Akako Akari

And I know you know we know you weren't Down for forever and it's fine I know you know we know we weren't Meant for each other and it's fine But if the world was ending, you'd come over, right? You'd come over and you'd stay the night Would you love me for the hell of it? All our fears would be irrelevant If the world was ending, you'd come over, right?

Iona was careful, making sure each foot placement was precisely where Arthur had placed his prior. Her gaze remained focused on his feet, so she missed the several glances he stole while they moved across the treacherous terrain. One misstep could be fatal; however, Iona didn't even consider death as an option. Iona was confident, but she had previous experience in an environment similar to this. The witch knew how fortunate she was that Arthur was blazing the trail before her. He was ultimately saving her time rather than her trying to find sturdy footholds and moving slowly as a precaution. "Alterion," Iona responded immediately, her voice soft, but clearly not winded. She glanced up at Arthur as she scaled the boulder behind him. He was already over the ledge, and she was nearly there. With a soft grunt of effort, Iona pulled herself up as his hand raised to stop her. She stilled and looked ahead. Looking back to Arthur, she noted that it wasn't a threat he was stopping them for, but from her vantage point, she couldn't see what he was looking at. Slowly, Iona rose and followed his line of sight to the mushrooms that didn't look like much to her, but she wasn't a mutant. She hummed as he told her what he was looking at suddenly understanding why they came to a halt. Food would be scarce, and while they had supplies, stopping for anything edible was ideal because there was no telling when they might need it. What was more fascinating was Arthur's magic. She had the sudden impulse to touch his arm, which stretched like rubber. Did it still feel like flesh? Then, it was the sound of the earth moving that drew her attention first, not even a second before Arthur's hand snapped back into place, narrowly avoiding the monster's maw. Iona blinked at where his hand had reached, and sure enough, in the darkness, she could spot distinct rows of jagged teeth. Her eyes brightened before she realized that Arthur was speaking to her. Rocks. Yes, focus on progress. This monster wasn't what she came to study. Iona's bright green eyes scanned the area before she bounded off, finding a sizable boulder. She hoisted the thing up into her arms and grunted as she felt the full weight of it. It looked more manageable on the ground, admittedly, but it was necessary. She hopped back towards the mage, clearing a small crevice when the part she stepped on cracked a fraction. Her balance shifted, and a slight noise of alarm escaped her, and she felt herself spilling backward. Either, she tosses the boulder she's procured and save herself from possible injury, or hang on to the rock and pray Arthur could reach her. @Voldemort

I should be living the dream But I go home and I got no self-esteem (Nope) You think I'm swimming in green, but It's passed around my family tree No man wants to really commit Intimidated 'cause I get paid and shit And I caught you reading my lips, but No one around me knows Who I am, what I'm on Who I've hurt and where they've gone I know that I've done some wrong But I'm trying to make it right The same mistakes on and on To all my friends I'm sorry for They know that I love you But I'm still learning to love myself

Akako wasn't one to cow to any being. Everything she did was planned with precision, even down to conversations that would trigger an inevitable domino effect. Rafael held power in Genesaris, but he also associated with individuals that were well known across continents. It would serve her well to be in his favor, for now. Besides, he held the same amount of contempt, if not more, for one of their shared enemies. Their forces combined could neutralize them with fewer casualties on their side, which was ideal. There was more to it though, more to Akako's plotting as was her nature. "I will send Jun to request an audience that I have no doubt he will permit. Afterall... he asked for a favor when we spoke in private during the festival." There was something about her voice that spoke more than the words themselves. Perhaps how honeyed, and yet somehow wicked it sounded. "Rafael and I need to spend more time together to build rapport, simply." She finished her gaze cast toward the window. The sound of small hooves on wood drew Akako's attention, and the daiyokai looked to the young fawn yokai as she lowered herself gracefully to serve them yokai sake. She was a pretty thing, slender with wide black eyes and small pouty lips. Her ears were elongated like a deer, and her hair was red, cut in a bob that framed her little face. The attendant served the sake with care before bowing to each and backing out of the room. Akako hummed softly before lifting her glass to her lips and taking a sip to consider the Cambion's next question. "We are gathering our strength. Nothing else at this time. As for Legion... I am testing Dredge's loyalty. If he fails me, I have a contingency plan to deal with him and his. I am not the rumored Queen of Yokai for nothing." Dredge was likely to fail. Akako bet on it. His loyalty was questionable at best, but she had known him for a week, if not less. Trust was built over time, and so, she was willing to give him a chance to prove himself and prove that he would be loyal to their cause. If he failed, and she hoped he wouldn't, he would surely regret his decision to turn his back on her kindness. @Twitterpated

