CLOSED ♪ And you were laughing along

[meinwaifu]

Who: Mephisto Pheles (meinwaifu) & various!
What: Catch-all Log for March
When: Throughout the Month
Where: Mostly Olympia, some Wyver
Warning(s): Smut



Closed prompts in the comments below!

Comments

Closed to Mipha

[meinwaifu]

[Even with the city starting to calm down and instigators brought to justice, there was still a lot to do. Buildings needed fixing, people needed healing, and many more rioters were still out there trying to relight the flames of violence that had spread across the city. For his part, Mephisto probably spent more time watching than actively helping... but sometimes, that could be of help as well. And one such person he's been watching has working far too hard as of late. Honestly, does Mipha ever take a day off?]

[Maybe it's time for a little demonic intervention.]

[While she's out on some little errand for the sanctuary, probably just after finishing up a home visit to a sick patient, at some point Mephisto is just gonna appear alongside her -- as is his wont.]

Another busy afternoon, I see!

[fisherwife]

[What the fuck is a "day off"?

Mipha's woman (fish...??) enough admit she's startled, and maybe to go as far as to admit to jumping and yelping in alarm when Mephisto suddenly appears. Her hand flies up to press to her chest as if hoping to calm her beating heart, and she stares up at him wide-eyed.]

Mephisto! A little warning would be nice! [Honestly, it's a testament to just how tired she must really be to be startled this badly--or, at least, to show it this much. She sighs softly]

It's going to be a busy month, I fear.

[meinwaifu]

[Look, he's never going to stop surprising her when she gives him such a great reaction every time. But even that did seem like something of an overreaction, hm.]

Yes, it certainly does seem that way, doesn't... ah, incidentally, if you have a bit of time to spare, there's something rather urgent I was hoping you might be able to assist me with! Something only you can do.

[fisherwife]

[She's a little high-stressed lately, forgive her Meph.

There's a brief consideration for the rest of her schedule, but truthfully it's nothing that can't be put off for a while. The other Sanctuary members can easily pick up her slack--it's just she didn't often choose to let them.

But it should be fine, and if it's something so urgent just for her how can she say no? Mipha, despite looking a bit concerned, nods quickly.]

Of course. What do you need? [And then, with a warm smile, she adds:] And you should know I always have time for you, Mephisto.

[meinwaifu]

I'm glad to hear it! [THAT SMILE... AH... pushes these dokis aside tho.]

You see, a very dear friend of mine has been through quite a bit as of late. She's been working herself far too hard, nearly every hour of the day, to the point where I fear she may just work herself to death! And as much as I greatly admire her perseverance, it truly pains me to see her exhaust herself like this.

[Is he showing his hand too soon? Or will she not realize he's just talking about her?]

Someone working under such conditions... even with the state of things, surely they deserve a day of rest, don't you think?

[fisherwife]

[Mipha, bless her, has no idea. He could be talking about anyone! She has no doubt he knows plenty of other women and plenty who probably work too hard.

She brings her hand up to her mouth, tapping thoughtfully on her lower lip] Yes, I would think so. While working hard is all well and good, pushing oneself to the brink of exhaustion is terrible for the body and mind. While one might be afraid of missing the time due to being sick, they'll just end up losing more time recovering because they pushed themselves too hard.

However, I'm afraid my powers don't help much for things like exhaustion... You might have to convince her somehow that rest really is what's best and insist on it.

Closed to Yukio

[meinwaifu]

[Perhaps it's because of all the chaos in the city as of late, but ever since their initial meeting up on Thesa Station, Mephisto hasn't seen Yukio around at all. And honestly? He's not too bothered by it. Perhaps a little mystified in the fact that it doesn't bother him, but-- well, he's settled into this world well enough that there wasn't as much of a dire need to seek out people from the same world anymore. Let alone someone who made it very clear that he didn't want to be sought out and who ultimately served no immediate purpose.]

