[She was always in trouble with someone or other. That was part of why she was so good at her job--she did what she needed to do, regardless of whether or not it was against some rule or guideline she was given. But she had also almost always gone along with Mephisto's orders when he gave them to her directly, especially when he decided to remind her that she was pressing her luck a little bit too far.]
Did they?
[Damn it. She doesn't like the sound of that, but what could she do now that they had already made the agreement? Then again, Shima had already agreed to be Mephisto's man, so it wasn't a surprise to hear that. But what had he offered Kamiki that could tempt her? If she thought she could get exactly what she wanted out of him, she might try that. But he already deflected her questions about Yukio; she doesn't think he'll be that willing to let either Rin or Yukio go so easily, even if they weren't as valuable to him.]
I guess I should ask--what exactly do you want me to do? Since you're tryin' to be so generous, I hafta assume that it's not as easy as avoiding the d-word.
[He's surprised she doesn't ask, but he's sure it's not that she doesn't want to know. Really, it's debatable whether she'd even believe him about the agreement he made with Izumo. But the one with Shima, heck, she could probably ask the boy himself and get an answer.]
Hmm... I suppose if I were to choose an ideal situation, then I would have you act accordingly based on how a person knows me. Really, it's not all that different from back home.
As Faust, I'm more or less how I presented myself in Assiah among humans -- though with the little addition of being a famous wizard, seeing as there's no need to hide my powers in a world already filled with magic.
But anyone who knows me as Mephisto is already someone who knows of my true nature, be it that I'm a demon, or simply not a very nice person. [UNDERSTATEMENT.]
There are a few exceptions of course... such as those who know me as Faust, but are aware of "Mephisto" as a separate person, a certain young lady who knows me as Mephisto but is unaware that I am a demon, and a very select few who know all about my little game here.
Naturally, the exceptions are the ones I'd want you to be the most careful around. But generally speaking-- as long as you only speak ill of "Mephisto" and leave "Faust" alone, we shouldn't have any problems.
[...and really, he might even encourage her to badmouth him as Mephisto, if only because that's the sort of reputation he's having fun building under that name.]
[this all sounds pretty gross. Mephisto was having a ball here in this new land, wasn't he?]
Are you gonna give me specifics on the exceptions, or do I get to guess and hope for the best?
[Wouldn't it just be easiest to pretend she didn't know him at all besides in passing? Ugh, he better not expect her to corroborate any of his stories...]
Oh? Not up for a little challenge? Just how often do you think I'll even come up in your conversations?
[Unless she specifically calls him out by name, it shouldn't really be an issue -- and as long as she sticks to Faust, it's the easier of the two identities to explain away should she use it in front of the wrong person.]
[But even so, he needed to cover his bases here, just in case.]
Ah, but there is one person I'm not taking any risks with. She's quite vital to my plans for pacifying Lucifer when he eventually awakens from stasis -- and I think we can both agree that it would be unfortunate if she were given a reason to think that I am untrustworthy.
[He's making this sound a lot more sinister than it really is... but that's just how he rolls with Shura tbh. Honestly, there's a part of him that would like to see how Mipha might react to someone attempting to smear his reputation. He likes to think he's managed to gain her trust pretty thoroughly by now.]
Thankfully, her appearance is rather unique. She's of an aquatic species, and looks rather similar to a naiad given a solid form.
Don't put it on me, you're the one who brought the whole thing up.
[What did she care about Mephisto doing #justdemonthings? Especially with people she didn't know? A little fun for him kept him out of her hair, and she didn't have a reason to bring him up in conversation with strangers if she wasn't even working for him.
However, she does care about what Lucifer might get up to. Even if his powers were corrupted like Mephisto's, he wasn't likely to have a change of heart about the world just because of the Storm.]
Does this naiad woman have a name?
[Naiads make her think about Yukio, and not in the way that she's been thinking and worrying over the last weeks. It makes a part of her she'd rather bury deep down twinge a little.]
Her name is Mipha. And much as I would like to suggest merely keeping a distance from her to avoid any headaches down the line-- she possesses powerful healing abilities, capable of healing even the most grievous of wounds in moments. I've seen it her do it myself first-hand.
[Extremely first hand, actually -- healing both the gunshot wound he received from helping Shima out of a tough situation and his own decaying body.]
Considering the unpredictable nature of this world, I think it would be wise to keep people like her in mind should something unfortunate come about. The ability to heal others in such a way is a rather uncommon gift.
[...if you squint, it might almost sound like he's giving her some good information or something.]
[See, this is the kind of exchange Shura can get behind. A bit of this for that. Not this extended deal making and contract working.]
I'll keep her in mind.
