter their magical pollen*. Holding hands with someone by the flowers will give you feelings of liveliness and happiness, and for a few hours, the positive traits of the person you’re holding hands with become more prominent in you and vice versa. These effects do linger a bit longer, since for a month, you’ll also find that being around this person also gives you both a little boost in energy. It’s very sweet! This also comes with a bit of a further game, if you’re at all a frequenter of Psychagogía...

Madame Dee’s hosts a very popular competition simply called Kiss Bingo. Approach the booth set-up outside the brothel and touch your Shard to a special card, and names will appear upon it. From there, the rules are simple. Just give that person a kiss! It can be on their hand, their lips, their [redacted], all of it counts, and once you do, a little kiss mark will mark their name out. Get a bingo, and you can pick from a variety of prizes such as a ticket for a week’s worth of visits at a local buffet, a shopping spree at a nearby store, or a box seat for a day at the Coliseum. Of course, if you’re really an overachiever, fill out the whole card to get multiple prizes. Madame Dee might just give you a job!

With the promise of home that the Meri deeply believe in, they have their own gifting tradition. The Shard-Bearers know best that it’s possible to receive gifts from the Timestream, and for Year’s End, it’s tradition for the Tribune to pull out all the stops. For a week of the Festival, the Tribune works just outside of Heliopolis, and with the help of priests from the Church of Helios, reaches into the Timestream to produce a gift for anyone that comes to ask. This year, however, he's asked Quetzalcoatl and Samba's elves to deliver gifts, but you might not get anything you asked for (or maybe you did!) but they're all gifts the timestream spit out!

On rainy days (or simply the unbearably hot ones), you can also go to Starlight Park, which offers a reprieve from the weather. Inside the dome, you’ll find a idyllic, snowy valley where you can partake in all the natural joys of winter. There’s (highly) competitive snowball fights, sledding, and skiing to partake in, though you might be cautioned away from one slope. Head down that course and about halfway down, you’ll be chased by… a yeti? Luckily it doesn’t seem to be able to harm you, but it’s still shockingly fast and will catch you no matter how quickly you ski. You can also spend a bit of money to rent a yurt along the river for a relaxing and exceptionally cozy glamping experience. Some Yurts are even adorned with the sacred vines. You know, for no reason.

You’ll also find the Meri heading away from the city of Springstar a bit to head down to some of the beaches that surround Springstar. Being an island within an Island (capital ‘I’ meaning the Kenos kind of island), Takiltu is the traditional start of Springstar’s summer season and all the fun that comes with that. The beaches are bustling, but the cool and crystal-clear waters of the ocean surrounding the city make it worthwhile. Surfing, diving, and sailing are popular activities, but just make sure to stay within sight of the shore. It doesn’t take too long to hit the end of the Island and sailing outside the magical barrier that keeps Springstar floating in Kenos’s starscape generally isn’t survivable.

Just be mindful, if you're trying to escape Highstorm's chill for some summer fun, as attitudes are shifting toward bearers in general, and it might not be as easy as it once was.

NOTES

Weather summary for the second 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

Highstorm is out of fall and into winter. While there are some milder days, snow (and heavy snow at that!) is getting more common.
Springstar is hot and humid, and it's not uncommon for brief thunderstorms to roll through in the afternoon.

Notable city changes:

Both cities have experienced changing attitudes toward shard-bearers. You will need to be mindful if you want to travel to a city that doesn't house your faction, as things might not be as easy when it comes to getting around.
Springstar has had an increase in attacks toward it's citizens, and they are often fatal and destructive. Rumors travel among Springstar's seedier types that these are escaping from Ryad, and they aren't being reigned in. That always comes with a flicker of worry.

CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Within the very first hour they had met, Kiritsubo had made it very clear that she wanted to lay her hands on Amos Burton. Hands holding her needle-tipped tattooing tools, of course. (Hands on flesh, too, sex, yes, but- they'd taken care of that within the first hour they met as well.) There were so many interesting canvases here in the world called Kenos... and he was one of the more fascinating ones. Oh, there was potential and power in almost every shard-bearer, yet there was something she could「see」on his skin, something strong just begging to be given shape for all the world to see, not just her.

And now, after the Harbinger Oracle trial had concluded, as Highstorm was blanketed in snow and a holiday season was approaching... it seemed Amos agreed with her.

When Kiritsubo arrives at his shop, though, it is not the Kiritsubo he had come to know. Laying low since a few of her shapes had been outed by the mysterious broadcast of their actions in the maze, she had not returned to the form Amos knew her as: tall, long of leg, athletic, and sharp-featured. The woman who comes in the door today has skin like caramel and hair like burnished gold, her shape generously curved and not at all hidden by her fur scarf and the pale excuse for a coat she's wearing. Her lips move the same, though, when they curl into a playful smile, playing as if it were her first time walking through that door.]

