It was evening in Saulbine. The sun had sank below the horizon, but it still peered above it. The last few moments, or maybe an hour, of clear light lingered for now. But the buildings of the elegant capital of Saulbine, Renton, cast plenty of shadows in the fair city. It was bathed in darkness. While many still went about their business, in recent times... fear had gripped people. There had been a rash of property damage, attacks, and even murders... Rumor had it that there was something far beyond the natural world at work in the city. But others dismissed these rumors, and still went about their business. They were certain it was something that the police could handle, after all.

They were so very, very wrong.

Renton's King Clock, the immense clock tower in the city's center square, ticked away, as the slivers of light slowly began to grow dimmer and dimmer, the sun vanishing over the horizon.

---

Oh, dear, it was already that late...?

Annabelle hadn't even realized. She had only intended to be out for a little while, and yet... and yet now, it was already dark. She'd intended to be home long before now, certainly... It wasn't like she was nervous, though. She was a calm and sensible girl who believed in sensible things, and those silly rumors weren't one of them. Still, being out late... it wasn't what she had planned for. And she'd gone quite a distance from her home, too... By the time she got back, it would be far later then she had planned for. She sighed. Part of Annabelle was internally chastising herself. How could she forget to keep an eye on the time? And she was normally so sensible...

At least she realized... getting back even later, that would be so much worse. And while Annabelle didn't believe those silly rumors, there was that string of crimes that had occurred recently... and that really was one of the reasons she didn't want to be out too late. It would be foolish to be out so late at night when there was that kind of thing going on recently... though she was certain that the police would handle it soon.

These thoughts did serve to quicken her walking pace, however.

Annabelle wasn't aware of what would be occurring soon. Of what was tailing her, creeping along just out of sight. Or who she would meet.

---

It was always so easy. Even when the maids figured out how to bar the doors, Cynthia could always find her way out of the mansion. She'd been cooped up all day, stuck doing her studies or whatever... It was all so boring! Nothing new or exciting happened when she just sat around at home, so the natural choice was to lockpick her way out. And there she was, quickly heading down an alleyway and into the deeper parts of the city. Now the only thing was to decide what to do! Meet one of her friends? that could be fun, but it might also be too obvious... what if the maids guessed that she might do so? No, no, she had to come up with something surprising and unexpected! It was the only choice she could think of now...

... And then her foot caught on something. Cynthia tripped and hit the ground, swiftly rolling over and scooting back to try and see what had happened. She liked this dress, what had she... huh...?

It was an adult. A man, black hair... and he looked weird. Clammy or something, just... there was something not quite right. And he'd tripped her! What a... what a bastard! Cynthia didn't care if that wasn't proper language for a noble lady at the best of times, and she certainly didn't right now. Her dress was a mess and some adult had tripped her, what was he thinking?! She quickly got to her feet.

"What's wrong with you?!" she snapped, pointing at the man.

He inclined his head to the side.

"Well, I just saw some trouble I could cause... a young girl, all alone? I bet no-one would... find the body..."

Cynthia took a step back. Had he said...

"... Wh-what...?"

The man smiled. There was nothing friendly about it. "You heard me."

Cynthia took another step back. Was he... really saying...?

Even as fear began to well up inside her... Cynthia had no idea that she was seconds away from an intervention she never expected.

---

The world... rippled. That was the only way to explain it. Everything rippled around her. She felt weightless... and everything seemed so muted. The world was colorless around her. Blurred, figures seemed not to exist... so this was what Entrance was like...? Whatever. It didn't matter. What mattered was finding her anchor. Her Doll Master. Finding someone who would never say no, someone who wouldn't refuse...

VV saw her.

She knew this was the only option. For her purpose, she was perfect.

And so it began.

Artemis walked around the room, trying to piece things together. Up until yesterday this had been the home of a young man, just out of school with a bright future waiting for him. Now he was dead, and every fact pointed to his brother as the killer, but Artemis just couldn't get his head around that. The man had no crime record, no history of violence, and by all accounts had loved his brother more than himself. So why, Artemis pondered, would he suddenly murder that brother in his own home? Sighing, he looked out a nearby window at the clocktower, and saw a reflection in it that made his heart stop. Reaching for his service weapon, he drew the gun and turned on the man with the knife. The alleged murderer just giggled, walking forwards with the blade raised. "Freeze!" Artemis said, tightening his grip on the pistol. Instead of stopping, the man broke into a run, and Artemis fired two shots into him. When the man didn't fall, and instead seemed to speed up, he hesitated. He suddenly felt an emotion he hadn't known in many years. He was terrified. He was going to die.

Business had been good for Ezio recently. When he first started out as a freelance delivery boy, he was just barely making ends meet (although ironically his life was still better then when he lived at the orphanage. Go figure), now however, he was making plenty of money. Who would have thought that you could take all the experience he gained running from bullies into a lucrative business? Not only was he getting more job offers, but people were starting to offer him more money for his service. Right now, Ezio was loving life. No more waiting and praying to get adopted, he was fully independent

He had just finished a delivery, after receiving his payment he climbed up to the roof to take a shortcut back home. Eizo like traveling on the roofs, he didn't have to concern himself with the hassle of traveling through a crowded street since no one else came up here. Well...except for that guy who just tackled him "gah!!!" he cried out as he fell to the ground

"I want to see your blood" the strange man told him

"W-what!?" Ezio cried out

"Bleed for me!!!" he cried out as he drew a knife and brought it down to stab Ezio. However, Ezio was able to stop it by grabbing onto his arm and pushing it away

"Get away from me you nut job!"

Nina sighed to herself, she didn't see why she had to attend these meetings, it wasn't like they involved her in any of the hunts anyways. Hunts, that's what they called them, but she knew better than to believe what 'they' said. It was murder. They didn't understand what a Doll was, what they did, but it wasn't like she could tell them. "Miss Kakuzu, you're slouching." her butler whispered to her. She sighed again, "So what Jeffry? I'm bored, I'd rather be doing something else right now." she huffed. The meeting wrapped up and Nina's father beckoned to her, "Nina, I know you like to do things your way, but things are about to change around here. There will be places you cannot walk into anymore. I'm sorry, but it's becoming too dangerous for you to be wandering around anymore, so please just stay in your room from now on. You understand, right?" he asked, turning around to stare out the window. Nina was about to protest, but decided against it, "Yes, father." she replied. "Good, now, hurry along. Dinner will be shortly." he dismissed her. She huffed, but left the room and made her way towards her room, grabbing the wall as she felt a slight tremor. She made a face, knowing exactly what caused the tremor, Eris... she thought, making her way past two frightened men that bolted past her. She closed her door and locked it, moving to the closet where she kept Eris hidden, digging through the assortment of junk she used to conceal the Doll with.

