[Well, you'll hear some rather alarming sounds coming from inside. There's a crash, some muffled sounds that are possibly swearing, and then an eerie silence until Malice gets the door.]
Hey, Yama, this is uh... not a great time. What's up?
[Though he's trying to keep the door mostly shut... Yamato should be able to see that somehow Malice is not quite alone in his room? There's some sort of almost spirit-like figures in the back near the window, but making out more than that is tough from this angle. Perhaps more pressingly is that Malice's claws are being reeled back in as they speak, and he's adjusting them while trying to keep Yamato out of the room. So uh. Normal Malice Things!!]
Yamato sees some movement behind Malice, and he notices the claws, and – what the hell happened here? His brow knits in concern, and he looks back at Malice, confused. ]
[Whatever it is that's behind him has moved forward and now you'll see... a man? Probably a human, but he doesn't look all that remarkable. Shaggy brown hair, dark eyes, but a kind smile and a scruffy-looking beard. He reaches up as if to put a hand on Malice's shoulder—
And Malice leaps like a startled cat, like he's been burned and throws a punch into the phantom's face, as you do. This obviously does not hurt the phantom or do anything remarkably useful, but now Malice is hissing (also like a cat) so this is going. Well? Sure, it's going well. I am so sorry, Yamato.
(The phantom notably does not seem at all inclined to hurt Malice or Yamato, he's just sort of there. 🧍♂️)]
[ This is going incredibly well, isn't it...no, not really. Yamato also reacts surprisingly quickly when he sees the hand behind Malice, and he instinctively says his incantation -
but he stops halfway when Malice's fist flies towards the phantom's face. It's clear that it doesn't work, and Yamato doesn't keep his eyes off of it for a few seconds.
Then, his gaze darts towards Malice. ]
I don't know what's going on, but you aren't good at all.
[Malice glances over at Yamato, then back at the phantom, then further back in the room before sighing. It sounds frustrated, but he finally kicks the door open so Yamato can come in. The phantom backs up to join the other phantoms - there are around fifteen of them or so gathered over the window, seemingly milling about and talking to one another, though you don't hear any sound from them. The first phantom gestures as if for them to join him.]
I dunno exactly how they showed up here, but they're... harmless. I guess.
[He says like he would prefer them to be hostile??]
Shut the door behind you, I'll explain everythin' then.
[ Yamato stares at the phantoms, confused, but they clearly can't actually hurt either of them. He's unnerved and on-edge but he'll walk into Malice's very purple room, book in hand, until he closes the door behind him. Quietly.
[Once the door's shut, Malice's attention returns to the phantoms. Though his expression is still displeased there's a touch of something else in there. Melancholy? Maybe.]
They're the human rebels I was workin' with. Well, sorta, obviously this ain't the real versions. This guy's Cody, the leader.
[He points at the first phantom, the generic guy. Cody's currently turned his attention to a young woman with dark hair who is listening to him chat.]
That's his sister, Marie. An' I could name all the rest, but the point is... they were people I worked with. People who trusted me.
[Obviously there's more to the story than that, but Malice hesitates, like he's reluctant to continue.]
They... took me in. Well, not at first. 'Course not, a vampire, livin' an' fightin' with humans? Most of 'em couldn't believe it. Marie was particularly stubborn.
[As if she hears her voice, the phantom in question looks over, eyes narrowed. She turns away quickly enough.]
But Cody kept sayin' that everything'd work out, that it was fine, that I was worth keepin' around. He kept me fed, he helped keep an eye out for danger, an' eventually... eventually they started to warm up to me. They really trusted me.
[...]
An' they shouldn't have, 'cause I sold 'em out to the vampire lord an' nearly all of 'em died.
[All of them are paying attention to one another this time, except Marie, who has looked back with a piercing glare.]
[ Yeah, yeah. That's how he thought this would go, somewhat. Yamato doesn't look at Malice with surprise, and not much judgment, either. He simply just moves himself so he steps between Malice and the other phantoms, as if to obscure them from view.
He can't say he doesn't understand. He, too, has a habit of mistreating those he cares about...though to a different extent, obviously. Still, he has to know: ]
[Malice glances at Yamato, and his gaze darts. He's already told this story so it shouldn't be hard to do it again and yet... some part of him was hoping that maybe Yamato wouldn't have to hear it. That maybe Yamato could think he was a better person, for a little while longer, at least.]
...I was captured. The vampire lord, Rosalie, was more interested in me than the rebels. She didn't really see them as a threat at all. But she wanted me, 'cause she thought she recognized who I was - an' she turned out to be my mom.