Pardon the intrusion~

[He may recognize the same tool belt worn loosely at her waist, though- the ones she'd had him service, which she was itching now to apply to his flesh.]

[ He'd just been in the back when he hears someone enter his shop, hears her voice, and—

That was not quite who he was expecting to see walk through the door, but it only takes him a matter of seconds to put two and two together. And then Amos is grinning at her, recognition dawning on his features — or, as much as one can recognize a shapeshifter, that is. ]

Hey. You made it.

[ Well, why wouldn't she have? Though he notes the way Kiritsubo is not at all appropriately dressed for the weather outside, and how completely unbothered she is by it, and makes a mental note regarding that front. Huh. Is being impervious to cold a shapeshifter thing, too?

Irrelevant. He's already backing up, heading to the room in his place she's made her own. ]

Was just finishing up one or two things, since I figure I'm gonna be laid up a day or two. No heavy lifting. [ His grin is easy; it's been a while since he's gotten new ink, and that itch that reignited itself after he learned of her profession will soon be sated. ] I'm ready when you are.

Of course, I did... I've been looking forward to this.

[When recognition hits, Kiritsubo gives a little wave, letting the door shut behind her and following him smoothly towards the back room that has undergone a bit of a transformation since she took up occasional residence. Inside is now a comfortable chair for clients, and a bed, too, some of her inks, a bit of aesthetic... It wasn't like she brought tons of customers back here to Amos' shop, but when she did, they left satisfied... and she had been keeping up her rent just fine. Her fees were somewhat exorbitant. For those who weren't getting the Shard-bearer "friends and family" discount.]

Working with someone I won't have to force into obeying upkeep rules... ? How novel~

[Her spirit clients could be so very reckless about health. Sure, demons and their kind could often heal themselves and did not fall ill, but to risk compromising her work because they wanted to drink and fight and fuck? Annoying! Not like she didn't understand the urge... Tugging on Amos's shirt, with a little wink,]

But as sad as I am about the no fucking in particular... Off, please, and get comfortable on the bed for me, hmm?

[When she strips off her paltry coat, her rather immodest clothing choices reveal that the tattoos he had become accustomed to were still there, just translated onto different skin and different curves. Perhaps that was a way to identify her, no matter the shape she took. (Or maybe that's just what she wants people to think, in case she ever needed to actually conceal herself.) As she moves to her desk, laying down her tool satchel and beginning to unroll her needles, though...]

Has Highstorm been treating you kindly, since that little bit of exhibitionism we ended up in?

[ His grin full-on broadens as she tugs at his shirt, happy and excited and amused. When Kiritsubo lets go he takes a second to strip, folding it neatly before placing it at the head of the bed, and then hopping up onto it.

For a moment Amos lets his legs dangle like a kid in eager wait. She's seen all of him, of course, and that would include his shard — small and unremarkable in its dull grey, but for the blue fireflies that seem to be flitting about inside. (He doesn't like them, but he can ignore them. Has kinda had to.) It's nestled towards the top of his heart, but there's still plenty of chest for her to work with.

Pleasantly: ] Remind me to call you in a week.

[ For another booty call, once he'll be largely healed up and not at risk of damaging something. His existing ink stands out already on pale skin, black with little variation; it's not his first rodeo.

Amos lies back down on the bed, his shirt now something of a pillow, and ponders the ceiling before answering her. ]

I think so? I mean, I haven't noticed anything different. [ There's been some condescending pity on account of the fact that he died, but it isn't something he's really noticed or even cared about. His shard still made it to the end, after all, and his loyalties have never been in doubt. ] Highstorm's always been good to me. No reason for that to change now.

[ He remains blissfully ignorant as to why she might be asking that question at all. No reason for life to be any different, right? Right. ]

[The "one week" comment earns a little wink over her shoulder. She will be holding him to it- or, more likely, she was going to just show up one night around about that time in her typical, rather whimsical fashion. Only this, only her ink work merited a certain amount of planning and routine. The rest...

She hums along with his words as she begins selecting the poking needles she wants to start with, a smaller, narrower set that would do well for outlining. Perhaps the hardest step, where most artists feared to make a mistake... But she wouldn't. She's been doing this for centuries... and she was tracing what she「saw」anyway. Easy.]

I suppose that makes sense... It seems you got up to quite a bit after we were so rudely parted.

[She had investigated all of the papers, lent her ear to quite a bit of gossip in the aftermath of the labyrinth. Even though Zenith had lost... Amos had distinguished himself with his efforts, and his reputation seemed largely intact. Hers, however...]

Though I shouldn't find my own predicament very surprising. There's just something about shapeshifting that makes people think you can't be trusted...

[And gee, why would that be? She gives a little sigh, twirling her needle in her fingers as she selects the inks, pours what she needs, arranges it bedside... and then begins to crawl up onto the bed over him with a teasing little "here I come~", sitting in a straddle over his stomach and getting comfortable, beginning to cleanse the skin on his chest around his Shard to prep his flesh. But as she does so...]