[But there's no way they'd be able to keep out of each other's hair forever. Now that things are slowly going back to normal, there was still a lot to do to fix the city. And while normally Mephisto might not bother lending a hand, well... seeing as the institute was closed for the majority of the time, he could use an extra paycheck to fund his booze money hobbies. And not to mention his promise to Mipha...]

[Which is why, when Yukio heads down to the marketplace today for whatever reason (perhaps after also volunteering to help fix a damaged shop), he'll be in for a weird sight: Mephisto in relatively casual clothing (for him, at least), standing in a damaged store front and counting inventory on a clipboard, while waving a hand and using his powers to lift new panes of glass into the windows alongside other employees.]

Re: Closed to Yukio

[not_my_brothers_keeper]

[Perhaps a month is a bit too long for one to initially avoid almost everyone he knew from home, and he knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before he would eventually bump into someone. Just... He just wasn't expecting to bump into Mephisto quite like this.

For once- the ex-principal wasn't in his usual outfit nor in some oddball anime based get up and that alone warranted a double take from Yukio; and after the double-take to find that that Mephisto was willingly helping others... Well it was enough to pique Yukio's curiosity to actually approach the other.]

So your powers are not completely extinguished, you still use whatever you can to keep yourself entertained?

[meinwaifu]

I don't know what part of this looks like entertainment for you. But I'm certainly not above earning an honest living if it means helping out our fellow Olympians.

[The grin that goes along with this is so fake it's like he's not even trying tbh. But hopefully Yukio takes it as a sign to play along -- talking about anything Natha related when there are natives around wasn't exactly a good idea.]

[But while he wasn't exactly expecting to run into Yukio here, there's no need to waste the opportunity -- not when Yukio actually approached him first.]

My, but it's certainly been a while, Mr. Okumura! Have you come to lend a hand? [He snaps his fingers-- and behind him, rather comically, the full weight of the window pane comes down on the arms of the men trying to install it. They've got it under control, but they do both shoot Mephisto a look.] I was just about to start reviewing their inventory in the backroom... why don't you help me, and we can take some time to catch up, hm?

Closed to Sanzo

[meinwaifu]

[With all chaos going on around the two cities, it's a miracle Mephisto had any time to spare to his research at all. But he did make a promise to someone to look into the effects of the moon in Wyver, and now that things have quieted down, it's about time he makes good on that promise.]

[...or rather, it's about time he goes ahead with the little practical joke he's been working on. Sure, he's done plenty of legitimate research so far, and even has a proto-type ready to deliver! But he's also prepared something of a Russian roulette of potions here, where some are effective, some are ineffective, and others... do... other things.]

[But that's the nature of scientific research! Trial and error! It's just too bad for Sanzo that the one behind his research is a trouble-making demon... not that he's let on to that, of course.]

[In the third week of the month, "Faust" sends Sanzo a message, offering to meet him in Wyver while Thesa Station remains inaccessible. It'll be the first time they've actually met in person, so he makes sure to pick a place so they can stand out to one another.]

[...not that Mephisto is very easy to miss. He's 6'5 and dressed vaguely like a supervillain, given he might have mentioned the need to dress incognito while in Wyver. But the monocle is definitely overkill.]

Ah, you must be Mr. Sanzo, yes? Good to finally meet you in person!

[smithandwesson]

[.... You'd be surprised how strangely accustomed to monocles he is "Faust". In fact, if he were surprised by anything when he was first approached by his accomplice it was probably his height. Now, Sanzo was by no means short, being a decent 5'10" himself. But that sort of difference between the two of them felt outright ridiculous.

Oh. And the cape was pretty stupid too.]

And if I am?

[Really a young blond haired man wearing monks robes and casually smoking a cigarette was a strange enough sight on its own. Not that Mephisto wouldn't have been used to this type of person... Probably.]

So. You're Faust, eh?

[He's just going to put his hand on his hip as he faces you, eyes narrowing as he looks you up and down with absolute judgment.]

[meinwaifu]

That's correct, yes! Johann Faust, at your service.

[Looking him up and down, huh? Mephisto just brings a hand up to his chin, now looking thoroughly amused.]