The witch's expression screwed up into one of contempt as Arthur poked fun at her. She didn't know if she should be impressed or considerably worried that he seemed unperturbed given their current environment. The witch tugged the cloak tighter around her body before quickly following behind him, not having any issues with taking a daring leap across the five-foot gap. A small part of her hoped he saw that she could do this much without her magic and rely on her strength. While she was human, she'd pushed her body hard to survive in less than optimal circumstances such as this. Iona had strength and stamina that backed up her magical prowess, though she considered herself a novice. Iona knew she had a long way to go, which was why she was always on the move seeking more knowledge from books, people, or the environment. Arthur was obviously a mage, given the artifacts she'd seen in his tent when they first met. Perhaps he could be a source of information, but Iona didn't know if she could trust him, yet. @Voldemort

So will you know When to hold me And not let me be lonely When I won't let you in... And sometimes when I'm angry Will you know how to face me Put me together again... And even when I need space And don't mean the words that I say Please don't go too far away... So when it feels like we're breaking Will you know how to hate me And love me again...

Slippin' off the edge Out of phase Watchin' you pretend We're okay Every weekend, we hitchhike to hell And you only think of yourself If we're going down We're going down in flames Flying round the highway We're trying to get away Don't speak I'll try to save us from ourselves If were going down We're going down in flames Going down in flames

The red-head to Leon's right cast him a glance at his question, her brows raised in suspicion. The musician was gone more often than not these days, and Crystal understood why. She hadn't been working much over the last year with a few exceptions when Port Caelum's Queen called upon her for odd jobs here and there. So, her expectations were Leon needed to be the primary breadwinner until they decided to send Kyna to school, which neither brought up yet. When Leon was home, he was usually very involved, and they practically did everything together within reason. It was odd when he announced he was going shopping and didn't immediately invite them along. "If I didn't know any better, it sounds like you would have preferred that we stay home," she responded while adjusting Kyna, who was sleeping soundly at her chest, wrapped in a stretchy light grey linen that held her in place. "I haven't seen you in months..." Crystal started again, her crystalline blue gaze cast forward as they took their time heading to their destination. Her fingers laced through his tightened before she slipped her grasp out of his. "...I know you're capable of running errands without me, but this is our time, which won't last long. You'll have to get back on the road again, and we will wait for months before we see you again." Her voice was tight, a clear sign that she was holding back a well of emotions. Once upon a time, Crystal wouldn't hesitate to make a spectacle of them, but with a sleeping toddler in her arms, she reigned in the storm that raged within her. She wasn't angry with him for working, for supporting them, but Crystal had missed him and looked forward to him coming home. When he was gone, it was easy to stay preoccupied with Kyna for the most part. There was plenty to do between keeping the house clean and doing activities with the little one. They were enrolled in a couple of programs already that encouraged socialization for children. It was only difficult at night when Kyna was down to sleep and Crystal was left to her own devices. It felt like she had lost her sense of self over the last year and it was taking a toll on her overall emotional health. @Trexasle

Your voice is velvet through a telephone You can come to mine, but both my roommates are home Think I know a bar where they would leave us alone And I wonder if you'd take it slow Beautiful stranger, here you are in my arms and I know That beautiful strangers only come along to do me wrong

Before you jump in, tryna get under my skin There's something I should let you know It's gonna be impossible 'Cause I'm a made up mess in a backless dress I don't wanna lead you on 'Cause I'll only do you wrong, oh! You can have my heart, but you're not gonna leave with it Light in the dark, yeah you almost believed in it You've got me wrong I've got you hanging round my neck saying "Romance isn't dead" Oh you know, that I'm down for whatever Uh huh, I told you that it won't be forever So how come you still think that you're the one? Baby, I'm just Chewing Gum until the flavor's gone