- You haven't asked me about it.

[What she was. Why she had the powers she did. Why she had shown up in the form she had to see him. If that was her natural form or not. What her powers could actually do. He hadn't asked anything at all... and she's curious. It could be because they were parted rather quickly and he hadn't had the time... But she thinks its not that. That it might be something more amusing, like the nature of a man on which she could see the flower of that woman opening its petals to bloom.]

[ Amos, meanwhile, hasn't read any of the papers. Hasn't paid attention to any of the gossip. He already knows what he needs to know — Zenith lost, and there isn't a whole lot they can immediately do about that. They'll just have to win the next one — and maybe strike a blow in another way, something he's been turning over in the back of his mind more and more now.

His eyes slide shut for a moment, and Kiritsubo could be forgiven if she thought he hadn't listened to a word she's said. He's going to have a bit of downtime coming up, and that's all the more reason to keep thinking things over. How to infiltrate—

Shapeshifting and can't be trusted make impacts on his mind, and Amos' eyes open again, head shifting a little to see the inks she's choosing. Huh. Pink'll definitely be a new one for him.

He rights his gaze as Kiritsubo climbs over top of him, small grin on his face as she preps his skin. There's a mild tingle of discomfort any time she comes near his shard, but that's only to be expected. He can easily ignore it, just like he's ignored that whole can't be trusted part. ]

Didn't know if you ever wanted to talk about it. Figured it was something personal. [ She looks different now from what he's used to. Might look different the next time he sees her, too. It doesn't bother him. ] As far as I'm concerned you're still you though, yeah? I mean, I'm trusting you right now. Doesn't really matter what you look like.

[ A beat. ]

Well, matters that you got hands instead of paws, but, you know, other than that. What you look like — is that something important to you?

[ If she's bringing it up... it might be?

Or is trust more important to her? He looks up expectantly, waiting for her answer, her needle; both. ]

[Kiritsubo had explained to Amos the nature of her process beforehand. That her tattoos were not something she allowed her clients to walk into her parlor and choose, but something they would submit to on blind faith. That she would「see」on them what their karma dictated... and then she would bring that to life on their skin. In her own world, her reputation and skill spoke for itself- oh, she would take requests for the purpose of the ink, for a seal or a strengthening agent or a curse, but the design... That was all her, and people were content enough to release control of it if it meant they would have the Kiritsubo's work on their flesh.

So as far as she was concerned... Amos was trusting her quite a bit today.]

Mmmm. I'm still me.

[The answer came easily because it was easy. Even though she favored one form as a "default", the base from which the others sprung, she didn't feel a second of dysphoria or confusion in her own body no matter what it looked like that day. They were her at the core, and the core was all that mattered to her- the bone, muscles, and skin around it were simply decor, things she could customize according to her whims that day or the tastes of her partner. The face and the body that straddle him right now are different, but the way she hums her answers, the way her lips quirk up in the corners, and the casual, almost thoughtless sensuality in her movements as she leans down for a quick, teasing kiss have not changed.]

So it's not important to me at all.

[Straightening back up, she finishes the prep on his chest with a final wipe and then reaches for her needle, using the handle tip end to thoughtfully trace out a pattern only she could see along his chest, encompassing his Shard.]

Other people tend to get hung up on it, though... Especially humans. So you surprised me a bit.

[And she did like surprises. It brought a little color into the life of a woman who could「see」so much.]

[ He hums a little into that brief kiss, lazy smile on his face as Kiritsubo pulls back, eyes half-open and anticipatory — though he does know what she's actually here for. Still, it's a little bit of fun.

Amos' eyes slide shut at that tickling sensation of the needle going over, but not yet into, his skin. That feels nice in the moment, too. Whole setup right now is exactly his speed — relaxed, comfortable, and with a person he likes.

(They're both Exalts. There's little doubt in his mind that she can pick up on all of that.)

He hums again in initial response. ]

Guess that makes sense. Other humans having a problem with it. I know I ain't exactly normal. [ Because for as much as Amos' emotions may be freely and inadvertently transferred to her, they're still rather muted. He feels things comfortably, casually; rarely strongly. Just vibes. ] But like you said. You're still you. I know you. It'd be weird of me to suddenly have a problem with you just because you looked different.

[ Wouldn't make any sense, really.

He opens his eyes again, going back to her earlier question. ]

Highstorm been treating you okay?

[ But if she's suddenly using a different shape with him, and fussing over the fact a little... Well, he can hazard a guess as to what the answer might be, but he's hoping he's wrong. ]

[A little bit of fun never hurt anyone, after all. Did it? That strange sense shared through their Aspects... Kiritsubo is not used to having people able to peek into her head or understand her emotions when she did not necessarily desire it. Mystery was part of what gave her power, after all, and because of her powers... She tended to keep herself removed from others. This was new. Not exactly the most welcome... but in Amos' company, not something she particularly hated.