She finally found Eris, sighing and holding her head, "Eris, you know I don't like it when you use your abilities in the house, it causes suspicion." she scolded the girl. However, Nina couldn't ever stay mad at Eris, after all, she had saved Nina's life. Helping her to stand, Nina spoke again, "My father's lost all sense of reason, Eris, he wishes to confine me here in this room. I cannot do it. I cannot just sit here and do nothing anymore. That's why I've decided to leave this place, whatever is happening out there, it has to be stopped. We're leaving, Eris, tonight." she said.

***

This...feeling. The feeling of one near death...it's just as before...just like the first time... a man thought. He slowly stood, the world he knew slowly starting to reveal a familiar world he had visited once before, a world where 'they' could be found. Perhaps he could find 'him' there again, just like before. But this time, this time he would be the victor. Eventually the images came to focus on one man, This is him, the one who will not say no, just as 'she' didn't say no. he thought. He smirked, reaching for his mask, placing it where it belonged. After that, a pair of twin katanas appeared before him, Murasame. Muramasa. It is time to return to that world again, to exact vengeance on 'him'. This human will be my new anchor, a means to an end, an end that knows no bounds. he thought, taking hold of the weapons. Sheathing them on his back, he moved through the shimmering light and into the mortal world, his body manifesting to the right of Artemis, "Do not ask how I got here, human, you would not understand. Instead, if you wish to live, then allow yourself to be my anchor here. Do so, and I will ensure your survival." he said, his voice cold and monotonous. He watched the advancing Puppeteer, hands on his blades, "Decide quickly now, human." he added.

The rain battered hard on the window, drowned out by the screaming woman in the house.

“What do you mean, you’re leaving me?!”

There it was - that look she had seen so many times before. She watched through the man’s eyes as his wife’s heart shattered before her. She grinned in her head, savouring this moment.

“GET OUT!” she wailed.

The woman slammed the door behind her, leaving Anatiel to saunter down the garden path and into the cold, dark night, leaving his ‘sweetheart’ to sob herself to sleep. Laughter slipped her lips at the thought. As she wandered down the street, passers-by looked up and saw a middle-aged man with dark brown hair. Scruffy clothes, a satchel bag over one arm. Beneath all that? A girl, maybe 22 at a glance, with snow-white hair and a sardonic gleam in her eyes.

“I need a new thrall, now,” she mused. “This one’s all used up.”

Almost skipping, she turned down an alley towards the church; behind her, she heard the splashing of puddles. Glancing casually over one shoulder, she noted the Doll Hunter almost dismissively, then scanned the alleyway for simple retreats. When none offered themselves, a gentle sneer crept across her face.

“You are a difficult woman to track, Anatiel,” the Hunter growled. “At least that much has changed.” His voice echoed with such conviction; far too much for a chance encounter. This Hunter had come after her. Not just any puppeteer, but her.

She was almost flattered.

“You came here with the intent to kill me, Hunter. However, I’m not unreasonable. I’m willing to let this slide, if you go and never give thought to such foolishness again. A mercy, if you will.”

“Is that so?” He brandished his weapon. “I’m afraid you have but your life to barter with. I hold all the cards, if you will”

“On the contrary, I have yours,” she smirked. She could see his eyes flare with anger at that.

“I would never deal with a monster like you.”

She sighed. “I do so deplore leaving a mess.”

The satchel flew open, hundreds of origami doves sprang out and circling Anatiel fiercely. The Hunter’s eyes snapped wipe with fear; not that it made much difference. With a dismissive flick of her wrist, the flock darted towards him and through him, each carving loose a ribbon of flesh as it passed. Once the screaming had finally petered away, she dismantled the flock, leaving all but one neatly folded away in her satchel. The last remained perched on what might have been the Doll Hunter’s torso; a warning to those who had yet to learn better.

With her last host... compromised, fatally so, and no access to his funds, Rose was attracting a lot of attention as she swanned her way through a busy shopping arcade. Some of it was to do to her inexplicable outfit, but most was down to the wings. People, as a rule, didn't have wings like that. It rather explained the spreading panic. So, too, did the fate of those that wouldn't get out of her way in time: neck grabbed, snapped, and tossed over her shoulder like it weighed nothing. Worthless trash; not enough money between all of them.

The body count was currently seven, with at least a dozen more injured due to the projectiles.

The Puppeteer was on a hunt: someone in relatively modest attire... but with the quality enough to give clues. She wanted wealth, but not someone already on the brink of destitution or busy frittering away their funds. No, she wanted something more... sustainable. Oh, she'd burn through everything in a few months, but until then she'd be living the high life, and have enough to keep a decent level of influence.

That's when she sighted Rosaline. The crowd, even rushing to get away and clearing space, ceased to be moving fast enough for her tastes. People were smashed into the ground by the Puppeteer's pushing down on them to jump back into the air, hopping her way towards the duchess, until her target...

Well, at least one person threw up from the sight of a body moving seamlessly into another body.

Red mist surrounded the new Marionette, making certain that nobody could identify the physical changes that would give her away--not that anyone who could reasonably act on this was around--and then... gone. No body, no crazed, winged monstrosity. The panic, however, had only just started. It would be some time, and probably involve more injuries and deaths, before order was restored in that area of the city.

----

Meanwhile, in an alleyway over a mile away, the exploded corpse seemed curiously... drained. It was the sort of injury that demanded lots of bloodshed, but there was none: just one exploded beggar, and one pale female, grinning.

Ah, such a perfect Marionette. This would be fun...

Alice

"Yeah, I agree." Came the cold, female voice of... someone.

A flicker of light appeared between the terrified girl and the strange man, possibly the source of the voice. The brilliant light expanded into something resembling a magic circle, intricate designs adorning a strange ring. At the very center was a small, flickering white, that quickly grew to encompass the entire circle, and finally, a figure emerged from within.

The long, hip-length blonde hair swirled wildly around the humanoid form's body, her pure-white dress rippling in the wind that didn't seem to pass beyond the barriers of the circle. Glaring at the strange man before her, the doll's single teal eye glimmered with disgust as the wind finally began to die down, settling her features. The circle rapidly retracted under her feet, leaving the strangely tiny girl standing between the child and the monster.