"Jesus," Crystal hissed as Rin initially disappeared into the mass of bodies and chaos that ensued. Once the elemental caught sight of her again, it was impossible to lose her. She was a drop of white among the dark clothed mob. The red-head turned to look to Gin and nearly fell out of her chair to see that he too had left her company. "For the love..." Crystal was on her feet then, snarling as she pushed her way through people. One poor soul accidentally pushed the elemental, and he was immediately acquainted with the equivalent of a stun gun, 50,000 volts, and a few milliamps slamming into his nervous system like a freight train which effectively writhing on the floor in a mass of incoherent babbling. Crystal continued without making sure the man was alright. It didn't matter. There were more important things. She spotted Luiz, bloodied from the man standing in front of him, and just behind him, there was Rin. With a click of her tongue, Crystal quickened her pace as she saw Gin's hulking figure quietly fall into place at Rin's side. Fitting, Crystal thought to herself. Gin approached from the side, that way Rin would see him approaching. He kept his face downcast so it was hidden in shadow, but Rin would recognize what he was wearing. He even shortened himself, shoulders rounding over to appear shorter than he really was. Crystal said he needed to leave, so clearly she didn't want him to be recognized, but it wasn't common knowledge that Akako had a son... much less three of them. "Do you want me to go after the rest?" Gin asked, his voice low enough that over the cacophony of the yelling, only Rin would hear him. Crystal finally got close enough and gave Rin a look. She could, in theory, put the whole place to sleep, and they could slip out with Luiz to do with as they pleased. It was probably not the wisest move, though, because that could turn those in favor of Akako, against her. @Lacernella Rubra

Arthur and Iona were on the move again. The ground posed to be a treacherous obstacle for them to navigate with random stones jutting upward like jagged teeth. Above them, the sky was dark with clouds that appeared ready to open up to flood the world. The dark mass churned, turning in on itself as if it was a living thing. There was no light to speak of; no moon, no sun, nothing that could illuminate the landscape they traverse with careful footsteps. Layer upon layer of ominous clouds prevented even the most minimal light from piercing their curtain of forboding. Iona kept her gaze focused mostly on the ground, but frequently glanced up to the sky and around to her surroundings to be sure there was nothing afoot. Arthur's heightened senses caught something that not even the witch could intuit, and so she crouched low to the ground waiting for the mutant to either explain or make some signal for them to move. Once he gestured, Iona slinked along behind him, moving in something akin to a jaguar's prowl. "That much is obvious," Iona's voice was a low whisper, though the ire in her voice was clear as day. "I am not stupid enough to spend my time here researching. My only objective is to gather specimens," she was frowning at him. "Over," there was an edge to her tone. Iona wasn't thrilled with the fact that he had her thinking there was something beyond her sensory limits. Her previous experience made her wary, so she always anticipated the worst. Mentally, Iona had prepared herself for a fight, and her adrenaline was already pumping. It was a waste of energy she could have used later. "I can manage just fine." The woman stood and looked to the ledge. Her eyes closed and she muttered an incantation. Opening her eyes again, they were completely black, not even the whites of her eyes visible. From beneath her cloak, two pairs of gnarled charcoal-colored hands reached out, the nails were yellowed, but appeared impossibly sharp. The arms extended silently upwards until the ledge of the boulder was in its grip. Then, in one swift movement, Iona was yanked upward. She landed neatly in a crouched position, and the two sets of arms retreated from which they came. Her gaze settled on the land before her and sure enough, it looked just as menacing as Arthur described, only worse. The ground was uneven as it was before, only now, there were hundreds of gaping crevices that resembled monsters' maws rather than dolines and craters. The witch bit down on the inside of her bottom lip and considered the landscape while she waited for the mutant to join her on her perch.

walk your fine ass out the door...

