kaisou | Video: UN: hotgoss

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zulius

Video: UN: hotgoss

WHO: Zulius and YOU
WHERE: Network but briefly in the Vogue, then Cygnus.
WHEN: 4th, as the madness starts
WHAT: Warning for the Entertainment District!
WARNINGS: None!

[The feed turns on to a very freaked out Zulius, cantering here and there in his pink apartment in a clear panic. He has a bag slung over his shoulders and his tank with Humphrey Frogart sitting inside it under one arm, looking as dead-eyed as he always does. On the coffee table is a cat carrier- where there are t̶͈̮͕̍e̶͔͐͐̈́͝r̷̦̈́̋͋̓r̶̻͍̩̩̉͑̿͗̈́í̴͕͖b̴̡̼̳̈ḷ̸̛̈̾͘e̶̤̻̮͕̒̄̃͗̃͜ ̶̳̥̻̇̂̽n̶͈̲͔̹̗̔̓̂̈õ̵̜̬͓̞͛͋́i̶̭̘̦͓͌́s̷͚̙͑̐̂͒̐ȩ̶̠̙̠͋̑͜͠s̷̛͓̠̠͝ coming out of it. There's a lot of crashing and hollering noises coming from downstairs.

Okay, so, HEY! Quick- super quick, FYI, folks. Stay the holy hell away from the Entertainment District. IDK what the heckers is going on but it's like a rager from literal hell out there. There are so many demons and not the fun kind. Well, I mean- they're partying but it's also. Bad. Old Mrs. Morozov from across the street went out there to tell them to keep it down and I'm like 90% sure they spirited her away somewhere.

[There's more crashing downstairs, the sound of breaking glass, and Zulius winces. He's been through a lot lately, he's not even a full month away from dying and now there are fuckwads attacking his BABY. But at least his death has given him the common sense to bolt. He knows better than make a stand here.]

Anyway, yeah no. I'm outta here, we're outta here. Aljendaro is keeping them occupied but there's like a hundred of them and like, two and a half of us- [speaking of, he's running over to where Moxxie is pressed against the window, watching the demons, he scruffs his oldest friend like he's a CAT, stuffing him into his Serenitea pot] NOPE! No. I'm gonna head to Cynus if you want me- DO NOT be stupid and come here.

[He balances the Serenitea pot on his back, picks up the ANGRY cat carrier and Teleports away. The screen frizzles for a second, scrambled in the process before it focuses back as they arrive in Cygnus. Which is, thankfully, safe.]

For realsies, that place is a war zone. Please don't anybody be stupid.

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[The post catches her attention almost immediately. Sure, she’d gone with Vash. At the time, though, it was only a thought. “I don’t feel safe (after getting murdered in a cabin)” isn’t the same thing as “the city is unsafe.”

And now the city is actually under attack. Something inside tells her that if they die this time, it won’t be as easily fixed as last time. Not that last time was easy to begin with.]

Are you alright?

[Rose and Zulius are absolutely on the same page on that one. They've cheated death once already, and he doesn't quite fancy their chances again. At least so soon. Nope, better to stay the heck away from the danger.

He exhales slowly, putting Grizaella's carrier down and balancing the frog tank on top of it. ]

I mean, no? Not super okay, Rosey. They'd got into the Vogue. I'm just hoping they just like...get the liquor and leave the rest alone. But it's what it is. The theatre can be fixed, but Moxxie and I not so much.

Good. That's exactly the attitude you should have.

[She knows Zulius cares for his life, especially after their time in the cabin, but even still. She worries.]

We can rebuild the whole damn building if we have to. But we can't replace you or Moxxie.

[On the other end of the line, she's frowning. She doesn't like this.]

I'd volunteer to come get you, but I'm not sure that somebody else rushing into danger is going to help right now. Just--wherever you're going stay safe, okay?

Yeah, trust me, I'm not planning on doing anything dumb. I know I'm ahmazing and everything, but even I know my limits y'know?

[He doesn't like the thought of rebuilding, of leaving the Vogue to those things. The theatre is his heart and soul and has been for years. He put so much of himself into it and now it's under threat. But Rose is right, it's just bricks and mortar. He and Moxxie are made of much squishier stuff. ]

Very right! We're, like, limited editions.

[He gives the screen a little thumbs up.]

Seriously, don't risk yourself, Rosey. The academy is safe, I know Waver's been putting guards on it. I'll stick here and help keep it working as a safe zone. Got a bad feeling we need more of those. How bad is the rest of the city?

Good.

[That gets Rose to smile. She loves when her friends don’t take unnecessary risks. Too many times she’s worried.

Too many times she’s lost.]

I’m not sure myself. I—-the Zodiac network post worried me—-so I was staying at Vash’s cabin when it happened. I’m going to follow him into the city when he leaves.