And as inexplicably as she had appeared, the doll had burst forward, thrusting her arm forward and through his chest in a single, brutal action. Her lips were twitched in a cold smile, enjoying what could only appear to be the act of crushing this man's heart as she finished the sentence from earlier, "...No one ever [i]will[i] find your body, you little parasite."
Despite that, there was no blood or gore involved. Alice's small smile was dropped as she turned her head to gaze at the young girl, her expression unreadable, "...Oh, right, bit late for this, but you probably shouldn't look. This is a bit nasty."

Alice began pulling the thing she had gripped from the man's chest as she said this.

---

Ada

Ada had wandered for several hours around the town again.

She really should have returned home about an hour ago, but the wealthy girl had spotted some commoners playing around in a small park. They looked like they were having so much fun, using nothing more than a couple of sticks and their imagination, that she couldn't help but watch in wonder, tinged with a little bit of envy.

Why were these people permitted to have fun whenever they wanted, while all she could ever do was sit at home and exchange pleasantries with old men and women that cared only for her ability to carry on her father's business, and find a suitable husband that could then handle all that for her, allowing her to become nothing more than a glorified housewife or something. It was all so... dull. Boring. Undesirable.

She was not supposed to leave the house for as long as she did, but lately, she found herself trying to stretch those limitations more and more. Today, she was so late that it didn't really seem to matter how long it took to return at this rate. Dozing off under the tree certainly didn't help in a speedy return.

And so, the twin-tailed girl in the frilly black dress was oblivious to her surroundings as she breathed lightly, essentially an easy target for anyone interested in taking any money she had with her.

As dusk settled in across the city, a figure looked out over the rooftops of Saulbine from the height of the King Clock's tower, watching as the panoramic city view switched from pumpkin orange and gilded metal to noble purple and finally to the infinite blacks, blues and greys of night as if repeatedly swept over by the hand of an invisible painter. The figure often came up here to look at the city, the sight of it reminding him of why the task he undertook each night was so important. But now the night winds were tugging at the long hooded cloak he wore, reminding him that it was time to go. So, he stepped out of the tower's interior and fell.

It was a perfectly controlled fall and stopped short when he landed on one of the immense clock hands, rolled to absorb the impact and then leaped off in one motion, being fortunately light and small enough to impact without damaging the clock. His leap carried him clear of the building-less space directly around the clock and he hit the rooftop of the nearest building with barely any sound as he tucked and rolled to take the impact then ran on fluidly, leaping gaps between buildings with ease before sliding down a drainpipe and into an alleyway. Oddly, chose to all of this while internally narrating his own actions.

I slipped into the alleyway quietly, just another shadow. Some people are afraid of the darkness that clings to things in alleys, but I know better. The true darkness is out there somewhere, hungry, and otherworldly. But I do not fear that either, for I am the hammer that will nail shut the breach between worlds. As I move out of the alleyway, the city's truths open up to me. The night is too still and the people that would normally bustle around hide in their homes. The air carries the scent of fear with it, stinging and stale like-

"Ewww gross that's pee! Aaah ick-icky-ick gross why would there be pee here!?" 12-year-old Horatio Jeremiah Bouken- middle-schooler, aspiring novelist and Doll Hunter-flailed desperately to stop his cloak from getting wet.

Cynthia

Cynthia... she had tried to run. But she'd just found herself tripping again, she hadn't even seen what she'd fallen over. And the man... he was just creeping closer and closer. His grin... it was just growing wider and wider. It wasn't normal! It wasn't... his mouth just seemed like it was all teeth, growing and growing... and then something completely unexpected happened. A girl... she simply... emerged, there was a light, some kind of circle... and she was just there. For a few moments Cynthia stared blankly, disbelieving in what she was seeing before her. The girl had just... appeared out of no-where? The man looking shocked, too, his unnaturally wide grin fading as his expression became a stunned one... and almost... was he scared?

Cynthia barely saw what happened. It almost seemed as if the girl was there and then she was directly in front of the man, her hand... her hand inside the man's chest. Cynthia looked away for a moment... but... something seemed different. It was... the blonde girl seemed as if she was reaching into the man, but not into his flesh. As if he was reaching into his very being. Though it was hard for a scared child to really think about that, so all she did was take the strange blonde girl's advice and look away as quickly as possible, covering her eyes. Was she killing him? Was she... Cynthia didn't know what to think about that, she... she was terrified, really.

This is why she didn't see what was going on, at least immediately. The man's body jerked.

"D-D-Doll..." he tried to pull away, but met no success. And soon, his limbs went slack, his expression blank. It was as if someone had, fittingly enough, cut his strings. Something was being drawn from inside. A pale, white arm, far too thin to be that of a human's. Spidery fingers frantically clenching and unclenching. soon, more was drawn. Pale, smooth flesh, and now a head... blank of features, save for a toothy lipless grin. The grin swiftly faded as the Puppeteer realized his predicament. Soon, he was torn entirely from the body, the former Marionette collapsing as he was pulled free. Immediately the Puppeteer lashed out, spidery fingers grasping and shoving in an attempt to push the Doll away.

---

Ada is in trouble

"Pretty girls shouldn't be wandering out alone..."

The voice was far too close. It was soft, pleasant, conversational... which was quite in contrast to the intent of the one possessing it. She was, by appearances, a young woman, in fancy dress herself. She felt it made the situation far more surreal when she appeared to just be robbing the girls. Then... a kiss, a knife applied to the center of the chest and sliced neatly downward... it was an elegant method, she felt. Fitting for her body. An elegant woman, an elegant murder. She supposed her victims made her somewhat identifiable... but her methods made her unlikely to be discovered by anyone who could actually do her harm, didn't they? So, as she happily pressed the blade into her newest victim's back, slicing the fabric of her dress but stopping short of piercing flesh, she felt serene.

"You're beautiful aren't you? But I don't want to spoil your beauty with my knife... so you would be wise to hand over your valuables," she purred, leaning close. A false sense of security. The girl would think that all she needed to do was give up her wealth to live... and then be proved oh so very wrong. The shock and horror as they realized what she was doing, it was priceless. She wondered if this city's worthless law enforcement had given her a name.

She didn't notice what was happening behind her, so caught up in the moment of her murder.

