𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀WITH⠀⠀HIS⠀⠀𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐒,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀THE⠀𝑹𝑰𝑶𝑻⠀STARTS.

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

⠀⠀⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀───⠀𝐭ʜᴇ⠀𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑫𝑶𝑾𝑺
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ɢʀᴏᴡ⠀𝓛ᴏɴɢᴇʀ.
⠀⠀

[𝓐𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑. @invitatenebrae]

⠀

⠀⠀⠀⸻⠀ed⠀io⠀𝑠orridendo⠀li⠀guardava,
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀e⠀𝑛ulla⠀dicea⠀loro.

⠀

[𝒍𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡. @SANSMERCl]

⠀

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑⠀𝑏𝑦⠀𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒔⠀⸻
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀𝑤𝑒⠀𝑐𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔⠀𝑡𝑜⠀𝑡ℎ𝑒⠀𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.

⠀

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

— beautiful and the most terrible of all things."

They smile, reaching out to touch the tip of a finger to Camilo's cheek.

"No, I think it's better if you answer that question for yourself."

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

"If you ask me that question, darling, I can give you any number of answers you may want."

It's Death's nature to be malleable, after all, to fit into whatever idea mortality has ascribed to it.

"A friend, an enemy, an acquaintance, a curse, a pain in your backside. The most —

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

“ tell me when you do . ”

not able to hold a smile , one eye peeks open at them , a fast look before closing it again . focusing , he flickered into his ghost realm .

“ well , there’s the difference , is it not ? ”

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

— different. For someone so endowed with my touch as you are, I can't figure you out. And that makes you interesting."

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

"I'm only trying to understand."

They sit down beside the gravestone, resting their head where the name is engraved.

"Hmm. Most of my companions would readily take lives and present them to me—and they are beautiful in that way. I understand them and their hunger. But you're —

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

“ i’m not that dumb , muerte . also , no . not that . i barely save the living — but the dead , that i can help . ”

looking around , he got close to one of the graves , cleaning the moss away from the headstone with his hand .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

— go bitter or insane if they'd done what you did. But you. . ." They click their tongue. "You're just noble. And that's strange."

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

"You don't want another person to kill their sibling anymore? Oh, Camilo. I can tell you it happens a lot more often than you think."

They keep walking while the other stops, skipping effortlessly over a rock in the road, until they come to rest over a headstone.

"Most would —

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

turning his head completely to face tod , camilo comes to an entire stop , his face morphing through different expressions .

“ what — ? no , no , it’s not — not like that , at all . i know i can’t make it up for her anymore . ”

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

— them wanting more.

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Guilt and grief and the delectable anguish of man—his tongue briefly pokes between his lips, as if tasting the air, that taunting hunger pulling at his being again.

"So you think you can make it up to her? Through other children?"

That small taste alone is enough to leave —

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

“ i killed her , kind of . on accident . just — y’know , didn’t know how to use my powers , i pushed her soul out of her body . ”

and he knows where she is , right at the corner of his eye every time he talks about her .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

They sigh in mild disappointment, tilting their head to the side and giving the other a nod.

"Don't stop at the details, go on."

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

god , he never gets used to the chill . tilting his head enough to see tod , he nibbled his lower lip before answering .

“ my sister . one . . . of them , at least . the one that came before me . ”

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Now they're talking.

Briefly pressing a hand to Camilo's shoulder, they're now walking backward to better study the other.

"Why children?"

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

right . . . it would be hard to get into a lot of details , though . or perhaps — a little too personal , but he said he would be an open book to death , so . . .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

See? That. That is the reason why it's so discombobulating. That easy acceptance, right there.

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

he won’t lie , it is complicated . even for him .

and troublesome , sometimes , too . but he manages .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

It's not bad, it's just. . .

Well, put it on the list of things he could never understand about mortals.

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

aye , would be bad if he is ? he’s got a soft spot for a little bit of everything , really .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Oh, don't tell them he's one of those 'soft for children' types.

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

annoying they are , yes . nothing i can’t solve by scaring them off , though . maybe they’re just children .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Kind of figured, darling. Those 'little souls' are like insects. Annoying, and always multiplying.

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

alright , alright . ‘ work ’ as in , there are little souls bothering the church again .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Work? Ugh. He was right the first time around. Boring.

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

oh , no . he doesn’t do that . just going for work .

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

That one is hopeless.

[𝓓𝒆𝒓 𝓣𝒐𝒅. @dertotentanz]

Not at all. Is he visiting someone in particular?

[‍ ‍ ⁎ ‍ ‍ 𓉸 ‍𝚜.ᵒ𝖚𝚕 ‍ ‍ 𝙴.​ᴬ 𝚃𝔼𝚁 @COM6ALMAS]

great . mind giving him company to the graveyard ?