ㅤgeneral ic

a tinge caught off guard, an abashed grin finds itself drawing the corners of her lips once more and she is once more clearing .
a-ah, no, i— t'was just a stupid expression. never you mind that.
lifting her back from the comfort of the wall and unfolding her arms, she brushes one under her nose, focus downcast and distant as her typically warm face suddenly feels warm to her. she chalks this up to the slight cool aura radiating from her counterpart rather than her sudden embarrassment in order to save face, but her attention does return to the other though fleeting, resorting to a bashful mumble as well.
w-what brings you here?

her attention flits around the expansive space until falling upon the only voice that seems to echo against its walls. with a stare that sears into its recipient and a presence that rivals both the warmth and heat of fire, it would be impossible to ignore such a person, let alone forget them. so, she migrates across the room to share in the familiar company and welcome the expected singe that begins to tickle her skin as she draws closer.
sore eyes? are your eyes giving you trouble..?

her gaze flicks over to the familiar face just appearing in the vicinity, half an elated smile drawing one of the corners of her lips for an ephemeral moment and quickly replaced with a neutral expression and clearing of . trying to downplay her excitement.
well... what i sight for sore eyes...

strides into the unfamiliar abode as her eyes curiously dart around the space with a common wonder that comes with new territory.
how quaint.
she murmurs beneath her breath, the syllables flowing from parted lips as a gentle stream with few rapids.

turns away from the window and instead leans against the wall beside it with a huff, grumbling under her breath.
that menace always leaves me unnerved. how frustrating...

fidgets in his seat a little, unsure of what to do with this rare moment of free time now that he has it. also unsure of if he should try striking up a conversation with the other people in the room. despite not being too shy, he wasn't sure if he was up for prolonged conversation at the moment... that and he was generally more reserved anyhow. 'if only lucky were here' briefly sounds in his mind as he stares up at nothing and leans into the soft cushion behind him. yes... if only lucky were here...

brushes past thebe and charming to make her way nearest the window, arms folded beneath her chest and gaze narrowed out at the distance. expecting trouble to poke over the horizon.
...cursed life.

[ ] *thebe, not enya.

stares at enya as she stands in the door way, hoping to make it past her, and gently guiding her out of the way so he can find himself a seat.
yes... life.

heaves a heavy sigh, allowing an equally heavy pause to follow.
...life.

enters the vicinity, tired and worn from the day of bickering with her siblings at their family assembly, and just wanting to relax. as such, she takes a seat in one of the available chairs, adjusting the train from her dress since the eldest insisted on formal attire and opening up her fan to cool herself off as she was beginning to overheat once again.
stupid siblings and their incessant need to have "family meetings" now...

currently seated in the farthest part of the room as he's heavily occupied with polishing a sword. cue a stoic glance towards the faerie that had just entered and a brief bow of his head in greeting before returning his attention to the sword.

peers into the room, stretching out her limbs with a little yawn.

purposefully ignoring the hustle and bustle of the room, the alchemist continues to scribble furiously into his tattered notebook, fingers clumsily pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose as it slips. though, the mention of the heat does cause him to pipe up while keeping focus on his work.
you can splash some water on yourself, perhaps.

enters the room with his hand covering his mouth as a yawn escapes him and stretches out his limbs before having a seat, fanning himself softly.
it's a hot one today, whew.

@constantine. well, it's a pleasure to meet you, iris! and don't worry! once i can put a name to the voice, i never forget them.
a soft giggle leaves her chest, her hands extending to reach forward for a shake as she learned some people do up on the surface.
if you're looking for an inn, i just came from one. it's nearest a fountain and a large tree with enough leaves to shade the whole building as they rustle. it's also near a bakery that sells lovely peach pies! would you like me to take you there?

@thebe. ah! well, thebe, my name is... iris! yes, people call me iris. i'm afraid you won't remember me too easily then, as my name is all too common. how else would you remember me if not for my voice?
one can hear the smile on her lips, but none of the mischief that glints in her eyes.
i'd say the same, but i am actually looking for an inn. my back is starting to ache from all the times i've had to sleep on bad beds! i think it's high time i lay on a comfortable mattress, don't you agree?

(tagging bc i forgot i am so sorry)

why, thank you! may i have yours? as lovely as your voice is, i'm afraid it's a little difficult to remember people by that alone. and as for what i'm doing here, hm...
she fiddles with the strap of her bag to adjust it across her chest.
i guess you could say i'm just letting the wind lead me. what about you?