---

Dead Heart Shooter

The rippling had made her head swirl. But even then, she had seen her! She had seen the girl, the only girl, the one who she needed so much... Dead Heart Shooter had found her anchor in the world, her Doll Master! She was so lovely, black hair up in such a lovely style, a beautiful face, a beautiful body... Dead Heart Shooter would swoon, if there had been any sound in this location. But it lacked sound. It lacked color, it lacked so much in this place between. And so, she Entered.

The circle that emerged in the air was black. Thin lines of black, rotating in the air. Complex, intricate interlacing designs filled each layer towards the center. And from that center, ripples spread. Like the surface of water, disturbed, it spread out to fill the circle. And then... A pale hand emerged. It was followed by the rest. Color, sound... It had returned! Dead Heart Shooter could see her Doll Master, beautiful from behind, from any angle... and also the thing that threatened her. She saw it within. The thing's shuddering shape inside the Marionette it had taken. But even still, she smiled. Her Doll Master was so close, she could smell her...! It was such a sweet scent, it almost felt like it would drive her insane!

But she couldn't be close to her. Not yet. She had to remove... it first.

One hand snapped up and grabbed the Marionette by her collar. Before she could even react, Dead Heart Shooter yanked her back.

"Wh-wha?!" was all the Marionette could get out, her knife clattering to the ground as Dead Heart Shooter spun, hurling her towards the nearest wall. With a crash, she slammed into it, bricks smashed inwards as the wall cratered at the impact. A thin cloud of dust rose as the Marionette collapsed out of the crater.

"My Master..." Dead Heart Shooter stepped forwards. "I need her! She needs me!"

She needed it. She needed her weapon. She'd introduce it.

The air shimmer behind the tiny Doll, wavering and warping until it emerged. The shape was a vast iron maiden. Chain spread out from it and wrapped around Dead Heart Shooter's body, securing the huge object to her back. From the bottom of the torture device extended a cluster of weaponry. Dead Heart Shooter flourished her hand, and smiled cheerfully as the Marionette struggled to get up.

"Rocket War! She tried to hurt my Master! That makes you angry, right?" asked Dead Heart Shooter, addressing Rocket War. She nodded at its response. "It makes me mad, too! So let's protect her together! Stand back, Master!"

The girl turned and smiled up at the black-haired girl. She was so lovely, so, so lovely...

And then she stepped forward.

Rocket War swung into place.

Donovan/Sickle-Cell

The ball clattered loudly around the roulette wheel, hopping and skipping over every fret it touched. After an eternity of indecision, it fell to a rest at the black 27, provoking a wave of groans and raucous cheers from the assembled crowd.

“I bloody told you we should have gone for black,” cursed Donovan.

Sickle-Cell merely smirked into his champagne glass. “It’s not my wealth that I’m squandering, Gambler.”

Donovan watched sourly as the croupier cleared the table, glowering as his hard-earned chips were swept beneath the table. It wasn’t as though he expected to beat the house; poker was the game for professional gamblers and he’d already reached the house cap several hours ago. All he knew was that he could beat the house - on a winning streak like tonight, he almost deserved to. And as unjustified as it might be, he couldn’t help but feel cheated on a personal level every time that it didn’t happen.

Sickle-Cell simply lounged by the drinks table, surveying the casino with a languid curiosity. “Remind me,” he drawled, “Why are you so passionately eager to throw all your profits away?”

“You seemed to be enjoying it a few moments ago,” he retorted, throwing the Doll a suspicious glare.

In response, Sickle-Cell merely chuckled, sipping delicately from his glass. “That was a no-stakes wager for me, Gambler - I didn’t have anything to lose from it. Unlike you, although that won’t last long at the rate you’re going.”

As if. “I’ve already cashed half my earnings, as you seem so eager to overlook. Besides,” he grinned, rolling a chip dextrously across his knuckles. “I’ve still got everything left to gain.”

As a fresh tide of cheers marked the end of another spin, Donovan strode across to the table. Inhaling deeply, he allowed his gaze to roam freely across the table, stacking chips wherever his vision rested. Times like these called for a hefty dose of instinct. Half of his chips dropped onto Black 7, swiftly followed by another stack on Black 24. After a moment of intense deliberation, he caved in, committing the rest of his chips to Black 18 - stalling wouldn’t change the odds.

“Not even touching red?” Sickle-Cell sneered.

Donovan threw a jaunty grin over his shoulder. “The board whispers to me, insightful one. She tells me her secrets and her places of pleasure.”

With a heft from the croupier, the roulette wheel swept into motion. With little delay, the ball landed prompted in the Red 14 pocket - Sickle-Cell snorted under his breath.

“Ah, shut up.” Donovan glared vehemently at the wheel for several moments, then shrugged, tossing back the last of his champagne. Half of the night’s earnings sat comfortably in his coat’s inner pocket, while the rest he considered an investment into fortune - if his success at poker held true for another two or three nights, he could pay off the upcoming rent without even touching the money from his business endeavours. Although one coin was technically as good as any other (not that he really believed it), the notion had a satisfying ring to it.

Stepping out onto the streets, Donovan basked the ruby-tinged hues of the sunset. The house might have won the round, but I’ve already taken home the medal.

“A few more idiotic wagers like that,” Sickle-Cell noted sourly, “and you might as well set up shop in the gutters.”

Stifling his annoyance, he waved a dismissive hand. “It only takes one lucky break, Sickle-Cell - I always ride it out.”

“Unless your stupidity kills you first.”

This time, it was Donovan’s turn to snort. Sickle-Cell’s eyes narrowed viciously.

“You find that amusing?” he growled.

Sickle-Cell/Donovan

The pair head toward the train station, streets painted beneath the glow of a blood-stained sunset.

“I have no intention of sacrificing my well being, just because you insisted to spin the wheel and it turned up red.” Sickle-Cell sneered, distaste etched across his face.

“This time it’s something as trivial as roulette, but leaving situations of life and death to chance isn’t an acceptable option. I refuse to be dragged through the fire if we don’t have a plan where the outcome will be in our favour. Why someone like you would leave any part of their life undecided amazes me.”

“Because you can’t plan around good fortune and chance. The people who reach the highs in life - the worthwhile places in life - are the same ones who rode the lows at least as many times. Otherwise you’re just stuck with mediocrity, and believe you me, I’d rather take my chances.”

Sickle-Cell snorted abruptly - as though mediocrity was even a possibility worth considering. “Even assuming that were true, I’d still rather control over a mediocre life than one like yours that is rife with uncertainties. In a world where a stray bullet, or small slip can kill you, and me by extension, risks are not something I can allow.