That's good. His cottage is protected, right? At least that's another safe place to go to. I think Undertown is okay too? Like, I saw those guys were giving the subway entrance a wiiiiide berth before I peaced out.

[They have options, at least. ]

Well, we all know you guys can handle yourselves, but please be safe out there. And whatever you do, stay the heck away from the Entertainment District. That's gonna need serious big guns to clear it out.

You know, maybe it's not so bad out there. I'm pretty sure I saw a dance competition. I love dance competitions!

[This is why you're in the teapot, Moxxie. It was not the safe, fun kind of dance competition. There were definitely knives involved.]

[He's glaring at the teapot. Can you feel the glare, Bestie? Can you FEEL it??!!]

That's not a FUN dance competition!!! They were beating one guy with a ROAD SIGN. There were knives, Maxwell. [You're getting a Maxwell, it's serious!!] I know you dig knives but I'm pretty sure they would have turned you into a piñata.

[As Zulius points out the road sign and the knives, Moxxie starts thinking of reasons why they probably wouldn't do that to him, but then Zulius pulls out his real name, and Moxxie realizes he's serious and he deflates.]

Well...yeah. I guess I just figured I'm a demon too and...uh...nevermind. I'll just stay in my teapot.

[He's so serious!! No more dying this year, SIR!!!!]

Yeeeaaaah, I don't think that they're gonna think you're one of their own, Babe. So yeah, let's stay in the teapot. We can be safe in the Academy, okay? Like Waver's got wards and stuff.

Right. Okay, we can stay in the Academy.

Great! I'm sure we can still be like, useful. Waver'll probably need gofers and I'm sure you can use your guns on supply runs, Babe.

[COMPROMISE?!! ]

[A chance to use his guns? This is definitely an acceptable compromise as far as Moxxie's concerned.]

Yes! I can definitely do supply runs!

[Zulius grins, pleased that this seems to have bolsters his friend a little.]

There you go! Plus you're real small, you can be in and out like [he waves a hand swiftly] pwoooosh! No one would see you before you'd be gone.

Yeah! I'm amazing at stealth! And I'm really fast and agile, too!

You sure ARE, Bestie!!! It's like a job made for you.

Well, then, I'm glad I have something I'll be perfect for!

Fuck, that was faster than I expected. Are you hurt?

[Because of course Waver was at Cygnus, quickly pocketing his phone; he'd been in the middle of composing a response, until Zulius just kind of Appeared.]

The joys of teleportation. [Zulius lets out a soft little wooo as he puts the hissing, ANGRY cat box of rage down.] Boy are you a sight for sore eyes, Waver.

[This was the first place he thought to run to- Waver had worked hard on the requisite magic to keep this place safe- it seemed a logical place to 'port to. At least in the emergency of the moment.]

Nah, I'm okay. Not so sure I can say that about the Vogue. [His ears flick back for a moment, unhappy about that. He hates he had to abandon his life's work, but he prefers being alive. ] Those things were for sure raiding the bar. Is everything okay here? Like...everything holding?

It's...it should be okay. [He cast an uneasy look towards the nearest window, as if half expecting to see complete chaos outside.] I'm not too confident in my own skills, but if things stay just this bad and don't get worse then the barrier should hold.

Sorry about the theatre. Once this is all over, I'll help you get it back in order however I can.

[Zulius let out a soft, dismissive click of his tongue, waving his hand.]

Well I'm confident in your skills. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have come here.

[So. Fucking. There. Sir. At the mention of the theatre, he raises his shoulders in a little shrug. He hates it, it's another slab of stress he really didn't need at this current time, but if he thinks too hard about it, he might start having a breakdown again and he'd really rather not. ]

Thanks, Babe, 'preciate it. For now, let's try to focus on the whole lot of everything going on right now. Do we know where people are like, needed? Do you need help here?

[Please give him something to do so he doesn't have to think about what's happening to his home right now.]

[he is simply Worried because this is a lot of stress for a substandard barrier!]

[But Waver took a slow breath and collected himself, taking inventory of the situation.]

We don't have a lot in the way of emergency supplies--blankets, rations, that kind of thing--I'd only just started planning out a stockpile when all this shit happened. Can you distribute what we do have where it's needed? Apart from that, I...need someone who can keep things calm. Panic spreads easily, and you're a hell of a lot better with people than I am.

[Zulius shall have none of that self-doubt! Not while he's around! He gives a lazy lil' salute to the request.]

Caaaan do. I can teleport around, see what supplies I can bring back, too, if we need it.

[He hasn't got a lot in his skillset when it comes to fighting- aside from trying to lean back on memories of his past life. It was something he was planning on working on, after he recovered from the Cabin. He didn't expect the shit to hit the fan again so soon. So a gofer he can be!]

You bectcha. I'll make sure nary a tiny little freak out happens. This, I got.