Oh my... like what you see? Or are you in more need of these potions than I thought?

[Yeah, these two aren't gonna get along. Mephisto can already tell -- and honestly, he's excited about it.]

[smithandwesson]

'Tch.

[Great. This asshole was just as much of a wiseguy in person as he was over the phone. He was going to make a special reminder to himself to shoot him after the work was done.

He'll pay him for his services if he survives.]

... You're taller than I thought you'd be.

[Blunt as ever he waves his hand away as if shooing Mephisto's comment off. He didn't need to deal with these unnecessary flirtations now. Not when there were more important matters to discuss.]

You said you made a bit of a breakthrough? I'm surprised, seeing as I was planning on getting you a potions master to aid you in your research.

Closed to Shura

[meinwaifu]

[One way or another, Shura was going to hear about what happened to Mephisto. Be it from asking around about who the captives were or simply from noting that Mephisto would never allow a message to go unanswered for so long, should she try and reach out to him about current events. But as shocking as it might be to hear that Mephisto of all people was kidnapped, that still won't prepare her for the sight when she goes to meet him at the Sanctuary.]

[If someone hadn't told her it was Mephisto lying in that bed, it might have been hard to tell. He's wrapped up almost like a mummy for how many bandages litter his body, one eye completely covered and the other red and bloodshot. There's a number of IVs going into his arm, and his breathing is so labored, she can hear it from the doorway.]

[But even still, much as he's unable to move, he can tell when someone has entered the room. He can't exactly move to sit up, but he can at least turn his head enough to see her.]

...ah, so it's you.

[exaomori]

[She had sent him a message to check in. It seemed polite. Weird, but polite. Bad news in the streets of both cities--what was the point of sticking around either? May as well just head out to the wilderness. At least monsters and beasts weren't so annoying.

It is a shock to see Mephisto in this state, even worse than he was at the news conference. She's quiet as she nears, more out of respect for the other patients in the ward than for Mephisto's sake.]

Yeah, it's me.

[What a mess. But as traumatic as it look, Shura has faith in Mephisto's ability to recover from it. He was Mephisto, after all. She pulls a chair to his bedside and sits. No point in looming over him.]

Sorry, didn't bring anthin' to eat. But I can't tell if they'll give you anythin' anyway.

[meinwaifu]

I appreciate the thought. But I wouldn't be able to keep it down anyway.

[Weakly, he brings a hand up to his mouth and coughs, as if trying to clear his throat -- but his breathing is so weak, the effort seems like a bit of waste.]

...I'm beginning to wonder if I'm not just prone to things like this... my mind is still scrambled from what they did to us-- it's Kirigakure, yes?

[exaomori]

[For a moment, Shura is quiet. Was this part of an act, or was he really this weak? He was the kind to be a giant baby, but from what she heard, few, if any, people had gotten off lightly after the kidnappings.]

Yeah, it is.

[Just what had happened, and had he really forgotten her name?]

Don't think too hard about it right now. I ain't in the mood to threaten you or anythin', so you're safe from me.

[For now.]

[meinwaifu]

...if I don't think hard about it now, I may not get a second chance.

Surely you can tell by looking at me... my body stopped healing hours ago.

[This is pretty different from the headwound he'd be taking at the conference. There, he just passed out and bled a lot. But the wounds on his body now are all from his body literally starting to rot away. Most of these weren't even inflicted during his kidnapping.]

[exaomori]

[That was a possibility that Shura hadn't wanted to consider. If his body stopped healing...

Could he even reincarnate in this world?]

Tch.

[She looks away, letting out a long exhale. Shit, she wasn't prepared for this just yet. Mephisto was annoying, but he was (probably) an ally on a good day. But even a giant baby like him wouldn't be laid up in a bed like this if he could help it.

Shura rises to her feet abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor as it's pushed back a few inches.]

Fine, think hard about it for a minute. I'll be back.

[She intends on leaving to grab some bandages and wash up. She doesn't like doing this crap, but there are more injured than the staff can cope with. She could at least change this idiot's bandages for them.]

