the new kid in town

[veratrum]

[There's a new god in town, folks.

Or, rather, there's a babby outer god about town today, looking remarkably human and poking around at stuff and things. He can be found just about anywhere, and may indeed pop up literally out of nowhere, just to see what you're doin'.

On a completely unrelated note, by the end of the day much of the higher-ups at London Port authority are dead and Liam's sitting on the bridge and whistling.

Poke the abomination y/n?]

Comments

[hairpine]

[Approaching him from behind, at the bridge, as quietly as she can manage! Though considering everything -- his apotheosis and her own tangible presence, regardless of whether or not it bothers him -- it is probably not much of a surprise to him when she calls his name. Deep, cleansing breaths.

don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic don't panic]

-- Mr Liam.

[veratrum]

Michi!

[He sounds happy. In a strange way his presence is less grating as a god than it ever was as an avatar for Them; but his voice...it's still Liam's voice, a low tone of a church bell, nothing as haunting and sirenesque as anyone else we know but there's something just unsettling enough about it.]

Were you looking for me?

1/2

[hairpine]

[ok now's your chance

he's turned around and all the other people in the area are dead

you can do this

slowly

grab your dress in your hands

and lift it up]

[hairpine]

[wait shit nevermind

he gets to see like a little bit of white and silk and lace trim (not bloomers! Like. Actual panties. Hipsters, even.) and her shoes and stockings and thighs and then she shoves the whole thing back down she can't do this]

-- I-I have taken your offer into consideration, and following some deliberation between both myself and Kumagawa, erm --

I-I will accept both your -- love and your contract!

[veratrum]

[There is, for a long moment, a completely blank look on his face. Liam.exe has failed, please reboot system.

Kumagawa. Then this is something about Minuses and his world. Something about panties, something she's not good at--file that for later, don't faint, don't faint

He's very red, to say the least, but manages not to...stare overtly and when she shoves her skirt back down his eyes immediately snap back up to her face, yes.]

Ah...

[Words don't seem to quite come out the first time he tries so he swallows, clears his throat, and things again. They've both accepted to contract, and she's accepted...that's also Kumagawa's helping. Then, he'll have to thank him properly beyond the contract.]

Thank goodness. I...I'm really happy. Thank you, Michi.

[He looks down at his hand...and shrugs, biting down on his thumb. What comes out isn't really blood.]

Let's bind it properly, and then we can find Kumagawa to do the same, yes?

[hairpine]

[S-Smoothing it back out. If he doesn't mention it then she won't mention it and this embarrassing display just never actually happened. It's All Fiction, we'll say just for the purpose of this thread, even if he hasn't actually died to get it back yet.

Anyway, she's completely red.]

... Bind it properly -- ah, yes. All right.

[All right.

See, you didn't get rejected. It's okay.]

[veratrum]

You have to take my hand, Michi.

[He's just going to hold it out. Waiting. Pretending this isn't awkward.]

[hairpine]

[Hand. She has hands? What is a hand? That's the


thing at the end of her wrist, right? With the other, gangly things attached to...

right

yes

It takes her a minute or two, her heart is pounding and she doesn't know what she's doing oh god she's seeing someone now what if he hates her, but she takes his hand.]

[veratrum]

[For a moment, there's nothing, just them holding hands on a bridge and if anyone sees this Liam's exploding their head but--

then the world shifts. She probably feels it moreso than a human was, as Liam writes the term of the contract into the walls of the world.

On her thigh she can probably feel a mark form; a graceful, looped triquetera knot, if she inspects it later, and the same shines brightly, for a moment, on Liam's forehead, before fading away as it's done.]

There, it's done.

[hairpine]

... Is that all?

[No kiss like in the shitty romance novels she reads over her maids' shoulders when they're off-duty? Just a handshake?

You'd think she'd be more familiar with this considering she was on the giving end a few days ago, but.]

[veratrum]

I--um. Can do it other ways but I don't, er.

I've never done anything like that before...[Which is to say that would be his first kiss and Liam is a delicate virginal maiden.]

[hairpine]

[shit

ok um

pretend

you're talking to Kumagawa? ok]

-- If that were something that you would like to do, then I certainly would not feel proper discouraging you, Ku -- [shit who is this again]

-- Liam!

[veratrum]

...Um. [LADY THAT IS ONE HELL OF A BUZZKILL.]

If...that's the case, just remember the right name this time, mmkay?

[Not that she's. Going to get much time to respond because he'd just going to. do this and it is light and really awkward and holy shit you are now kissing the cosmos and can probably literally see into forever.]

-S-sorry.

[screwreality]

[Damn Old Ones appearing out of nowhere. He's free to teleport wherever and whenever and the next time he 'ports to land next to a human, the person doesn't even look up from his grocery list.]

「HEEEEEY, LIAM-KUN. ENJOYING YOUR NEWFOUND PURPOSE?」

[It's said with the tone of someone who already knows the answer, knew about for ages longer than anyone else, and doesn't feel like faking surprise when they're busy hating a grocery list for making no sense. Dammit Elizabeth.]

[veratrum]

Be lying if I said no, and I don't like lying.

[Shrugging, and looking at that lis--what the fuck even is half this stuff, my god.]

...The hell is a C-mine and why is it needed for soup?