@kiriya. lou was just about to reply in regards to offering meat— something about how he may have some stored in the freezer if he isn't entirely picky with the kind— but he's cut off completely the moment kiriya's body slumps against him, arms winding around the undead beastman as a means of keeping him upright. when he glances at his face with concern, he's greeted by empty eyes which provide a telltale sign of what he truly is. lou knows; he's spoken to kiriya enough times to gather the facts.

however, the past that had caused this change only comes out in fragments that lou captures in moments like this; in moments when kiriya is subconsciously reliving his memories that have long since passed. it... saddens the dragonier to watch. as much as sadness goes for someone like him, that is. a couple beats of silence pass as he tries to figure out what to say to that before he eventually draws a conclusion and speaks it aloud, "you are only one person and there are so many of us. even at your strongest, there is no possible way for you to protect everyone on your own." with his hand made of flesh instead of metal, he lays it on his head and ruffles his hair gently. "you did your best, kiriya. you fought for those you love with everything you had and that is what matters."

then, grunting, he draws his hand away and adds, "do you need me to carry you? i am willing to do so. we must get you meat. no need to pay."

thebe? what a cute name! and it's my pleasure to meet you as well.
but i do have to ask though. what's a lady like you doing out here alone bumping into walls like that?

nods her head slowly and also shows a rather bright smile though she can't see the other's. this time, she straightens her body to respectfully bow toward the other's general direction.
i'm perfectly fine. this happens quite a bit, heh. and my name is thebe! it's a pleasure to meet you!

steps closer to the stranger, if only so they're actually facing each other. she smiles rather brightly, looking curiously at the others' eyes.
fortunately - or should i say unfortunately? - that was a wall. are you sure you're alright?

yes, yes, i'm quite alright!
she responds with a soft laugh and a gentle rub at her head before waving off the matter. her body attempts to face the direction she thinks she heard the voice just now, but is slightly off.
was that... a person or a wall this time?

raises an eyebrow at the sight of the stranger bumping into the wall, before her gaze turns into one of curiosity and mild amusement.
oh, i don't think it minds, but.. are *you* alright? that was quite the bump!

wanders her way in and bumps into the wall as she does, stopping dead in her tracks to bow very respectfully toward it and obviously unknowing that it is a wall.
my sincerest apologies. i hope you can forgive my mistake.

@the perilous. “then—“ he starts, swaying a little side to side. “any weapon, please. unless if you happen to have some meat on you, and i can… repay—” he stumbles forward a few feet closer to the supposed isuka just in time for the corpse to appear as if the body was vacant of a soul. the body collapses against the blacksmith’s figure, head resting haphazardly against his shoulder. his eyes are still open, yet only the whites of his eyes are visible to the other.

it takes kiriya a moment before he comes to. his eyes gradually roll back properly into position, emitting a brief groan as his arms fasten loosely around the blacksmith’s waist, afraid of falling over. “s-sorry,” he stammers, the color partially coming back to his lips and face. “i’m sorry, isoka. you and everyone else died because of me.”

@kiriya. isuka. there goes that name again. no matter how many times lou has denied his relation to whoever this isuka is, it seems kiriya was just as insistent on denying his denial. he would lay out a life that lou has never lived and all lou could do in response is either forcefully push forth the truth or give into the delusion. since he's already exhausted the former option, he's found himself settling for the latter— answering to this name and taking the story that comes with it like it was his very own.

"i will rest when it is time to rest. right now, it is work time." he gruffly shoots back, hand hovering behind kiriya just in case he completely collapses. he looks like he's about to, honestly.

when hallucinations and his tail are mentioned in the same breath, lou takes a mental note of the new information regarding his supposed new persona; seems like this isuka person wasn't a beastman.

a brief glance is provided towards his tail before he then looks back to the possessed corpse, expression unreadable. "it is your weakening state making you see things. there's no tail there, kiriya." he replies, hand finally coming in contact with the other's back. "now, tell me what you need so you can go back to your regular, functioning self."

"you should at least find time to rest every now and then, isuka. even on the front lines, you have to rest sometime." he's unbothered by the dragonier's tail, unable to even register the appendage given his previous life's influence over how he views the blacksmith. however, given his waning sense of life force, his mind is unable to maintain the constant psychological strain he typically carries, noticing how there are brief glitches in his vision as what is known as reality to those other than kiriya flicker through his living fantasy of the past. "i'd... appreciate your help. i must really need something. i think i'm seeing things." his gaze falls to the blacksmith's tail, the light dimming in his eyes. "i-i didn't think you ever had a tail. right, isuka?"

the mere sound of clumsy footing is enough to make his head perk up, attention instantly diverted away from his work to settle on a familiar, undead figure. judging from the way he seems to be moving this time around, he isn't in the best of states which has lou feeling a mild sense of worry bubble up inside of him. with his large tail lifting and thumping against the ground as a visible display of his inner emotions, he proceeds to pocketing his screwdriver and looks to the other with a grunt. there are very few people that lou has brought himself to care for, and kiriya is, luckily, one of those people. it only makes sense that he'd worry like this. "there is nothing else i would rather be occupied with. especially since i see no reason for me to be doing anything other than what i know best." he replies bluntly, quite relieved that they're using primal tongue since he wasn't the best at human speak. "and i'm fine. it is you who seems to be struggling between us. do you need me to get you something to ease that?"

enters the room, stumbling a little in his steel toed boots given his prolonged lack of food source is beginning to have an effect over the ghoul. however, for the timebeing, he doesn't mind it. the wolffish canine ears of his possessed corpse flick in relief upon recognizing the dragonier's familiar face. he speaks in beastman tongue, voice strained similarly due to his lack of a food source.
it's rare to not catch you occupied in your craft. how have you been, friend?
his face strains to smile, only able to manage to twist the corners of his lips into something familiar to a smile, gesturing briefly to his throat.
sorry, i'm... thirsty.