Closed to Slaine

[meinwaifu]

[It's been some time now since everything that happened. But for Mephisto, it still feels so fresh. He climbs out of his pod and doesn't know what to think, what to feel.]

[He's still alive. Why is he still alive? Why was he given a second chance? The warm, familiar voice that's always present in the back of his mind says nothing, only laughing at the sheer absurdity of it all.]

[He's still dressed just as he was when he passed. Thick, blood-stained bandages wrap around nearly every inch of his body, only the ones on his face torn off (was his eye still gone? No, that came back as well). Over that, he has nothing more than a loose hospital and a robe. How fitting that he would come back looking so pathetic after dying such a shameful death.]

[Feeling restless, but not yet ready to face whatever awaits him on El Nysa, he wanders through the halls towards the Quarantine bay, choosing the room he knows houses his many familiars.]

[Of course, he doesn't realize he's being followed.]

[And when Slaine opens the door, be it out of simple curiosity or his own restless need to wander, he'll find Mephisto crouched on the ground, surrounded by a number of curious looking creatures.]

[...]

[Though for as terrifying as the one in the back that looks like the goddamn grim reaper is, it's petting him on the head.]

[terrantrash]

<sub>[Sometimes one's feet have a mind of their own.

That's how it is with Slaine these days. When he isn't sitting against Asseylum's pod he's wandering the station like a lost spirit, not really knowing what to do with himself or where to go. It's only when he spots what he thinks has to be a ghost that he turns his direction around and follows Mephisto into the room he's decided to hole up in.

The demon's not alone though. There are strange creatures by his side...but Slaine can't bring himself to care. Nervously his fingers play with the rim of the glass of water he'd gotten earlier on his little walk. So, the demon had come back after all?

He's not sure how to feel about it, but at least being unsure beats the pervasive emptiness he's been feeling lately.]</sub>

...You're back.

[meinwaifu]

[If Mephisto is shocked by Slaine's appearance, it doesn't show on his face. But he is surprised to see him here.]

...I am. Though I can't I say I expected it. This wasn't the first time I've died, but it's the first time I've experienced it in the way mortals would.

[He only looks up at Slaine from the corner of his eyes, his face angled down where one of the three monkeys rolls around on his lap, giggling. He doesn't think Slaine is particular worried about the creatures around him, but perhaps just in looking for something to say, he reassures him anyway--]

Don't worry, they're not going to hurt you. I'm borrowing a bit a bit of their power right now to restore my strength, so their abilities are more or less sealed at the moment.

Not that you would be in any danger if they weren't... not all demons are like me, after all.

[terrantrash]

I imagine it wasn't pleasant.

_{[It didn't look pleasant. Nothing about that experience was, even just from the spectator side of things.]}

I see...I can't claim to know what other demons are like. I can't even claim to know what you're like either.

_{[Man, this is awkward. Maybe he should just...go back to Asseylum's pod...and continue being miserable there.]}

I won't disturb you any longer. I hope you have a swift recovery.

[meinwaifu]

--w-wait!

[He doesn't mean for that to come out as panicked as it does, reaching out towards Slaine with a still-bandaged arm. Even he looks a little surprised by his own reaction, pulling his hand back just as quickly.]

...you came here of your accord and spoke to me. That's more than I could have expected... if you would allow it, I would like to explain myself to you.

I don't believe my actions up until now deserve forgiveness. In part because I'm not going to apologize for them. But... I'm not going to forget what you did for me so quickly.

Would you... stay?

[terrantrash]

<sub>[He's not expecting to be asked to stay. In all honesty, Slaine was expecting to walk back the way he came, finish his water and continue to be miserable. Still...he does want to hear what Mephisto has to say. If this demon is willing to explain himself, then Slaine has no reason not to listen.

It's not like he has anything else better to do.]</sub>

Okay.

_{[Quietly Slaine joins him on the floor, crossing his legs and setting his glass of water in front of himself. If Mephisto wants him to stay...fine.]}