What a strange man.]

Normal can be boring at times.

[She smirks a bit, unable to help the playful tease of,]

Besides, most men who know I can change shape usually have the opposite of a problem~

[Precisely because she attached no particular value or identity to her shapeshifting forms, it was not insulting or dehumanizing to her when lovers asked her to take on certain features or even entire faces and bodies of specific people. If it made their time together more pleasurable... why not? To her, it was nothing more serious than a partner asking for a little roleplay, or to bring a toy into the bedroom to play with together. She leans down for one more little kiss...

And then sits back astride him, prepping her needles with ink and beginning to prick the main outlines into his chest, her movements skillful and smooth. She hums a little as she does so, a little sign that she hasn't forgotten his actual question and is just formulating her reply... and eventually-]

Well, I cannot say people are very pleased with me, no.

[Her hand is steady, she doesn't sound particularly upset about anything. In fact... She can't help but chuckle slightly over the tabloid headlines.]

It seems I'm considered a bit more focused on my own pleasures than the Oracles... "Lust Over Victory" was one headline, I believe.

[ A non-committal grunt at the idea of normalcy and its relationship with boringness. Being boring wouldn't be so bad, he figures. Better than what he's got going on with him. It's something he's wished for; has had to accept he's never going to get, or so he's thought.

But his mind quickly moves on from that at her teasing tone, at the way she leans back down over him — and immediately denies him, her being the one to stick something in him instead. Amos lets out a little laugh at her audacity; immediately halts it, because she's got a job to do and him moving around is only going to make things worse. Still, there's a little smile on his face as he looks out at her, watching her hands as much as he can from his vantage point. Feeling that burning little sting that indicates there's no turning back now.

Ah. So people aren't pleased with her. He'd been suspecting as much, but her little laugh over it has him furrowing his brow. Not that he cares about impressing others, but... ]

Lust Over Victory? Huh. [ He maybe should have been able to see that coming, but he'd also thought she would be taking the Oracle trial seriously. The way everyone should. Amos frowns a little, more from trying to figure out where she's coming from than any pain on his end. ] Well that's...

[ She's literally stabbing him right now; there's a little question as to how to word this. ]

... I dunno. We got separated so fast, and then I didn't see you again. You weren't doing what the Oracle wanted? For Zenith?

[Being boring isn't so bad for humans, as far as Kiritsubo is concerned. Most humans, she's found, are perfectly content being "boring"- having routine, established comfort zones, and familiar faces. But she... she cannot. It is not in her nature, it is not something that stands the test of time, of a life lived for century after century. At least, as far as she and her sense of wanderlust is concerned.

Let him laugh. She'll have him pay her back for those little teases once his tattoo has begun to heal. Her sense of the body is keen and alert, she stops pricking his skin until his chest stills, and only then does she get back to work, following the lines of the karma she can「see」painted on his flesh. Speaking while she works has never been a problem for her, though, so answering, even honesty...]

I was making my way towards the effigy well enough, I suppose. But I came across a room with a particular spell upon it- one that ignited my desire but rendered me unable to sate it.

[It's not a problem at all. Her fingers splay slightly to make his skin draw taut over muscle, following a curve to trace out a delicate petal as she purses her lips at the displeasing memory. Not displeasing because of the desires, no, those had been wonderful enough to indulge in, and her partner extremely skilled, but because-]

I can't say I've ever still been that horny after cumming five times.

[Annoying. Again, not just because it had been frustrating physically... but because it proved the Oracles were powerful enough to bypass all the protective spells she had and affect her. Tch.]

So once I left that room... I had to take care of that.

[Naturally? After leaving the Room of Eternal Hunger, though, she had ended up in the Room of Domination... and unfortunately, the man she had dominated didn't have the good grace to even be a Meridian she could claim as a faction victory. A bad case of "destiny". She shrugs a bit, as if she weren't concerned- even though she was. Perhaps, about different things than Amos Burton.]

That seems to be where our stories differ.

[Amos, she had read, had "failed" in the sense that he had been consumed by the shadows. But he had dedicated himself fully to the Oracle's trial, while she... Well, she had been a tourist traipsing her way through while curiously observing what these Oracles were all about. She won't argue that.]

Mm. [ That's... understandable, actually. She initially made it sound worse than it seems like it actually was, as though she was purposefully looking to get laid instead of fight, but... ] I got caught in a room like that too. Twice, actually. Only I didn't end up horny. More like...

[ He pauses, staring up at the ceiling, eyes shifting as though the wording is written up there. ]

... Bloodlust, I guess. All I wanted to do was kill. Thought that's what the Oracle wanted of me, too. Someone else was able to get me out of that room; then I helped someone else out of another one later. Didn't really need to do anything after that.

[ Like, sure, he would have fought and tried to kill some Meris regardless — but that need was gone. ]

So I kinda know what you mean. Or at least, I know that it wasn't as easy as just walking out of there. Nobody who'd give you shit for it would know what it was like, though. Just gotta keep your chin up.