“What part of my life makes you concerned over that?”

“Every moment is a battle for your life, Gambler, especially the way you choose to live it. My whole existence revolves around cancelling that hold chance, luck and fate have over me. Yet you would leave that down to the flip of a coin?” Now, steadily losing his temper.

“Life is a coin-flip - the only thing anyone can do is exploit the good fortune they’re offered. Or are you too scared to accept that?”

“Scared? No. Worried your tendencies will get us into trouble we won’t walk away from? Yes. I do actually intend to see everything this world hides, if you don’t get us both killed by then. I wish you’d actually listen to me.”

“No, you listen,” Donovan growled, unconcerned by the flash of anger in Sickle-Cell’s eyes. “I refuse to live in fear of chance, whatever paranoid delusions you allow to shackle you. I’ve built my life out of opportunities, rolling the dice and biting the bullet - that’s how I take control of my life. Without luck or chance, I wouldn’t have any more chance of seeing the world than you seem to feel you would when you’re burdened by it.”

Inhaling deeply, he continued. “Sometimes you win and you make it big, sometimes you lose and go bust. Life happens. You spend half your existence zig-zagging wildly between the two, never knowing what your next roll of the dice will throw you, but knowing that every passing moment offers you a chance to go big. Does it always happen? Hell no. But you play it smart, plan around what the possibilities and make your own fortune. I’ve never taken a single wager that I couldn’t afford to lose and I didn’t sincerely believe that I could win.”

A wave of disbelief washed over Sickle-Cell. “You would stake your life on those shams of a belief?”

Donovan looked him dead in the eye. “I’ve been doing that every day of my life.”

The two walked in silence for several minutes, Donovan’s words still ringing in Sickle-Cell’s ears. Finally, as the train station loomed into view, Sickle-Cell spoke.

“I can’t really vouch for your methods, Gambler. But I can understand what makes you such a fool.” Despite himself, Sickle-Cell heard a tinge of respect creeping into his voice.

Donovan grinned. “Did I hear a compliment somewhere in that?”

“No,” he said, grinning back. “It was more of a condolence.”

"Kazuki! Kazuki wake up! Come on! You promised we'd go out today! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Rosalinda said happily as she beat him with her own soft fluffy pillow, smiling at him as his eyes slowly opened up. "Good evening Kazuki! I'm so glad your awake! Come on, get dressed! Today's the day that I finally go out into the world again! Today's the day! Today's the day!" She yelled happily, practically bouncing in her lilac and hot pink boots while her breasts jiggled a bit in her almost flimsy dress. She had made breakfast for dinner that day for him, and it smelled like a wonderful restaurant that made your mouth water, while she had also set out his clothes and cleaned up the house.

She had been working on going back into society after the day she had met him and saved his life, Kazuki correcting her on everything she needed to know, and today was the day she had been preparing for. She gleefully went to the window, the dead rose's becoming live again from the pure excitement that she felt at that exact moment. She turned to face him, hands behind her back while she rocked on the balls of her feet. "So, what're we going to do today?! Are we going to go shopping?! Go to a restaurant?! Maybe go to a library!? There's so many things we could do Kazuki! We have to do them all! Please Kazuki! Please!" Rosalinda begged, giving him the cutest little puppy dog face ever and hoping that this time it worked.

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Angelina eyes slowly opened as she felt someone stir beside her, looking to her right to see her Garret, his arms wrapped tightly around her as he always did in a protective way. She lightly kissed the tip of his nose, wrapping her arms around his own waist and smiling as he himself woke up. "Good evening Garret. Did you sleep well? I hope I didn't disturb you from a good dream with me being such a night owl!" She said warmly, grinning at him as they laid there together in her bed. "ANGELINA LYNNE GONZALES! YOU GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!" Her mother Sarah screamed, making Angelina roll her eyes and slowly sit up, slipping on her slippers before wrapping her robe as tight as she could around her big breast and shapely waist. She yawned like that of a sleepy little girl, opening her door before heading downstairs.

Angelina saw her father sitting in her arm chair with his arms crossed while her mother was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs, grabbing her ear and dragging her towards the couch before she sat her down. "You slept with Garret, didn't you?! Your father checked his room and he wasn't there! You know your not married to him and yet you still sleep with him whenever you can! What is going on with you?!" Sarah asked angrily, her father sitting there silently but looking just as angry as her mother. "I'm not a little girl any more mother! I'm twenty one years old, an adult woman practically! It's not fair, and you know it's not! You've never liked Garret! But yet you'd have me sleeping with another man who was rich if you could! Now I want my key back and I want you out of my house! Now!" Angelina yelled angrily back at her mother, her mother and father looking offended as they handed over the key and walked outside, getting the door slammed violently in their face.

Angelina stormed upstairs, plopping back down on her bed and letting out a groan as she covered her face with her delicate and soft hands. "Garret....... Why can't I just once have normal parents? Why? Did I do something to deserve this? Is karma getting me back for my childhood? Could it be that?" She asked him, groaning again as she turned on her side to face away from him, thinking angrily about her parents behavior that she'd have to deal with later.

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Eris stayed quiet as she listened to the people talking outside of her window, hearing them talk about dolls as if they were evil things, and in her case she was evil. She held in the urge to cause a small earthquake that would swallow the two men up whole, knowing Nina would worry about her if she were to fall ill again. She remembered the last time she had used her powers, causing an earthquake that spread through 25 miles and almost destroyed Nina's families house, having stopped it a mile before it had gotten there. She sighed, flopping back on her bed and starring up at the ceiling. She hated being hidden, she wanted to go out and see the world. But she knew that Nina wouldn't allow it, the both of them knowing fully well what would happen if Eris lost her temper.

Eris slowly took a deep breath in and let it out even slower, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down. But those men started to talk about Nina, and they weren't saying nice things about her and her family, knowing that they had taken this conversation too far. She created a low rumbling under their feet, causing them to cry out in panic and flee in terror. She smiled before she gripped her stomach tightly and felt like she was going to throw up, laying on the bed and curling up into a ball. If Nina saw her like this she'd start to worry, and NO one needed that. So she prayed that she wouldn't walk into her room, hearing footsteps coming up the stairs and cursing herself for thinking prayers would ever work for her. When Nina came in she smiled weakly and deviously up at her, feeling Nina start to pull her up which her body obediently agreed. "What? When did you decide this? Have you been planning this without me?! You know how I feel when people plan devious things without me!" She said, pouting a bit as she stared into Nina's eyes.