'Course, I didn't know that an' it took her awhile to figure out that's why I felt so familiar, 'cause we were separated when I was a baby. I'm a bastard kid, an' I was supposed to be killed to punish her or whatever, but somehow that didn't happen an' I ended up in the slums instead.
[...]
So she offered me a place at her side. Power, a place to belong, an' bein' accepted by other vampires? Not havin' to fight for my life every damn day? Havin' a family? It was too damn good to be true, but... hell, if I didn't take it, how long was it gonna be before the rebels were destroyed? What if I lost them, that one place I felt like I almost belonged?
[Self-preservation, greed, a desire for stability and family... call it what you will, but he chose himself over all of them, knowing what would happen.]
So I sold 'em out. Gave her all the info she could ever need on 'em an' their plans and she destroyed 'em.
[ A bastard child, wanting a place to belong, wanting to be accepted, wanting a family...
...
He understands Malice more than he thought he did. It scares him. Would he have done the same, in Malice's position? He wants to think he wouldn't, but perhaps if he were a vampire with these circumstances, the decision wouldn't be so difficult. What he wouldn't give to accept himself, accept love, accept having a place in the world even though he's as terrible as he is. ]
What you're seeing here, in your room...is it because you regret what happened?
[Malice busies himself with his arm, moving over to the desk as he goes. It's easier to focus on that than Yamato or the phantoms.]
...Yeah. 'Course I do. Whole damn thing turned out to be a ruse just for Rosalie to try to get access to my Domain. She even roped another vampire lord in on the whole thing, an' together they beat the Domain outta me.
[Literally. Well, sort of. They didn't get their hands dirty, because they're vampire lords and they wouldn't lift a finger to do that themselves.]
So of course I regret it, 'cause I didn't get what I wanted in the end. But even if I had...
[Without thinking, his focus appears. It lands on the desk in front of him and Malice scoffs. He slams the prosthetic arm down on the table harder than he needs to as he snatches the bracelet up.]
...Yeah, I would've regretted gettin' 'em killed. Been thinkin' a lot 'bout it since arrivin' here. Did ya know this stupid thing was Cody's?
[He dangles the bracelet on a finger with a look that's somewhere between annoyance and regret.]
Stupid bastard believed in me up 'til the very end. I told him vampires weren't trustworthy.
[And yet he didn't listen. Malice is glad he didn't listen. Malice is devastated that he didn't listen.]
[ Getting people killed isn't something he can say he's used to, nor does he entirely understand the culture Malice grew up with, as a vampire. Still, though, there's a lot about this situation that resonates with Yamato, but it's clear Malice is upset. He doesn't know what to say that'd make this any better.
Still, he's going to try. It's what he always does, after all. ]
You made a mistake that cost you a lot, but you were also used by someone you trusted. Someone who's supposed to be your parent.
[ Family dynamics might work differently in his world, but shitty parental figures seem to be pretty universal, as far as he can tell. ]
You wanted somewhere to belong, and when you thought you had it, it slipped away, partly because of your choices, and partly because of ones other people made.
[ He says this like he understands this deeply. ]
...But you regret what happened. That means you care, and that you're seeing them now means that it's clearly eating at you, still. It's more than what people like your mother can say for themselves, which I think is a good thing.
You planned on trying to handle this yourself, didn't you?
[Yamato... Honestly, Malice expected this to push him away. He expected Yamato to be confused, to maybe try to understand, but ultimately to decide that Malice is a horrible person. Because he is. And even if he regrets his actions, he's still—
(a monster is what Mika had called them. is that what they are?)
Malice shakes his head as if to clear it.]
Yeah. I did. Didn't want anyone else seein' any of this. Or... y'know, seein' me like this. I don't like admittin' I ain't as strong as I act.
[He's not one to put on much of an act to begin with, but having anyone see him at such a low point just feels... terrible, really. Yet somehow, it isn't all that bad with Yamato.]
You're talkin' like you understand - at least partially. Don't tell me you've had to deal with bullshit like this too?
[Not the same bullshit, obviously, but something that makes this easier for Yamato to sympathize with.]
It's alright. I'm the same way...being vulnerable around anyone is a terrifying thought.
[ So, yeah, he was pretty uncomfortable when he opened up to Malice about his history a few days ago, but he doesn't regret doing so. ]
Mm...I consider my impure motives for joining IDOLiSH7 a betrayal in itself. Being surrounded by guys who are passionate and serious about becoming idols made my guilt start to eat at me even more than it normally would've. They cared about me, and I...I'm nothing but a liability to them. They might go down because I was being selfish.