[ Because he assumes that was the extent of it. That she would've fought for Zenith otherwise, but some of those rooms were fucking awful, made it particularly difficult.

His eyes slide shut, breath a little tight as she works on him. With the part of the body he's getting tattooed it's unavoidable. ]

We can still take the next three. Maybe find a way to take back the other two they got, too. [ A beat. ] Maybe get back at them a little sooner than that.

[ Because somebody's got a mission~ ]

[... She was maybe definitely more concerned with getting laid than fighting after her time in the Room of Eternal Hunger. But she's content enough to be vague about it, her focus perfectly split between the conversation and the work she is doing on the canvas of Amos Burton's chest. Bloodlust, though... Her currently-golden blonde brows rise a bit as she looks up at him, as if she could「see」the violence on him if she checked again. Technically because she could.

Ah. That would be a great and terrible sight, she thinks. A man like this unleashed and frenzied. Nothing compared to Kiyoami, of course, but... A fond little smile curls her glossy lips.]

Thanks for worrying about my chin~

[Thankfully? for Kiritsubo, she had a rather well-balanced sense of self and her place in the world. Even if the citizens of Highstorm fully turned against her, she would hold her head high content in her choices. At least, that is what she has always done in the past. Perhaps this world would introduce her to something new- she won't discount the possibility.

For a while, she lets his words linger in the air as she turns more of her eye to the lines taking shape across his chest. The petals will be delicate, gently curved and soft. Something others might think did not fit this man, but... she can sense that flower's influence lingering on him like a shroud. Sense the hands of the witch that shroud belongs to, wrapped gently and possessively around his heart. Yet despite that, she has the gall to finally murmur,]

Oh... ? If you say things like that, people will start thinking that you have a plan, Amos.

[ His breathing is steady, if not a little tight thanks to the way she has to lean over him. With the way his eyes are shut and his body largely motionless apart from the soft rise and fall of his chest, it would be entirely reasonable to think he's gone to sleep, even as she continues to etch her art into him. It's almost rhythmic, pleasant the way delicate lines are added to his being.

But Amos is, indeed, awake. His eyes stay shut, but he does shift his head slightly at her latest observation, a soft grunt at her insinuation. ]

Working on one, yeah. [ It's murmured, his voice low but still direct. He's not going to deny it. ] We've lost the last two Oracles. Need to tip the scales back in our favour.

[ A beat. ]

You can pretty much go anywhere you want if you change your appearance, yeah? Like nobody'd suspect you of anything if they didn't know it was you?

[As amusing as she sometimes finds it to be the first to ink a person, as much as it is an honor, in some ways, to be trusted with that... Kiritsubo much preferred when her clients knew the drill. Amos knows what to expect, how to breathe, and how to bear the pain that came as par for course with etching something permanently into flesh. It gives her freer reign to focus on the art itself than managing the man beneath.

This time she is interested in the man beneath, but... In what he says, not in the mundane chore of convincing him not to flinch. As clever fingers move the long-handled traditional needles she preferred expertly over the delicate lines she「sees」on his chest, the ability in her eyes not needing any sort of sketching or tracing step, she listens, she shifts over his hips, she hums...

And a part of her agrees. Not for the reasons Amos might think, because Kiritsubo prefers balance to one side dominating the other, but the end result is the same.]

It would seem that we do.

[In order to tip the scales back... Zenith would need a victory. Before losing the Harbinger effigy, she had not been invested because balance had not been threatened, content to watch how things shook out, but now... ? She lifts her false golden eyes up to look at Amos' face just briefly, and in that moment... She smiles that mysterious little smile of hers.]

... Mmmm. I can.

[She had not bothered changing much about her voice or her body language because she was not actually hiding her identity from Amos, only fooling those who she passed in the street, but if she was actually intending to disguise herself truly?]

Unless someone has eyes like mine, or they are an incredibly powerful sorcerer capable of stripping away others' work... My transformations are rather perfect.

["Rather", because nothing was "wholly", and the Oracles themselves had proven capable of magically defaulting her back to her natural form, but. She lets her words trail off so that Amos might fill the air with what he meant to say next, listening as she turns her eyes back to the pattern emerging on his skin, gently stabbing ink beneath his skin without a single significant pause.]

[ They need a victory. Several, as a matter of fact, but first things first — they can start with the one. She agrees.

She also doesn't clarify, so as far as Amos is concerned that's it, then — Kiritsubo is down for the cause, ready to help Zenith win not just the next battle, but the whole fucking war.

His eyes crack open enough to see that smile, his gaze that much more focused for it. Despite how relaxed he is throughout this entire process, despite how well he's managing the pain, he is very much awake and aware now, mind coming back online in full force. ]

There might be people like that in Springstar. Lots of people live there; you never know. You got a way to get away just in case? Wouldn't want anything to happen to you.