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Crystal slowly opened her eyes, remembering Icarus asking if he could sleep with her that night so he could watch over her while she slept. She looked down at him, smiling as she saw him fast asleep. Although he was just an inch shorter than her, she still thought he was the cutest little thing ever! She kissed his forehead and smiled softly, a slight blush on her cheeks as she got up out if bed, trying not to disturb him as she went down the stairs of their house and got to the kitchen to make him a surprise meal. She quickly made some pancake batter, with the egg shells mixed in, and it looked more like oatmeal but she didn't much really know what pancake batter looked like so she thought that this was normal.

Crystal got out a large pan and poured the pancake batter on it, turning on the stove which instantly set the pan cakes I'm fire. She screamed at the top of her lungs, falling onto her bum and crawling back into the corner of the kitchen where she watched the buttered pan catch on fire after the pancakes turned to ash. "Icarus....... Help........" Was all she could murmur as she closed her eyes, shaking with fear as she smelled the smoke that soon filled the whole entire house and almost made her pass out.

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"Hey beautiful, what do you think your doing?!" The Doll asked, Maya smiling sadistically at him, taking out one of her gold and pearl nail guns that were specially designed to fire nails at speeds that outdid most dolls do they couldn't dodge. "You touched my ass doll, and even though your handsome, your still gonna pay. After all, you're a doll, I'm a doll hunter! It just doesn't work out, you see?!" She asked him before firing a nail at his hand, pinning it against the wall while watching him quickly pull it out. "You think I'm so easy to kill, don't you!? Well your wrong girly! So think again!" He said before sending a punch at her, being a little slow from losing some blood so she easily dodged it and fired a nail into his chest, but it didn't get him in the heart.

"Dammit!" Maya murmured angrily as the doll managed to land a blow on her, sending her flying into the brick wall of the established pub they had just come out of. She now grinned deviously at him, wiping the blood from her mouth and standing up. "You think I'm so easy to kill, don't you? Well your wrong Boyo! So think again!" She said before sending three nails into his heart, killing him almost instantly. When he fell she saw someone watching her from the shadows, her eyes looking at the person curiously while she raised one of her silver brows in question. "Oy, you over there! Get over here right now! Or else I'm not afraid to kick your ass vigorously!" She said angrily, tucking a strand of her silver hair behind her ear, her skin, green eyes, and pale skin seeming to glow in the light of the fast fading day.

Maya knew the cops would take care of the dead doll, so she didn't need to worry about the clean up. She tapped her foot impatiently as the male walked over to her, her mouth dropping down in shock. She rushed over to him and squeezed him tight, her large and shapely body pressed against his own. "Vander, darling, sweetheart! How are you?! It's been ages since I saw your hot gorgeous face and that perfect body of yours!" She said with a wink to him, laughing a bit as she smiled gleefully at him while she waited for him to speak.

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Icarus

Icarus was dreaming sweet dreams about his beloved master, Crystal. She was truly a joy to be around. Her very presence made his heart beat faster. Right now in his dreams, the two of them were cuddling up in bed, a raging blizzard outside. For some reason, Icarus felt that cuddling just seemed more...cuddly...when it was cold outside. However his sweet dreams were shattered by the sound of his master. Jumping out of bed, he once again heard the sound of his master's voice "Icarus....... Help........"

Homing in on the feather that she carried, Icarus teleported to her location; the kitchen. Icarus could immediately tell what the problem was, all the smoke "master!" he cried out in fear as he scooped Crystal up. Dropping a feather behind him, he ran out of the house with her. Once they were once again surrounded by fresh air, Icarus gently put her down before teleporting back to the kitchen. Picking up the feather in there, he began to look for the source of the smoke; a frying pan with some strange, toxic looking sub-oh wait...his master was trying to cook wasn't she? That would explain what happened. Grabbing the pan, he flew out of the house and into the air, where he tossed the contents of the pan out. Then taking the feather from before, he threw it at the goop and it exploded, scattering the foul concoction. That done, he returned to the house to open up all the windows to air it out. His work done, he returned to his master to make sure she was okay "master! Master! Are you okay, please speak to me"

Carmel

In every direction that she could perceive, the world folded. A myriad of shapes twisted and coiled around her, each bursting outwards and folding back into itself like an ocean of tesseracts. An ever-changing, incomprehensible tableau of what was, what is and everything that it could become.

It’s… beautiful.

Wading through the cascade of protean images, Carmel grasped for something, anything to anchor her. It felt like wading through treacle, pushing against a viscous that fought and pushed back. Fluids that tugged at her body like quicksand, sucking her inexorably towards its depths. As her vision swam, eyes screaming in protest against the unravelling chaos, her outstretched hand caught on something alien. Something incomprehensible. Something solid. And all at once, the myriad of possibilities folded inwards into a single, concrete certainty.

The world hardened.

Roaring in surprise, the man staggered backwards, colour draining from his face as he stared open-mouthed at her. Returning his stare, Carmel felt a wave of disgust and nausea swelling in her stomach. Not this one. Especially not this one. Glancing around and down, she saw her child - her Doll Master - lying sprawled across the floor. For a split second, their eyes locked and something deep inside her chest began to flutter. This one. The moment was shattered as the man charged, screaming incoherently as he brandished his knife. Anger flaring inside her, Carmel stepped between the man and her Doll Master, planting a forehand chop directly into the assailant’s chest. The man flew just under a foot before crashing roughly to the ground.

Beneath her feet, she could feel the shapes unfolding; an endless array of geometric structures that grew clearer and more vivid by the second. As the man struggled to regain his footing, Carmel grasped at a single image - a single strand of possibility - and pulled. A tide of concrete rushed upwards before her, shielding her Doll Master from further assaults and tripping the assailant as the concrete slipped beneath his feet. She could feel the low-level strain of maintaining the structure throughout her body, like a rubber band held taught by her every nerve and figure. With a grunt, she shifted her grasp and tugged at the ground beneath the assailant, drawing it down around him like a sinkhole. Stay away from my Master.