Thank you, Zulius. I can't stay here constantly, so I'll count on you to hold down the fort as best you can.

[Said with the distinct tone of someone trying not to run themselves ragged.]

If anything happens while I'm not here, you can call me and I'll either come back or send Diarmuid depending on which gets one of us here faster.

Hey, dw about it, Babe. We'll get this thing on point.

[The cat carrier rattles, SNARLS.] Uh. Can I put my cat anywhere? She super hates being in there and she's already got enough of a grudge against me. I don't want her murdering me in my sleep, tbh.

[At the Diarmuid comment, a little smirk crosses the zebrataur's face, despite the stress he's going through right now. He mimes putting a pin in mid-air.]

Popping a PIN in that to give a funny but endearing comment about you two when things are less on fire. But sure, can do. Also try not to like, wear yourself to nothing. You're gonna be of zero use to anyone if you drop from exhaustion.

...Why don't you take my office. She'll be left well enough alone there and I doubt there's much she can tear up.

[he likes cats. he also knows how they can be.]

And I'd say 'I don't know what you're talking about', but I think we all know that's bullshit at this point. Regardless, I don't plan on wearing myself out anytime soon.

Thanks, Babe. I don't want her like...terrorising people.

[Grizabela might not have any fur but she is full of hatred and Zulius doesn't want to inflict that on anyone else.

Zulius flashes him a knowing look.]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, yeah. That horse has totally bolted out of the stable door. And good, you better not! You can only stretch yourself so far.

Come on, I'll take you there before I head out again. [With a sigh of resignation he started walking down the hall.]

I'll be okay, Zulius. I'm trying to keep my own limits in mind during the apocalypse, this time.

[Zulius picks up the hissing carrier, shifts the frog tank under his arm, and starts off after Waver.]

Good to hear. I worry, y'know. It's not even been a full month since All That. [The unspeakable All That. Zulius doesn't feel like what happened in the cabin is an especially fun trip down memory lane, but the fact remains it still happened and extremely recently at that. ] None of us have exactly had time to breathe and I know some of us [you] are way more prone to going right into it and not like, taking time to rest or anything. So happy for you that you've got that one figured out.

Working keeps me focused. I prefer to be busy where I can, especially in a situation like this. But I recognize that...there needs to be some semblance of balance between that and running myself ragged.

[Which was progress, at least.]

What about you? Are you okay--well, as okay as any of us after all that?

Exactly. Real glad for you that you've figured that one out. I'm proud of you, for realsies.

[The honest answer on how he's doing is not great.He's better than he was at least. He can at least go outside without having a full-on panic attack now. But he's also still not really on the correct side of okay. ]

Wellll, I was also doing on the being busy and working thing, buuuuut seen as my place of work is currently besieged by a demon horde we're gonna go with middling.

Middling's pretty good, all things considered. [Waver cast a brief look over his shoulder with a very worn-down and tired smile. The whole situation sucked and they both knew it, but taking what one could get was the only real strategy right now.]

[He pushed a door open and gestured for Zulius to walk in first; it was a simple but well-kept office, which may or may not (definitely did) have an electric kettle kept on a shelf behind the desk. He might have preferred coffee, but we weren't uncivilized here.]

I seriously doubt anyone's going to bother coming in here, so feel free to use it however you need to.

I think it's about as good as most of us are gonna get unless we're in serious denial.

[He returns that tired smile. He gets it, he really does. Thinking too hard about it, especially while they're in yet another crisis is absolutely not the way to go.

He steps inside, letting out a soft oooooh sound. He puts the frog tank down on the desk, the teapot with Moxxie still inside it next to it. Then he'll open the front of the cat carrier and his naked, evil sphynx comes running out. She leaps up onto the shelf, tail lashing, eyes full of hate and loathing, growling in a low, angry catty gargle at this audacity done against her. ]

Hah, thanks, Babe. I can't put her in the teapot because she tries to eat Moxx. This is perfect.

You don't have to thank me. It's due to your help we even have the academy at all, and if I can use it to help protect people then obviously I will.

I mean, true! Buuuut I don't think either of us would predict this mess.

[Well, he didn't anyway. Waver seems a little more ready for the worst-case scenario in an exhausted "this might as well happen" kind of way, so maybe he did.

He offers Waver a reassuring smile. ]

Anyway, we got this, we'll make sure this place stays safe for anyone who needs it.

You know, when I told August I'd make sure the place stayed standing, I did not expect to have this much trouble doing exactly that. Fuck me for being confident, as usual.

HAH! Right? I mean, I don't think any of us expected like, the whole ass city to be dragged into litreal chaos. But yeah, you've for SURE got your work cut out for you on this one. Yeesh, do NOT envy you.

--The demons are there too.

Do you need help evacuating. I am currently standing vigil over the auguries with Dante, but I am more than certain I can leave him to chase off the filth on his own for a little while if necessary.