[ Yeah. ]
And when you mentioned the circumstances surrounding your birth...heh. You know that I was a secret lovechild, too. I can't say there were plans for me to be eliminated, but it still hurt all the same, when I found out. My father never once came clean to me himself. I had to learn everything all on my own.
[He remembers, and hearing it all laid out like that... they do have a shocking amount of similarities, don't they? Huh.]
Can't comment on your situation with IDOLiSH7, but I can say that they'd be losin' a great guy if they turn their backs on you.
[Maybe they'd be well within their rights to. But that doesn't matter to Malice, because it's not like Yamato has hurt him. Sometimes you've just gotta be a selfish, self-centered asshole. Some things don't change overnight, after all.]
You've done pretty damn well for yourself despite that, y'know? You're real level-headed when dealin' with... [vague gesture toward the phantoms] dumb crap like this.
Thanks, Yama. I mean it. For some reason it kinda helped to talk about it? I'm feelin' less worked up, anyway.
[ A great guy, huh? Why is it that the people here think so highly of him? He supposes that his image is enough of a reason for that, but when people like Malice, who know his history, say that...he doesn't think he deserves it. He didn't deserve Ginger's grace, and he certainly doesn't think he deserves Malice's, despite everything.
Some things don't change overnight, indeed.
Genuine compliments from Malice, though, aren't things he'll take for granted. He's more relieved that the guy's feeling better more than how those words made Yamato feel, anyway. ]
Good to know. I'm glad I could help.
[ He'll just...go ahead and take a seat next to him, at the desk. ]
Finding somewhere to belong, though? It's hard. For some people, it may take them their whole lives to find that. But you're here, now. ... I don't think you'll need to wait for that any longer.
[Malice glances back over at the phantoms and... oh, look they're fading. Slowly, one by one, they begin to fade out of sight. Some of them look back over before they go, but only Cody waves as a farewell.
Malice remains staring at the spot they were for a moment before he turns his attention back to Yamato.]
Believe me, I'd like nothin' more.
[Things will be different this time, he tells himself. They have to be.]
I'm not gonna make the same mistake again. Not that I could anyway, not like my ol' lady's hangin' 'round here willin' to offer me anythin'.
[ He's glad to see the phantoms fading, though. The atmosphere seems a lot less tense and emotionally charged. Must mean Malice is feeling better. That's a nice thought. ]
You have people who'd set you straight, too. And people who might possibly go after her if they saw her.
[ Assuming he's told anyone else about this, anyway. ]
If anything, you can put me in both categories. I'd do my best to keep her from bothering you.
[ Is this way of saying he'll protect Malice...? Even he's not sure. It's not like Malice really needs that, anyway, but. Let him have this, okay. ]
...But you don't have'ta worry 'bout me. I'll figure out some way to handle her.
[He wants revenge, after all. It's on his to-do list.]
Thanks, though. I really do appreciate it; y'all have really been good to me an' I'm not really sure how I got so luck to end up with a group that's so willin' to help out.
Yeah, yeah...I see where you're going with this...
[ The right thing to do would be to discourage him from violence, but also, no. Have you met Malice.
Anyway. ]
Eh, I like to think that people are dishing out what they're getting. The people who care about you are fine with things because you're doing the same for them in return. I don't think everyone's the type to put themselves forward for just anyone.
Hah, true enough. I am tryin' to do better by people, anyway. Helps that this's a whole different world an' a whole new set of rules; definitely better than bein' back home!
[no shitty vampire nobles to deal with!!! 10/10 would get spirited away again.]
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can't stop won't stop not sure how to stop
Hey, Yama, this is uh... not a great time. What's up?
[Though he's trying to keep the door mostly shut... Yamato should be able to see that somehow Malice is not quite alone in his room? There's some sort of almost spirit-like figures in the back near the window, but making out more than that is tough from this angle. Perhaps more pressingly is that Malice's claws are being reeled back in as they speak, and he's adjusting them while trying to keep Yamato out of the room. So uh. Normal Malice Things!!]
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Yamato sees some movement behind Malice, and he notices the claws, and – what the hell happened here? His brow knits in concern, and he looks back at Malice, confused. ]
What's going on? Do you need help?
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[Whatever it is that's behind him has moved forward and now you'll see... a man? Probably a human, but he doesn't look all that remarkable. Shaggy brown hair, dark eyes, but a kind smile and a scruffy-looking beard. He reaches up as if to put a hand on Malice's shoulder—
And Malice leaps like a startled cat, like he's been burned and throws a punch into the phantom's face, as you do. This obviously does not hurt the phantom or do anything remarkably useful, but now Malice is hissing (also like a cat) so this is going. Well? Sure, it's going well. I am so sorry, Yamato.