[And honestly probably just avoid her if possible. That kind of person probably stood out in a crowd, so that was helpful at least. And if she needed help herself one day in the future, she had an idea of where to start. But really, Shura hoped to avoid getting hurt in the first place. Throwing herself in the way of a bullet was definitely not in her plans.]
Call you Faust, watch out for this Mipha. I keep it up, you owe me a favor. That's all you need from me, right?
[Peace offering? She didn't need that, nor did she trust any kind of olive branch coming from Mephisto. They would probably continue to cross paths, if only because they did work well together when it was called for and there was something to be said about knowing someone in this new world. At least she knew that he couldn't be trusted, which was reassuring in its own way.]
Yes, I'd say that just about covers it. Now, we simply need to make our way to Wyver and--
[--and, well, he was about to finish his sentence but then out of nowhere, odd vine-like branches from overhead suddenly shoot down and steal his hat right off his head, quickly recoiling back up high into the canopy.]
...truly, interesting wildlife they have on this planet.
[There's a vine going for Shura's sword too -- and another stealing Mephisto's phone out of his back pocket!]
[Heh. Or at least, that's Shura's immediate internal response, amusement at the dumb jackass demon getting his hat stolen by the local flora. Except Shura remembers this vine from earlier and just how much of a pain it had been to get Rin down. The only thing of real value and the easiest thing to try and snag off her would be Fang, and so she's quick to reach for the hilt and draw the sword. Taking out the vine as it wraps around her scabbard isn't difficult, but she's slashing out rather viciously. Seems like someone isn't in a good mood!]
Tch. I ain't stickin' around here.
[Does she see the vine reaching for his phone? Yes, yes she does. Is she offering to help? Nope.]
[WOW don't cut him down too?? Sure, he could just take a few steps back, but if she wants to recklessly try and cut him in half, she gets to deal with the consequences!]
[For his part, he snaps his fingers to simply poof his hat back down into his hand. There, that was easy enough--]
[Except nah. The vines don't appreciate having their new possessions taken so suddenly, nor do they appreciate being cut down like this. But since Shura seems to be the more dangerous one, they all home in on Mephisto.]
[Like, hundreds of them.]
[Which knock him down and crush him against the ground before he can so much as yelp, before pulling back up into the canopy just as quickly like -- getting a solid right hook from a goddamn tree.]
[They took his hat and his coat this time, and apparently nearly took off with his shirt with how the collar is torn open. Is this going to be some kind of bizarre strip tease?? He wants no part in it.]
[That's right, the vines know who to respect here. But really, that's not how Shura thought that would go down. Of course she wouldn't strike Mephisto--she knows how to fight in close range with Fang.]
You watch yerself!
[But she isn't expecting... what just happens. It's an automatic reaction to step forward, reaching out with her free hand as if she's about to try and stop the assault from happening. But nah. Nah. This is karma. What for, who knew, but knowing him, it was for something. Heh.
So she waits for the plants to withdraw before she squats in front of him, offering a hand up.]
They're doin' ya a favor. Come on, let's get outta here.
[look she's being nice... because she's laughing on the inside...]
[He stares at her hand for a long couple of seconds before waving her off and standing on his own. He's already in a bad mood, he doesn't need her pity!!]
Oh, you go on ahead. I'm not leaving here without my--
[And he pats his pocket. And then checks the other, glances around before looking up and-- yep, there it is, dangling in a branch about a hundred feet up.]
[A low blow that is doing nothing for Mephisto's mood, if the way his expression practically falls off his face is any indication, turning into a tight-lipped smile.]
Oh, I still can. But it wouldn't be worth the effort... say, I know!
Why don't you be a dear [And he snaps his fingers] and get it for me?
[FUCKIN' TELEPORTS HER UP INTO THE TREE BRANCHES A HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR]
[At least there's plenty of nice sturdy branches to hold her up?? But this is pretty rude.]
THIS IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY?? WOW, HOW OLD ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE??
Shura, of course, is shrieking once she finds herself suddenly aloft in the canopy above. Somehow, she manages not to drop Fang in the process of scrambling to grab hold and find a safe branch to cling to.]
Oi, you bastard!
[She's bleeding now, having nicked her leg with Fang in her struggle. Damn it, that better not scar. And her stockings! This bastard...]
[She can, she's well trained, and she knows Mephisto knows that. And she's considering finding something to throw at him, but the movement of the the vines catches her attention first. She tightens her grip on Fang, prepared to to slash at whatever the vine sends her way, but the glint of the flip phone catches her attention. It's only a twist of her wrist to aim Fang's tip towards Mephisto's precious cellular device, and it would take much force at all to break the stupid phone, but she hesitates just before making her mark--hey, she knew that picture...]