Ezio

Poor Ezio just stood there in utter shock. Some random crazy person just running up to attack you odd, but not completely unheard of. Some strange girl appearing out of nowhere and chopping said crazy person back before throwing a tiny wave of concrete at him and then trapping him in some kind of concrete sink hole......yeah, this was a new one "w-what the hell...?" Ezio began to panic a little. Just who was this girl and what did she want? Was she here to save him (and if so, then why? He didn't think he was important enough to anyone to warrant such a rescue.) Or was she here for...something else? "U-um...hi" he tried to greet her

Esperanta Dektri - Deserted, dark alleyway

Esperanta's footsteps echoed throughout the alleyway as she headed home, one louder than the other as she had lost a shoe on the way. But in a way, that was a good thing, since it meant she could go shoe shopping tomorrow! Hopefully she'd pick up as good a bargain as she had on these groceries... She'd found that buying food late, when the stores were about to close, resulted in some rather good bargains. And seeing how the restaurant was only just breaking even, she needed all the bargains she could get.

"Oh my, it's so dark..." she said to herself. She did that a lot when she was alone, really. Sometimes she pretended the echo was another person, just because it felt less lonely that way. "Ah, but I can't wait to cook with these! Sure, the tomatoes are a bit bashed... And the bread's a little stale... But I'm sure they'll taste just fine! Yeah, and if the bread's too stale I'll just make it into pudd... Um... Oh, hello!"

Had he been there all along? Yes, he must have been, since there was no way someone of his build could have appeared in front of her like that out of nowhere. She mustn't have been paying attention... The man in front of her, his suit almost bursting against his corpulant frame, tipped his tophat and bowed to Esperanta in a gentlemanly manner.

"Good evening, m'lady," he said, an echo issuing throughout the alleyway as he tapped his cane against the ground. As he placed the hat back on his head, Esperanta noticed something... off about him. His bloodshot eyes seemed to almost bulge out of his sockets, and his mouth was spread apart in a wide rictus grin.

"Would you allow me the pleasure of taking your life?"

Esperanta... She knew she should have run. She had to run. This man was clearly deranged... But her legs refused to move. The man stepped closer and closer, the echoing os his cane growing louder and louder as he approached her... He was going to kill her. She was going to be killed by a madman in an alley, all alone... But it wasn't that bad, right? At least she'd be with her father again... So even if some unseen force wasn't causing her mouth to curl up, she couldn't help but smile.

VV

There!

The brilliant red sliced through the darkness. It knitted and weaved itself into a shape, a perfect circle, layering upon itself and filled with a kaleidoscope of rotating designs and shapes. This alone gave the monster in the alley pause. A hand reached from the middle of the circle, the air rippling around it as it latched onto the bandaged girl's shoulder. VV used this. Her anchor's shoulder... Her Doll Master's shoulder. She pulled herself through, stepping into the darkness of the alley. Her eyes fixed on the fat man. Hmph. Far too well-dressed for the monster inside him, frankly. As his rictus grin began to falter in the face of this new arrival, VV began to smile. It was not a cheerful one. No, in spite of her pleasure at finding a Doll Master, one thing was chiefly on VV's mind.

"D-Doll..." the man took a step back, bloodshot eyes wide on shock. VV's grip tightened, and she abruptly made to shove the bandaged girl to the ground, onto her rear, before stepping forward and in front of her.

"Oi," began VV, advancing towards the man as she spoke, "You're a pretty unlucky monster, aren't you?"

With her right hand, she gestured to the girl on the ground. Sheesh, she really was in a state, wasn't she? All locked up by the Puppeteer like that... he'd even gotten her to smile! But it didn't take a genius to figure out that the bastard couldn't do the same to a Doll. His reaction alone showed off that it wasn't going to work. Of course, first VV needed her weapon. "This one is mine."

"D-Doll... Doll..." the man took another step back, as VV drew closer. But then... his grin returned, as he raised his cane and charged, intending to bring his down on VV's neck hard enough to snap it. He was a Marionette, after all. It wasn't impossible. But he'd made the severe mistake of thinking that VV was anyone other than herself. The Marionette laughed as he lunged closer, raising his cane up.

"Idiot."

With that, VV suddenly snapped to the side, the cane impacting on the ground and cracking the cobblestone where she had stood seconds before. VV drew back one fist and snapped it forward, striking the man in the stomach. He let out a loud wheeze and rocketed back, eyes bulging out of his skull as he hit the ground and rolled for a moment. e was back on his feet quickly enough, but really, that didn't compare. "You're a real jackass, aren't you? Dumb enough to think that'd even work on a Doll. Especially me."

She stuck her right arm straight out to the side. "Come on out, Calamity Edge!"

Red sparks drifted into the air, scattering in a shower as the familiar form of the silver-and-gold scissors materialized seemingly from nothing. Her fingers wrapped around part of the handle, holding the blades together as a sword. She swung the immense shears forward, pointing Calamity Edge directly at the Marionette. "You're going to pay for trying to touch my property!"

"Two can play at that game, young lady!" declared the Marionette, grasping one end of his cane. From it he drew the silvery blade of a rapier. Hah! Like that would work. Putting on a burst of speed, VV lunged forward, Calamity Edge tearing through the air. The Marionette raised the rapier in a bid to block the attack entirely, and for a moment sparks flew as the weapons collided with a resounding clang... and then Calamity Edge simply sliced through the gleaming metal, cleaving it apart. In almost the same motion, VV's free hand snapped forward and drove itself into the Marionette's chest. The fat man thrashed, but no damage was done to his body. No, VV was reaching elsewhere...

"There!"

... And she began to draw it free.

The man's thrashing ceased as she drew the Puppeteer entirely from his Marionette. She didn't care what it looked like. A grinning man, or something, she didn't pay much attention as she yanked him free. The man collapsed, and VV elegantly twirled Calamity Edge... before driving it through the Puppeteer's chest with a wet thunk and a spray of blood across the cobblestones.

"Dumb Bastard. Don't you know?"

The grinning man's grin faded, and shortly after he ceased to move, so did he. His body, the blood splattered across the ground... it all faded into a drifting cloud of light. All that was left was the former Marionette, unconscious and lying there. Calmly, VV stepped back, Calamity Edge vanishing into red sparks as she straightened.

"There's nothing that Calamity Edge cannot cut."

The lights drifted towards her, and suffused her body. For a moment, she felt such warmth... she had consumed his energy. The new power flowed through her... and then she turned to face the bandaged girl. Walking over to her, she grabbed the girl's hand and yanked her up, then into her arms, in a hold reminiscent of a bridal carry.

"I'm VV. Don't wander out in the dark alone, you moron."