(The phantom notably does not seem at all inclined to hurt Malice or Yamato, he's just sort of there. 🧍♂️)]
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but he stops halfway when Malice's fist flies towards the phantom's face. It's clear that it doesn't work, and Yamato doesn't keep his eyes off of it for a few seconds.
Then, his gaze darts towards Malice. ]
I don't know what's going on, but you aren't good at all.
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I dunno exactly how they showed up here, but they're... harmless. I guess.
[He says like he would prefer them to be hostile??]
Shut the door behind you, I'll explain everythin' then.
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Then, he looks towards Malice again. ]
Alright. I'm listening.
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They're the human rebels I was workin' with. Well, sorta, obviously this ain't the real versions. This guy's Cody, the leader.
[He points at the first phantom, the generic guy. Cody's currently turned his attention to a young woman with dark hair who is listening to him chat.]
That's his sister, Marie. An' I could name all the rest, but the point is... they were people I worked with. People who trusted me.
[Obviously there's more to the story than that, but Malice hesitates, like he's reluctant to continue.]
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[ Hm... ]
People who trusted you, and then what?
[ Honestly, if this story goes south, he can't even say he doesn't relate. He has a feeling he might know where it's going, after all. ]
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[As if she hears her voice, the phantom in question looks over, eyes narrowed. She turns away quickly enough.]
But Cody kept sayin' that everything'd work out, that it was fine, that I was worth keepin' around. He kept me fed, he helped keep an eye out for danger, an' eventually... eventually they started to warm up to me. They really trusted me.
[...]
An' they shouldn't have, 'cause I sold 'em out to the vampire lord an' nearly all of 'em died.
[All of them are paying attention to one another this time, except Marie, who has looked back with a piercing glare.]
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He can't say he doesn't understand. He, too, has a habit of mistreating those he cares about...though to a different extent, obviously. Still, he has to know: ]
What made you come to that decision?
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...I was captured. The vampire lord, Rosalie, was more interested in me than the rebels. She didn't really see them as a threat at all. But she wanted me, 'cause she thought she recognized who I was - an' she turned out to be my mom.
'Course, I didn't know that an' it took her awhile to figure out that's why I felt so familiar, 'cause we were separated when I was a baby. I'm a bastard kid, an' I was supposed to be killed to punish her or whatever, but somehow that didn't happen an' I ended up in the slums instead.
[...]
So she offered me a place at her side. Power, a place to belong, an' bein' accepted by other vampires? Not havin' to fight for my life every damn day? Havin' a family? It was too damn good to be true, but... hell, if I didn't take it, how long was it gonna be before the rebels were destroyed? What if I lost them, that one place I felt like I almost belonged?
[Self-preservation, greed, a desire for stability and family... call it what you will, but he chose himself over all of them, knowing what would happen.]
So I sold 'em out. Gave her all the info she could ever need on 'em an' their plans and she destroyed 'em.
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...
He understands Malice more than he thought he did. It scares him. Would he have done the same, in Malice's position? He wants to think he wouldn't, but perhaps if he were a vampire with these circumstances, the decision wouldn't be so difficult. What he wouldn't give to accept himself, accept love, accept having a place in the world even though he's as terrible as he is. ]
What you're seeing here, in your room...is it because you regret what happened?
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...Yeah. 'Course I do. Whole damn thing turned out to be a ruse just for Rosalie to try to get access to my Domain. She even roped another vampire lord in on the whole thing, an' together they beat the Domain outta me.
[Literally. Well, sort of. They didn't get their hands dirty, because they're vampire lords and they wouldn't lift a finger to do that themselves.]
So of course I regret it, 'cause I didn't get what I wanted in the end. But even if I had...
[Without thinking, his focus appears. It lands on the desk in front of him and Malice scoffs. He slams the prosthetic arm down on the table harder than he needs to as he snatches the bracelet up.]
...Yeah, I would've regretted gettin' 'em killed. Been thinkin' a lot 'bout it since arrivin' here. Did ya know this stupid thing was Cody's?
[He dangles the bracelet on a finger with a look that's somewhere between annoyance and regret.]
Stupid bastard believed in me up 'til the very end. I told him vampires weren't trustworthy.
[And yet he didn't listen. Malice is glad he didn't listen. Malice is devastated that he didn't listen.]
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Still, he's going to try. It's what he always does, after all. ]
You made a mistake that cost you a lot, but you were also used by someone you trusted. Someone who's supposed to be your parent.