[Yona... just how dense could you be?? If she was one of his students... Shura didn't think anyone could be dumber than Rin, but this is cutting it close.]
[Take a deep breath, Shura. Just leave the damn phone. As much as she just wants to impale the damn thing, it wasn't going to be worth the consequences. Just sheath Fang and get on with her life. Because it was a long way down, and she still had crap to take care of that afternoon.
So without further comment, Shura will do just that, sheath Fang and start her careful descent down the tree. It really won't take long for her to get down considering how high up the bastard demon threw her, but she's taking her time and completely ignoring Mephisto. Cause guess who's not worth a broken ankle! ]
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Did they?
[Damn it. She doesn't like the sound of that, but what could she do now that they had already made the agreement? Then again, Shima had already agreed to be Mephisto's man, so it wasn't a surprise to hear that. But what had he offered Kamiki that could tempt her? If she thought she could get exactly what she wanted out of him, she might try that. But he already deflected her questions about Yukio; she doesn't think he'll be that willing to let either Rin or Yukio go so easily, even if they weren't as valuable to him.]
I guess I should ask--what exactly do you want me to do? Since you're tryin' to be so generous, I hafta assume that it's not as easy as avoiding the d-word.
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heheh d-word]no subject
Hmm... I suppose if I were to choose an ideal situation, then I would have you act accordingly based on how a person knows me. Really, it's not all that different from back home.
As Faust, I'm more or less how I presented myself in Assiah among humans -- though with the little addition of being a famous wizard, seeing as there's no need to hide my powers in a world already filled with magic.
But anyone who knows me as Mephisto is already someone who knows of my true nature, be it that I'm a demon, or simply not a very nice person. [UNDERSTATEMENT.]
There are a few exceptions of course... such as those who know me as Faust, but are aware of "Mephisto" as a separate person, a certain young lady who knows me as Mephisto but is unaware that I am a demon, and a very select few who know all about my little game here.
Naturally, the exceptions are the ones I'd want you to be the most careful around. But generally speaking-- as long as you only speak ill of "Mephisto" and leave "Faust" alone, we shouldn't have any problems.
[...and really, he might even encourage her to badmouth him as Mephisto, if only because that's the sort of reputation he's having fun building under that name.]
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Are you gonna give me specifics on the exceptions, or do I get to guess and hope for the best?
[Wouldn't it just be easiest to pretend she didn't know him at all besides in passing? Ugh, he better not expect her to corroborate any of his stories...]
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[Unless she specifically calls him out by name, it shouldn't really be an issue -- and as long as she sticks to Faust, it's the easier of the two identities to explain away should she use it in front of the wrong person.]
[But even so, he needed to cover his bases here, just in case.]
Ah, but there is one person I'm not taking any risks with. She's quite vital to my plans for pacifying Lucifer when he eventually awakens from stasis -- and I think we can both agree that it would be unfortunate if she were given a reason to think that I am untrustworthy.
[He's making this sound a lot more sinister than it really is... but that's just how he rolls with Shura tbh. Honestly, there's a part of him that would like to see how Mipha might react to someone attempting to smear his reputation. He likes to think he's managed to gain her trust pretty thoroughly by now.]
Thankfully, her appearance is rather unique. She's of an aquatic species, and looks rather similar to a naiad given a solid form.
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[What did she care about Mephisto doing #justdemonthings? Especially with people she didn't know? A little fun for him kept him out of her hair, and she didn't have a reason to bring him up in conversation with strangers if she wasn't even working for him.
However, she does care about what Lucifer might get up to. Even if his powers were corrupted like Mephisto's, he wasn't likely to have a change of heart about the world just because of the Storm.]
Does this naiad woman have a name?
[Naiads make her think about Yukio, and not in the way that she's been thinking and worrying over the last weeks. It makes a part of her she'd rather bury deep down twinge a little.]
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[Extremely first hand, actually -- healing both the gunshot wound he received from helping Shima out of a tough situation and his own decaying body.]
Considering the unpredictable nature of this world, I think it would be wise to keep people like her in mind should something unfortunate come about. The ability to heal others in such a way is a rather uncommon gift.
[...if you squint, it might almost sound like he's giving her some good information or something.]
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I'll keep her in mind.
[And honestly probably just avoid her if possible. That kind of person probably stood out in a crowd, so that was helpful at least. And if she needed help herself one day in the future, she had an idea of where to start. But really, Shura hoped to avoid getting hurt in the first place. Throwing herself in the way of a bullet was definitely not in her plans.]
Call you Faust, watch out for this Mipha. I keep it up, you owe me a favor. That's all you need from me, right?