[ He's still an Exalt, after all, and this could be devastating if anyone gets caught... but probably moreso if they're a spy. As much as the mission needs to be completed, it's not as though Amos wants to lose anyone along the way for it — but certainly not someone like Kiritsubo, someone with whom he'd hit it off right away, and someone who he now has reason to believe is dedicated.

So, first things first, though maybe the part where he's inquiring about her safety first plays a part in letting her know: this is going to be something big. ]

[She agrees. And she will keep agreeing until Meridian and Zenith have the same amount of Oracles again- or at least, the same amount of comparable power. In her own world, she had always walked that fine line, never making an enemy of anyone but never being all that reliable an ally, either, fickle with her attention and sparse in her loyalty, willing to step foot in either camp if it suited her tastes. But here...

Well. In order to secure a new world for Kiyoami... She might actually have to abandon that neutrality she has always imposed upon herself. But she has not yet come to the moment when she must made a true decision. For now... All Amos need to know is that she did think Zenith required a victory. That wasn't a lie at all.]

There could be. I heard they have a god or two, powerful magic users... and that is just shard-bearers.

[She has done her share of recon, whether anyone else was aware of it or not. Her gaze is occupied with the curve of petal she is crafting on him, but once that line is done she raises it a moment to look at the focus in his eyes. So it is something quite important. She knew he was a dedicated Zenite... But now... Now, she is curious. And her somewhat unreadable smile turns more simple when he expresses worry for her. She was a good fuck, an entertaining companion...

But she isn't used to people worrying about her safety. And not just because of her strength. It was a simple consequence of the nomadic life she had chosen to lead, the fact that her「sight」tended to scare away those unable to handle their karma on display longer than a night or two. It could be lonely in a way... But it was free. As long as it did not tie her down... She could treasure them. Little moments of connection, little emotions like "concern".]

- I can be quite slippery, though. And a bit stronger than I look.

[Which honestly... in this shape, wasn't strong at all, all soft curve and only barely toned muscles. But whether he thinks she just means that she could transform into a more physically powerful body or that she herself was simply strong no matter what she looked like...]

I just haven't shown you because I don't want to break this lovely pelvis of yours when I'm on top~

[- She can't quite help the cheeky comment or the little wriggle over his hips, it seems, but the facts beneath are still intended as reassurance. And in the wake of those...]

Do you have a favor to ask of me, lover?

[ He frowns a little at the notion of Meridian's supposed gods, mouth twisting slightly in discomfort from that more than the procedure he's undergoing. But it loosens up almost immediately after, as though something has occurred to him — and then he is meeting her eyes, silent and holding weight to his own gaze.

Softens as her smile does. Of course he cares about her; he knows her. It's never a question in his mind — most people he inherently doesn't so much as regard. The people he's chosen, though? The ones he likes spending time with, ends up caring for? There is a drive to protect — whether they need it or not, whether they're stronger than him or not. It's something he wants to do.

Amos huffs a laugh at that little wriggle, staying still otherwise. His body isn't going to react in the middle of all of this, but at least she's ignited a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, a gentle curve of his own lips. Lover.

He's never been called that before. ]

Well, you can break me a little if you want. I got healing magic.

[ His amusement fades, a gentle tapering off as they get to the nature of the favour. Because yeah — now it's back to business, though his gaze remains soft. While he has a window to move he brings a hand up to the back of his head, using it to prop himself up a little more. ]

Yeah. Couple months back I tried getting into Heliopolis in Springstar. You know, where all their important shit seems to be? Their Tree, church or whatever... Tribune. [ A beat. ] Wasn't expecting to get too far in, if only because, you know. They probably figured out who I am by now.

[ He's someone who doesn't make any efforts to conceal himself; will always go out and about as himself. It's a problem for things like this, he knows. An area where he's destined to fail, unless. ]

Thing is, I'm going to kill Cyrus. [ There's no bravado in his voice, no declaration. It's merely a simple statement of fact, as though he were remarking on it being cold outside, or how he's going to enjoy the nap he's going to take when they're done here. ] So if I knew someone who could get close to him without him knowing... Figure out the layout of the place, his daily routine, where he's most likely to be at any given time...

[ The focus is back, combined with something expectant. Hopeful. Friendly? They are friends, after all.

Lovers, maybe, apparently. ]

That something you could do?

[What a shame, she thinks, if she knew. He was a good one- at least, by her rather physically focused standards. No fuss, no complicated emotions, just desire and momentary connection and mutual effort, venting out stress, unwinding from the wire, sating a tanuki's libido, or simply indulging in lazy pleasure. She will say it more, if it pleases him and makes his smile curve that way.

Just because she did not love her lovers, not the same way she had devoted her heart to the one whose shard Yima had formed from the soul she guarded, did not mean she did not feel affection for them, even for mortals destined to die in the blink of an eye and a few meager decades. (Though, there was something about Amos... a strange sensation like a clock hand stuck, stuttering, clicking-)]

Oh, are you now?