'Keep walking,' she told herself as she heard the Cambion speak. 'You didn't hear it.' The rumored Queen of Yokai schooled her expression into one of perfect detachment despite her mind turning over the words. This wasn't the first time they were uttered from his lips, but this was the first time he spoke them in a language that she associated as her native tongue. It set her on edge. Did she love him? Maybe. Was she in love with him? That was unknown. Akako knew that she cared at the very least. If he died, she would be upset. If he was no longer within reach - if he left to Terrenus tomorrow, would she mourn the loss though? What the vixen could admit was that she did prefer he was accessible so she could call upon him when she needed him. Lately, that was more often than not. Something she wasn't terribly proud of. The hand, his hand, at her shoulder gave her pause. Her steps slowed and she found herself peering over her shoulder, looking to the magician with the corner of her eye. Pupil-less golden orbs gave nothing away of what she was feeling. They were bottomless pools of aurum however, they lacked warmth. There was an intimacy in his gesture and she didn't know how she wanted to react to it aside from brushing his hand away, but she refrained from such a callous action. Her vulnerability had vanished from their night together when she initially returned to Port Caelum. Independence reigned supreme and she withdrew within herself as she often did. Avoided closeness, shunned companionship because she didn't need it or want it. Xartia was still stubborn and Akako didn't know if she respected him for it, or loathed him for it. She leaned towards the latter when he spoke of fear. Her impassive mask cracked and her brows knit together, a frown marring her exotic features. It was fleeting though - that expression of restrained scorn. Within a blink, Akako was walking again, facing forward as if the words were never spoken. The sitting area was just beyond her chambers, a room bared by double doors that remained closed until the vixen approached. With a stirring of her yoki, there was a click of a lock unlatching, then the doors parted just as the demoness drew nearer. Once beyond the threshold, the floor was gleaming coffee maple hardwood which rose up to a short platform at the opposite end of the room. The right wall was lined with shelves filled with modern books as well as ancient scrolls from Akako's personal collection. In the center of the room, just before the raised sitting area, a large cream-colored area rug contrasted against the dark stain of the floor. Upon the rug was a center table that was a mere foot off the ground. Deep indigo-colored sitting pillows embroidered with golden cranes were placed at each face of the table. Along the left wall, There was a low sitting shelf and display cabinets that housed various trinkets including an array of weapons, pottery, glittering jewels, and jade statues. On the raised area, there were two cream-colored chairs that sat opposed to each other that resembled stools more than chairs and between them, another small black table was placed with a vase of stargazer lilies. There was a round window at the end of the room that looked out to the gardens, however, the thin curtain of indigo and gold was drawn, masking the greenery from full view. The vixen made her way to the cushion that would position her with her back facing the display and facing the bookshelves. She lowered herself easily, careful of the layers of silk she wore. "I will likely be visiting Rafael in the near future. While there is trust between us, I would like to solidify my position among his court." @Twitterpated

There was real doubt when she initially posted her ad on the job board that anyone worth taking on this particular journey would appear. What she needed was someone made of sturdy stuff, someone that wouldn't be cowed by beasts and monsters. Iona knew what lurked beyond the wall. There were whispers of those things that went bump in the night, something that would make Carpathians and Nogitsunes seem practically harmless. This adventurer seemed promising. He wasn't human, which might be advantageous. Still, uncertainty lingered in her. It was rather unlikely that he had been exposed to the nightmarish realm she had stumbled upon years prior that prepared her for this moment. Even so, he seemed sure of himself, confident that they would make it out alive, or at least he would. That intent was promising so, Iona silently prayed for the gods and goddesses to provide for the treacherous journey that lay before them because she knew better than to ask for a safe one. The witch stared out at the land before them, just on the other side of the gate. There was an electricity in her bones as her fingers glanced over the bound volume that was attached to her left hip, which was an expansive handwritten plant physiology text. On her right hip, her book of shadows was secured, which contained spells, rituals, teas, and herbal remedies for ailments. She hoped to add to one of the volumes during this trip and collect specimens to experiment with so she may add to the other. The hired man, Arthur, she recalled, was already walking, talking all the while to explain their plan of action. Iona patiently listened, matching his stride easily, her boots making hardly a sound as they came down on the rock beneath them. Her long colored hair was left down for additional warmth; however, it was hidden beneath the hood of her cloak. Iona was clad in black and grey, her black lace choker the only thing breaking that particular trend with an oval fluorite stone. Her leather corset was reinforced with a light chain-mail, and she wore plate greaves and poleyn and leather vambraces with small riveted plates underneath. Everything she wore, with the exception of the cloak, clung to her body like a second skin to allow easy movement without fear of being caught by a loose article of clothing. One could never be too careful. "I hope you've taken into account the times I will pause to gather plants for research purposes," she added as he stopped at a boulder. Her eyes weren't on him though, she was looking across the terrain for something of interest, but couldn't see anything as of yet, be it the darkness or lack of vegetation in these parts. Iona sighed with a hint of disappointment on her breath, despite knowing that they would need to venture further into Yh'mi before she found what she looked for. Looking back to the mutant, Iona stepped closer to him, to peer around to observe what he was doing. Her lips quirked into an amused smile as she watched. The occultist hummed and nodded with approval as she watched. Promising, indeed, she mused. He also smelt nice, unlike her previous company. Another perk, Iona thought. She wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. @Voldemort