[ Family dynamics might work differently in his world, but shitty parental figures seem to be pretty universal, as far as he can tell. ]
You wanted somewhere to belong, and when you thought you had it, it slipped away, partly because of your choices, and partly because of ones other people made.
[ He says this like he understands this deeply. ]
...But you regret what happened. That means you care, and that you're seeing them now means that it's clearly eating at you, still. It's more than what people like your mother can say for themselves, which I think is a good thing.
You planned on trying to handle this yourself, didn't you?
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(a monster is what Mika had called them. is that what they are?)
Malice shakes his head as if to clear it.]
Yeah. I did. Didn't want anyone else seein' any of this. Or... y'know, seein' me like this. I don't like admittin' I ain't as strong as I act.
[He's not one to put on much of an act to begin with, but having anyone see him at such a low point just feels... terrible, really. Yet somehow, it isn't all that bad with Yamato.]
You're talkin' like you understand - at least partially. Don't tell me you've had to deal with bullshit like this too?
[Not the same bullshit, obviously, but something that makes this easier for Yamato to sympathize with.]
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[ So, yeah, he was pretty uncomfortable when he opened up to Malice about his history a few days ago, but he doesn't regret doing so. ]
Mm...I consider my impure motives for joining IDOLiSH7 a betrayal in itself. Being surrounded by guys who are passionate and serious about becoming idols made my guilt start to eat at me even more than it normally would've. They cared about me, and I...I'm nothing but a liability to them. They might go down because I was being selfish.
[ Yeah. ]
And when you mentioned the circumstances surrounding your birth...heh. You know that I was a secret lovechild, too. I can't say there were plans for me to be eliminated, but it still hurt all the same, when I found out. My father never once came clean to me himself. I had to learn everything all on my own.
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Can't comment on your situation with IDOLiSH7, but I can say that they'd be losin' a great guy if they turn their backs on you.
[Maybe they'd be well within their rights to. But that doesn't matter to Malice, because it's not like Yamato has hurt him. Sometimes you've just gotta be a selfish, self-centered asshole. Some things don't change overnight, after all.]
You've done pretty damn well for yourself despite that, y'know? You're real level-headed when dealin' with... [vague gesture toward the phantoms] dumb crap like this.
Thanks, Yama. I mean it. For some reason it kinda helped to talk about it? I'm feelin' less worked up, anyway.
[Huh. Weird!]
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Some things don't change overnight, indeed.
Genuine compliments from Malice, though, aren't things he'll take for granted. He's more relieved that the guy's feeling better more than how those words made Yamato feel, anyway. ]
Good to know. I'm glad I could help.
[ He'll just...go ahead and take a seat next to him, at the desk. ]
Finding somewhere to belong, though? It's hard. For some people, it may take them their whole lives to find that. But you're here, now. ... I don't think you'll need to wait for that any longer.
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[Malice glances back over at the phantoms and... oh, look they're fading. Slowly, one by one, they begin to fade out of sight. Some of them look back over before they go, but only Cody waves as a farewell.
Malice remains staring at the spot they were for a moment before he turns his attention back to Yamato.]
Believe me, I'd like nothin' more.
[Things will be different this time, he tells himself. They have to be.]
I'm not gonna make the same mistake again. Not that I could anyway, not like my ol' lady's hangin' 'round here willin' to offer me anythin'.
[He scoffs at that and moves to sit on his bed.]
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You have people who'd set you straight, too. And people who might possibly go after her if they saw her.
[ Assuming he's told anyone else about this, anyway. ]
If anything, you can put me in both categories. I'd do my best to keep her from bothering you.
[ Is this way of saying he'll protect Malice...? Even he's not sure. It's not like Malice really needs that, anyway, but. Let him have this, okay. ]
1/2
[You see where he's going with this, right?]
There's a reason I'm so fond of fire!
[PREPARING TO BEAT UP HIS MOM, LET'S GOOOOOO]
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[He wants revenge, after all. It's on his to-do list.]
Thanks, though. I really do appreciate it; y'all have really been good to me an' I'm not really sure how I got so luck to end up with a group that's so willin' to help out.
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[ The right thing to do would be to discourage him from violence, but also, no. Have you met Malice.
Anyway. ]
Eh, I like to think that people are dishing out what they're getting. The people who care about you are fine with things because you're doing the same for them in return. I don't think everyone's the type to put themselves forward for just anyone.
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Hah, true enough. I am tryin' to do better by people, anyway. Helps that this's a whole different world an' a whole new set of rules; definitely better than bein' back home!
[no shitty vampire nobles to deal with!!! 10/10 would get spirited away again.]
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[ Home... Will he have one when he gets back? ]
So far, seems like you're doing pretty alright.
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