[She reacts to the news as if he had just announced that it was cold, and it was now her turn to question if he might not then need a scarf. Though... It seemed she was supposed to be the scarf. But... she does not turn her gaze away to the flower taking shape on his chest, not for a moment. He is focused, after all... and that certainly is one way to attempt to restore balance within the factions. There is a moment that she seems to consider it... before she answers with a simple,]

I could.

[Will she is not yet inked as pact, not quite yet, but yes, she could. Her gaze returns to the flower, the needles to his skin, but she continues on in the same casual tone that might confuse anyone else who heard such a serious talk happening. Not that they should, in this soundproofed room, with the wards she had put on the insides of it when no one was looking.]

The one time we spoke, I asked for the names of the tattoo artists he uses in Springstar, and to be honest... I had been shadowing them hoping he might book an appointment.

[Getting her hands on the flesh of a Tribune... Now that had seemed a tantalizing opportunity to spread her reputation. But he had not. Some members of the Heliopolis guard, some staff, though... They had. They were the trusted artists of Cyrus, after all. They came highly recommended.]

I could easily impersonate a Springstar citizen... But if you wish for me to learn his comings and goings more intimately... It will need to be someone who won't be questioned or suspect at his side.

[She gently wipes her fingers over his muscles, moving a slight stain of blood out of the way from her needle so that she can complete the line of that petal and move on to another.]

So it will require someone be replaced. I assume that is not a problem?

[If he plans to assassinate a man, she doubts he will draw the line at kidnapping and interrogation, potentially murder as disposal. But, she asks.]

[ He's never loved. Make love as a euphemism for fucking is just odd to him. It's fucking. Love is just something that everyone else seems to have made up, and so lovers goes with it.

Kiritsubo calling them that, though? That's different. Before all of this, Amos would trend towards brothels whenever the need arose — a strictly transactional way to get it out of his system. He pays. His partner helps relieve him. A business arrangement and nothing more, so how lucky for him to have come across a couple of partners in Kenos who seem to get it just as well as he does — you fuck, and you move on, no need for that love shit to complicate and end a good thing.

Amos watches her watching her work, still relaxed, now with a slightly better view of his chest should he choose to direct his gaze downwards. He doesn't, his eyebrows climbing slightly as she answers that she could, focus firmly fixed on her as he waits to hear more.

A pleasantly surprised little rumble from his throat at hearing she'd already been doing some shadowing, even if it wasn't of Cyrus himself, and for her own reasons. That's still more than he would've expected to get out of the gate like this.

Amos exhales at her touch, a little startled by it as opposed to the sensation of needle through skin, before going back to watching her working, alert and considering. ]

Nope. [ His answer comes easily enough; yes, he will take that scarf, thank you. ] Just as long as it's not more trouble than it's worth. I mean, getting to Cyrus is going to be difficult. Getting to someone by his side probably not so much, but that's still the kind of thing that could be tough to execute. I dunno how much I can help there either, but yeah, if we gotta kill someone for you to take their place for a bit? That part's no problem.

[ Kidnapping doesn't even cross his mind — why wouldn't you just kill them and be done with it? It'd be less complicated that way, and the less complicated, the better. ]

[Kiritsubo has never really used brothels. Largely because she could take on the most attractive form she felt like to garner the attention of someone that wouldn't take her coin very, very easily, but in a pinch... Sure. Sometimes she just really needed to fuck all night. But she finds it more convenient to fold her repeat partners into the network of contacts and allies (friends?) that she makes use of as required... and in turn, they are free to request to make use of her. It is how she has inked some of her tattoo work, how she has ended up shaped like her or him for someone to work out their frustrations with, and...

Apparently, how she got asked to assist in an assassination. That's quite a novel one.]

It shouldn't be too difficult. A guard would be easiest, because they likely don't talk much... but they might largely bunk in barracks, which would be harder to get to. The civilian staff should keep their own residences. As long as the right one is picked out, followed...

[Another petal is taking form on Amos' chest, the flower more and more obvious where it spreads and opens beneath the strange glow of his Shard.]

I can't have them killed immediately, though. I'll need to「look」at them properly first... watch how they move and how they sound... But there will be things about them and their routine I can't「see」that easily. Things like the names of all their coworkers, their upcoming plans, how chatty they are at work...

[She did not normally utilize her abilities to fully inhabit the life of another. She transformed freely to suit her own moods and how she felt about herself that day, or to fit an identity she had established for herself with a certain group or in a certain country. She was a keen observer, sure, so when asked to take on a role in bed she could usually portray things well enough as long as she knew the person, but a random high-ranked Heliopolis staff member... ? Hmm.]

Know any torturers? Chemical or physical, it probably wouldn't matter. It's just not really my thing...

[ He frowns a little, both at the sensation of the needle once again at work and, more importantly the idea that this can't be a clean and simple kill-and-replace. This is beyond the level of scheming he's used to doing; it's still kinda disappointing that it can't just be that simple, though.