[screwreality]

「I'M GLAD. REMOVING YOUR CONTRACTS TO LET YOU BLOSSOM FREELY WORKED EXCELLENTLY!」

[The list is eclectic as hell. There's normal things on there: bread, eggs, more plates and glasses. Then in between some it gets... Weird. Super spicy tapioca. A book written backwards and upside down. Three balloons. Something at the end of a rainbow and proof that it was at the end. A piece of music named after her.

And a new wall clock. See? It's all normal stuff.]

「OH, IT'S A BOMB OF SOME SORT. BUT THE ONLY THING I COULD FIND IS C4, SO THAT BITCH WILL HAVE TO DEAL.」

[How someone can be so chill with that list is amazing.]

[veratrum]

...That is going to taste awful. [Just sort of...looking at this list with a look of unending exasperation and he's only met her once.]

Oh, by the way, speaking of contracts, give me your hand.

[screwreality]

「DEFINITELY! SHE'S ACTUALLY KILLED ME A COUPLE OF TIMES. AT LEAST SHE'S BEEN EASY ON THE EXPERIMENTS, LATELY.」

[Bombs are taking it easy.

The moment 'contracts' gets verbalized, a million of Their voices come up in screams and scoldings to refuse it. Joking around with Astaroth's pet is one thing, but actually making one is NO. You are a neutral party you are everyone's representative, don't you da--

In real time, the only hesitation is to fold the list into his pocket and offer his only hand to Liam. Everything in the world screams that Liam should cut his own arms off before even considering touching him.

But that's normal, hm?]

[veratrum]

[He's not a representative anymore and he can hear Nyarlathotep laughing, and since his patrons are he and Yhidra...

Doesn't matter, anyway.

He takes Kumagawa's hand without a second of hesitation, why should he ever feel this boy is more unclean than he is, after all he's done, after all he's become. Kumagawa is human, even if he's the most hated human in the world.

So it's fine.

The contract burns and sizzles and there's now a triad knot on Kumagawa's thigh for the contract and it's done, if Astaroth or Anshin'in or Ajimu, whoever she is has a complaint, then she has to come here to voice it.]

I'm glad, I don't know what I would've done if you refused...thank you for accepting, Kumagawa. I'm bad at funerals, so you're never allowed to be the guest of honor at one.

[You can't die. He won't let you. He's just made that real on the shard itself and somewhere, Sei just laughed himself sick.]

[screwreality]

[Sei laughed himself sick and Will is going to have his face on his desk for the next two weeks.

But whatever. It's the second contract he's made and the only two he'll ever have, one with a brand and one with a gift box, and he takes the list back out once his hand's returned. Shifting the weight of the basket filled with vegetables and bombs with the other.

Something slithers under the surface of the basket. He tilts his head to one side and hums.] 「DON'T THANK ME ABOUT IT. THANK MICHI-CHAN. I WOULD HAVE REJECTED YOU WITHOUT HER CONVINCING ME.」

[Well, at least he's honest. But he sparkles again a second after.]

「AND DON'T LIE! YOU'D BE GREAT AT FUNERALS! YOUR TEARS ALONE WOULD MAKE EVERYONE KILL THEMSELVES AND GIVE THE FUNERAL HOME PLENTY OF WORK! YOU'RE HELPING THE ECONOMY! DID YOU HAPPEN TO SEE WHERE THE MINT LEAVES ARE?」

IT'S NOT SEI'S FAULT IN ANY WAY THIS TIME, WILL

[veratrum]

I know.

[He just hands over the mint leaves and don't ask where he found them,please.]

Mouu, it'd be a party, but I'd still be lonely if you died.

HE KNOWS, SEI'S FREE FROM LECTURES

[screwreality]

[He doesn't ask. Just takes them and tosses them in the case. O~kay~! Next is the book. Time to find a writer and hang them upside-down from the ceiling and hold them at knife-point to write the book from last ending to beginning.]

「NOW NOW, DON'T BE A LIAR. THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO WOULD MISS ME ARE YOU AND MICHI-CHAN. MY PLANS TO DIE FOREVER WON'T BE FOR ANOTHER FEW DECADES ANYWAY. DON'T BE LONELY, LIAM-KUN. I'LL GET YOU A PET CAT TO HELP HEAL YOUR WOUNDED SPIRIT!」

[hairpine]

[She is going to pretend she didn't hear that. Or more accurately, she probably legitimately didn't, considering she is literally only just now coming up. You're safe. For now.]

-- I'm sorry! I was lost. Ah, but I see that you've found him yourself regardless! Good afternoon, Kumagawa!

[veratrum]

[Since Michi's here, he'll wait to call you on your bullshit, since, well. Michi's better at it than he is.]

You can feel each other through the contract link, right? I figured, since I don't have anyone but you two, it'd be best if we didn't get lost.

[Of course he can always find either of you by the mark anyway but now he's just made it a triad of awful. c:]

[screwreality]

[And he will punch both of you in the face, if he wants to spend his forever with his Husband If She Comes Back, then gdit he's going to do it.

The sound of Michi gets a glance and a single salute of a wave.] 「HEY, MICHI-CHAN! ENJOYING IMMORTALITY?」

[And now the Bad Ideas Brigade is one happy family joined by tattoos and an Old One with really dumb hair. Besties~.] 「AH YEAH, IF I FOCUS ON IT. I DON'T THINK MICHI-CHAN'S THAT EASY TO LOSE. SHE'S TOO RICH.」

[How does that even make sense.]