I worry for the Vogue, but I would like to say. Whatever happens, we will fix it.

Cynus is a safe zone?

Babe, there's like, a hundred demons there. They're everywhere.

[Zulius loves a good party as much as the next extrovert, but this is a bit much even for him.]

Okay, I know you already said that you'd come charging to save me and everything Handsome, and I really 'preciate that. But this is like SO many demons. I'm already out and safe, I got Moxxie, Grizaeblla and Henry Frogrart, we're safe. So please don't go looking for trouble there, okay? We CAN fix the Vogue up, but we can't fix YOU up.

[Please Vergil, he is begging you not to do this :<]

Waver put up wards. It's safe as houses, promise.

...Oddly, such a sight is not one I am unused to. Perhaps not in this life; but in a past one, I believe I have experienced something like this before.

[ ...that book he'd read also. told him it was his fault that the city was crawling with them. but he wont bring that up. its not his fault this time. ]

I am currently having trouble leaving my own home due to them, however, so. So long as you are safe, my worries do not need to go furthur than that.

Stay safe. If you need anything, you merely need to call.

...I will be standing vigil over my shop until this ends.
Regardless of how many demons there are.
I will protect the things I have collected.

Oh man, really? Because this is a whole lot of no-good-bad-times. Has it been triggering any memories for you?

[Because this is a whole lot of worry, and honestly, he'd rather be worrying about his friends than worrying about what's happening to his theatre right now. ]

Good to hear. Don't worry, I'm staying safe as I can be. Once brutal death in the space of a month is enough for me, thanks. [Ha ha, if he jokes about it he can make it suck less, right?]

I'll call, I promise. Can you please stay safe? You're in way more danger than I am right now.

[Please don't fucking die, you idiot tall-ass, he's already at his limit for bad shit happening and that'd push him over the edge. ]

It is. But nothing terrible. Merely memories of fighting hordes of demons with Dante at my back. I cannot make out any of the conversation we are having, but there are numbers involved.

[ ...keeping count of how many demons they've killed, like it was some sort of game. ]

I will keep my worries at minimum, at least. And I will put on the promise that I will be safe. [ he pauses for a moment. ] Wounds do not last on me for more than a few minutes anymore.

Jarring as it is.

I will be fine.

...Numbers? Like...like what? Keeping a killing demon count? Because that about tracks. I've seen you two bicker.

[You guys do that publicly. All the time. Like kids.]

Okay, real glad about the healing thing. That's important. But this place also has a habit of turning powers off sometimes. That's what happened to us at the cabin.

[It's what Krusnik did to him, he wants to remind him. But Zulius bites that one back. Not the time. But he sure as hell remembers that, and he doesn't want to see Vergil in a state like that again for the rest of ever.]

So you know...still be safe? Just in case?

Edited (remembered something to give extra brick texture) 2023-11-19 23:37 (UTC)

Yes. I believe that is what we were doing. Dante is always convinced that he's winning, but the fool often likes to forget the times I get one up on him. He's childish.

[ they're BOTH childish. ]

I have that. Odd magic sense ability of mine where I can see sources of power glowing. If it ever fully turns off without me putting effort into it, I will promise you that I will flee with the intent to never be caught.

Will that suffice to assuage your worry?

[In a sing-song voice.]

But you were counting wiiiiith hiiim~

[He's just gonna point that one out there. He lets out a soft hum at the offer. ]

Vergil, I'm gonna worry about you regardless. [A touch of honest seriousness there, full name and everything.] But yeah, that helps. Thanks. I'm gonna hold you to that one.

...Perhaps I like to indulge him.

[ he doesn't know what fun is. he wasn't having fun with it, or anything of the sort. don't dare suggest. ]

You may send me a message any time you need your worries assuaged.

Oh, so that's what it is, huh? Indulging your twin and deffo not having fun with him?

[He is gonna dare! He is gonna suggest it!]

...Okay, yeah. I'll do that. Please don't take, like, an hour to respond. Normally you know I am super okay with your weird thing about being contacted, but just this once humour me?

[ he almost opens his mouth to say 'there's nothing fun about bickering with that fool', but. ...He doesn't want to get called out anymore, so he just ends up making a gesture at Zulius. Be quiet. Silencio. ]

In this specific instance, I will not 'take my time' to answer if you send me a message. I would not leave you with such a feeling of unease.

...

I promise.

[Zulius is going to, very maturely, stick his tongue out at the gesture. He shall NOT be silenced!!!!]

Thanks, Handsome. I'm gonna hold you to that one. Same goes to you, okay? I'm just on the other end of a phone if you need me.

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Video: UN: hotgoss

voice; UN: Thorn

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Video (from inside the Serenitea Pot)

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once more with literacy

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voice: un: darkSlayer

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