But of course it wouldn't be. If it was Amos would just walk up to Cyrus and shoot him himself, point blank.

Eyes lidded, he switches to watching her at work on his chest — watching petals take form, delicate lines dangerously close to his shard — and turns Kiritsubo's words over in his head. ]

Not sure if torture even works. Might be better off spying on them first, but... [ He clicks his tongue. ] Might not be enough time for that. It's probably gonna happen in the coming weeks. Can't spend too long waiting.

[ Amos grunts, both in mild discomfort and annoyance. ]

Yeah, torture ain't exactly my thing either. It's pretty fucked up actually. [ This is why when he has to take care of someone he just kills them. You know, like a normal person. ] I think... I dunno. You know Sebastian? If not him, then he probably knows someone.

[ Sebastian has helped him get hemlock in the past, though. Hemlock that he's been sitting on, waiting for the appropriate time to use it. He just... isn't quite sure how, yet, but it's another piece of the puzzle he has; another piece to ponder over how to fit in. ]

A combination, then.

[That seems like a simple enough conclusion to come to, taking into consideration that torture didn't always produce results and yet they were working with a time restraint here. Understandable. As well-planned as some assassinations needed to be... The longer you schemed, the more opportunities your enemy had to discover things you would rather keep hidden. The more people you involved, the more risks that people would begin to blab.]

I suppose a tanuki would stand out, but... a stray cat or dog might not for a little while.

[She rolls her eyes a bit to herself, though. Inferior animals... The things she does for a good fuck! Oh, and also maybe Zenith. And balance. As Amos grunts, she absently runs her free hand gently over the opposite side of his chest, an absent-minded soothing gesture. She knows it hurts, she knows its uncomfortable. But oh, it's going to be so worth it.]

There are some drugs that make a person loose-lipped... perhaps that will do better than ripping fingernails...

[Because that is pretty fucked up, actually. Not something she's a fan of, even if she'd shrug and look the other way if the need arose. Her eyes cannot「see」everything, after all. But when he makes his suggestion...]

Ah. I do know Sebastian.

[Intimately. And she still hadn't "thanked" him for her newfound fame in Highstorm's (and Springstar's) erotic publications.]

That might be a good choice. Shall I give him the talk, or shall I leave it to you, Mister Assassin... ?

[ He exhales as Kiritsubo runs her hand over the unmarked side of his chest, eyes flitting closed for a a couple of seconds. His mind remains at work, though; and the focus is back when he opens them again, still looking down at her work, past his shard.

Talking it out feels good, though. Starting to see how this is going to play out; the action that will unfold from it all. ]

Well, [ and the casual drawl is in his voice, back to talking about the weather, ] if you already know him then no need for me to play messenger, right? We can cut out the middle man. [ Which — even though this is his mission — that would be him, now, in this case. ] Yeah, drugging a guy's fine. Probably would work better, too. They might not even know they're telling you their secrets until the damage is done.

[ Plus it would be significantly less messy, so really, there's no downside to that approach. And if Sebastian could supply Amos with hemlock, surely something like this would be in his wheelhouse? Combine that with Kiritsubo's offering to be a stray animal for a bit too, and it seems like a foolproof way to gather information.

He's practically chipper now, humming a little as he lets his head fall back. ]

Mm. 'ppreciate this, Fluffy. I can't exactly scout ahead myself, so this helps a lot.

[It is something, taking shape. An infiltration into Heliopolis first as a creature that would not be noticed, long enough to identify who best to take and to observe them as much as possible in their habitat and work. A change to a different shape, one with lips and soft hands and a voice that could whisper sweet nothings and encourage imbibing, talking, spilling. A demon that could take that person out of the picture, and potentially deliver information that could not be taken gently or passively through the eyes. A tanuki that could then replace them, and stroll into the Tribune's orbit to learn all that could be gleaned to provide things like times, numbers, and vulnerabilities to an assassin.]

I'll contact him, then.

[She is smiling that mysterious smile, intrigued despite herself for the method. Even though she would potentially be willing to support almost any attempt to restore the balance between Meridian and Zenith powers, she finds this sort of scheme somewhat familiar. Nostalgic, almost, even though it had never been Kiyoami's way. Konnosuke's, perhaps. Ah, she did miss that rotten fox. But if she planned to say something else...

Kiritsubo pauses, one brow arching.]

Fluffy? Is that my new pet name~?

[As tempting as it was to pop into tanuki shape just to make a point- she is moving on from petals to the center of the lotus, and she won't jeopardize her inks for a joke. But she does laugh, freely, like they hadn't just been discussing the murder of a politidcal leader and the torture of an innocent.]

How did you know I had the fluffiest breast in all the spirit world?

[She would also like to add that it is the softest and the whitest.]

FOR AMOS 🪷 A BLOOMING LOTUS

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