[Peace offering? She didn't need that, nor did she trust any kind of olive branch coming from Mephisto. They would probably continue to cross paths, if only because they did work well together when it was called for and there was something to be said about knowing someone in this new world. At least she knew that he couldn't be trusted, which was reassuring in its own way.]
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[--and, well, he was about to finish his sentence but then out of nowhere, odd vine-like branches from overhead suddenly shoot down and steal his hat right off his head, quickly recoiling back up high into the canopy.]
...truly, interesting wildlife they have on this planet.
[There's a vine going for Shura's sword too -- and another stealing Mephisto's phone out of his back pocket!]
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Tch. I ain't stickin' around here.
[Does she see the vine reaching for his phone? Yes, yes she does. Is she offering to help? Nope.]
1/2
[WOW don't cut him down too?? Sure, he could just take a few steps back, but if she wants to recklessly try and cut him in half, she gets to deal with the consequences!]
[For his part, he snaps his fingers to simply poof his hat back down into his hand. There, that was easy enough--]
2/3 I lied
[Like, hundreds of them.]
[Which knock him down and crush him against the ground before he can so much as yelp, before pulling back up into the canopy just as quickly like -- getting a solid right hook from a goddamn tree.]
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[They took his hat and his coat this time, and apparently nearly took off with his shirt with how the collar is torn open. Is this going to be some kind of bizarre strip tease?? He wants no part in it.]
Now that was just uncalled for.
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You watch yerself!
[But she isn't expecting... what just happens. It's an automatic reaction to step forward, reaching out with her free hand as if she's about to try and stop the assault from happening. But nah. Nah. This is karma. What for, who knew, but knowing him, it was for something. Heh.
So she waits for the plants to withdraw before she squats in front of him, offering a hand up.]
They're doin' ya a favor. Come on, let's get outta here.
[look she's being nice... because she's laughing on the inside...]
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Oh, you go on ahead. I'm not leaving here without my--
[And he pats his pocket. And then checks the other, glances around before looking up and-- yep, there it is, dangling in a branch about a hundred feet up.]
--my phone too!? How dare they!?
[Mephisto they're plants, they can't hear you.]
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Nyeheh, what a pain. Can you even teleport up there to get it back anymore?
[She could offer to help him get it down. But now. Better to go for a low blow instead.]
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[A low blow that is doing nothing for Mephisto's mood, if the way his expression practically falls off his face is any indication, turning into a tight-lipped smile.]
Oh, I still can. But it wouldn't be worth the effort... say, I know!
Why don't you be a dear [And he snaps his fingers] and get it for me?
[FUCKIN' TELEPORTS HER UP INTO THE TREE BRANCHES A HUNDRED FEET IN THE AIR]
[At least there's plenty of nice sturdy branches to hold her up?? But this is pretty rude.]
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THIS IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY?? WOW, HOW OLD ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE??
Shura, of course, is shrieking once she finds herself suddenly aloft in the canopy above. Somehow, she manages not to drop Fang in the process of scrambling to grab hold and find a safe branch to cling to.]
Oi, you bastard!
[She's bleeding now, having nicked her leg with Fang in her struggle. Damn it, that better not scar. And her stockings! This bastard...]
I ain't doin' shit for ya!
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Ohh, you're not? My, what a shame! Then I suppose there's no reason for me to help you get back down, now is there?
[His phone is nearby, but maybe throwing an angry Shura up next to such a precious item of his was a bad idea--]
[But more importantly: the vines have opened the flip phone, revealing a selfie of a rather familiar face as his phone's wallpaper.]
1/2
[She can, she's well trained, and she knows Mephisto knows that. And she's considering finding something to throw at him, but the movement of the the vines catches her attention first. She tightens her grip on Fang, prepared to to slash at whatever the vine sends her way, but the glint of the flip phone catches her attention. It's only a twist of her wrist to aim Fang's tip towards Mephisto's precious cellular device, and it would take much force at all to break the stupid phone, but she hesitates just before making her mark--hey, she knew that picture...]
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My, I hope you're not getting any funny ideas up there! [He will absolutely hurl her back into space if she breaks his phone ok]
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[Take a deep breath, Shura. Just leave the damn phone. As much as she just wants to impale the damn thing, it wasn't going to be worth the consequences. Just sheath Fang and get on with her life. Because it was a long way down, and she still had crap to take care of that afternoon.
So without further comment, Shura will do just that, sheath Fang and start her careful descent down the tree. It really won't take long for her to get down considering how high up the bastard demon threw her, but she's taking her time and completely ignoring Mephisto. Cause guess who's not worth a broken ankle! ]
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[What if the vines decided they didn't want to let their new possession (read: Shura) just casually climb down and escape???]
[Cause they're gonna start going for her now, wrapping around her arms and legs to try and hold her in place!]