---

Annabelle

Annabelle turned the corner... and suddenly she was grabbed from behind. She didn't know who had grabbed her, and before she could even cry out she felt a hand over her mouth. She squirmed and let out a muffled sound, elbows driving back into her attacker's ribs. But to no avail. She was simply dragged into the darkness of an alley before anyone could even see what happened.

The figure threw her to the ground. It was a man... but... so... so unlike a man at the same time. His eyes were nothing but deep pools of blood red, veins bulging in his arms. His tongue... it was far too long, and he ran it across his lips as he stood there, regarding her. Annabelle scooted back in fear. What... what was this guy? Why... why did he look like that? This wasn't normal! This wasn't logical! This was... this was...

"Hehehe..." the man laughed. "Fresh meat... so sweet, I wonder who will miss you?"

In terror, Annabelle tried to back away further, but she simply hit a wall. Why was he doing this?! Who was he?! Why was... why...

It was only a few moments before things would change even more then they had already.

The last light of day flitted in through the window, shinning peacefully on the sleeping forms of Garret and his master, Angelina. Though the former lying awake and had been so for about an hour or so before Angelina began to stir. The doll merely answered his master with a smile as she indulged in their embrace. But alas, it would not last as shouting from downstairs reverberated into the small room, daring Angelina to challenge the shrill, reprimanding voice of her own mother.

Garret sighed and disappeared into thin air, becoming incorporeal as his master dealt with her parents. He couldn't help but overhear the shouting match downstairs as his master defended her choices from her somewhat over-bearing parents. The doll winced as the door slammed shut, the loud bang echoing with finality. Angelina stomped back into the room, not even noticing his apparent absence as she asked, what Garret could only assume was a rhetorical question. Though clearly he wasn't meant to answer, the doll couldn't help but play the angel on her shoulder.

"Did you have to be so short with them? They are your parents after all, and they only want what's best for you. Besides they do raise a few good points. Chief among them being, why is it that I have my own room when you insist on bringing me to your bed?" The doll wasn't as fond of that as his master clearly was. He was a knight for pity's sake, not some stuffed toy to cuddle! Though it would be a lie if he said it wasn't enjoyable....... Garret cast aside that thought immediately, she was his master, his charge, his means to protect the innocent people of this city. Still, there was something to be said about how warm her embrace is....... The doll cast aside that line of thought faster then the first, instead deciding to ask a question of his own. "Night falls Master, and I would like to patrol, will you accompany me this night?"

---

Kazuki slowly awoke with a groan, exhausted from not only his lack of sleep but the sheer amount of energy he was forced to use in order to ensure the woman beating him with a pillow actually behaved herself. In fact the reason he was sleeping was that he had been up all night and most of the day studying for his exam tomorrow. The young man's bleary eyes glanced at the glowing red numbers on his clock. "7:00 PM? Why didn't you just let me sleep until morning?" He had only been asleep about 2 hours and now Rosalinda wanted to go somewhere? "We can't do anything tonight, I need sleep. Maybe tomorrow after my exam." His response was deadpan, or as deadpan as it could be whilst half-asleep and hoping like hell this was a nightmare.

That was until his nose caught up with his brain, the dancing aroma of wonderful food causing his stomach to growl quite audibly. Kazuki's eyes opened again as he gave the doll a inquisitive look. "What smells so good?"

Crystal stirred when she heard Icarus's voice, shivering as a cool breeze blew against her warm skin which gave her goosebumps. Once she opened her eyes she realized she was outside, seeing smoke billowing out the windows of her house. "Huh? What happened? I was cooking some pancakes before....... Oh......."
She said before she remembered the fire she had caused. She quickly hugged Icarus, a furious blush on her face as she soon knew that this wasn't a dream. "Are you okay Icarus? I'm so so sorry that I did something that could have hurt you....... Please....... Can you forgive me?" She asked, her arms still wrapped around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Please....... Tell me your alright......... I could never forgive myself if you got hurt......" She explained to him, pulling back so her eyes could now look into his.

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Angelina looked at Garret when he asked her the big question she was hoping to avoid, looking down at the bed while her cheeks burned fire red. "Well....... I just....... I feel safer when your here with me....... But you can go to your bed whenever you feel like it! I may be your master, but it's your choice to say yes or no!" She explained, hearing that he wanted to go on Patrol and if she wanted to go with him. She sighed, looking into his eyes and wishing she could say no to him. "Alright, I'll get dressed and make dinner. Give me about thirty minutes then we can leave." She said, getting up off the bed and heading to her closet. She put on a tight fitting dress that had frills galore, the dress showing off her curvaceous body in all the right places.

Angelina put it on with knee high socks and frilly penny loafers, brushing out her dark pink hair and leaving it down for the first time in two years. It became wavy as it swayed back and forth across her back, the tips ending below her bum. She clipped back her long bangs, turning to the mirror and thinking she looked okay. She cooked left over steak and potatoes for dinner, quickly ate it before she headed towards the door. "I'm ready when you ar-" She said before there was a knock on the door, making her open it to see a handsome young man around her age with a bouquet of flowers. "Hello Miss. Angelina, my name is-" The man said before she slammed the door in his face, turning her back to it before slowly sinking to the floor. "Why can't they accept that I'm in love with him?" She asked herself quietly, placing her head in her hands again before she let out an extremely loud sigh.

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Rosalinda looked sad when she heard Kazuki say that they couldn't do anything tonight, and that tomorrow they could Possibly go do something, just not tonight. "But you promised!" She whined, brightening up when he asked what the delicious smell was. "I cooked breakfast for dinner! Does it really smell that good? I whipped everything from scratch! I hope you don't mind! I cleaned up the mess so you wouldn't have to worry about it! I thought you'd like it to calm down your nerves! I truly hope it's good enough!" She said, smiling at him as she went to go clean up her own plate. "I already ate myself, so the rest is yours! And whatever you don't eat we can save for later!" She started up the wash and she picked up the cloth, scrubbing off what was stuck on before she rinsed it off and put it on the drying wrack. She then turned to face him, smiling and still practically bouncing in her boots.

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Icarus

Icarus' body seemed to sing as Crystal held him. Such intimate contact with his precious master felt amazing. "As long as you are unharmed, my beloved master, then I am just fine myself. I was far more worried about you then my on well being. After all; the smoke didn't really pose much of a threat to me...but it could have harmed you greatly, and that terrified me. Please don't apologize, please never apologize to me master. You aren't the kind of person capable of doing anything that I would need an apology for." Reaching a hand out to touch her cheek, he said "now please smile again my master. Your smile is my greatest treasure"