Deimos

// man I really need to replay shb you just made it sound 35x more interesting to me

complicit. Anyone who supports Garlemald rather'n running away is complicit in the worst that they do, whether it's the legatus giving the orders, the soldier carrying them out, the doctor keeping them healthy, or the farmer ensuring they have enough food to keep going. No Garlean is innocent."

will, killing, maiming, conquering. But y'know, those soldiers wouldn't last a week without supplies, provisions. So the quartermasters're complicit, enabling everything the military does. And they have to get their supplies from somewhere. The Garlean Industrial Complex is complicit. Their leaders,

conquest and expansion, generally creates problems everywhere they touch. Pretty sure most people can agree with that, so feel free t' just nod along at this part. Anyway, the Empire's shit, we all agree, and most people can even agree the soldiers are guilty. The ones out executing the Emperor's

Giving the man a frank look, he shrugs again, mentally debating on whether it's worth it to explain. But ultimately, if the guy's gonna be potentially following him around..

"The Garlean Empire commits atrocities, I think we can agree on that, right? Wipes out entire cultures, kills for the sake of

"They're /Garleans/," he says with a shrug, even as he mentally adjusts his plans to suit. He can always slip away for the more 'objectionable' parts of what he does. "But fine, have it your way."

His answer to that is a simple shrug, because he can't be the one to ask. "You're welcome to. Y'seem useful, and that whatever it is you do is fascinating."

He pauses, then turns to face the man. "If you come with though, y' can't get all squeamish about my methods. I didn't about yours."

Still looking away, Deimos just grunts, remaining silent for a minute or two before finally answering, "Kill our mindfuck or whatever a few Garleans and I'll consider that better than an apology."

For the moment, the expression on his face turns ugly and hateful, before he glances away.

"My mate liked seeing me shirtless," he bites, out, anger once more disrupting the previous peace of resting. "This was.. a compromise between his memory, and not getting killed."

corrects, "...or go adventuring. Guess my gilpurse is getting a bit light for another proper expedition."

The answer to that is barely even a question, and he answers without thought, "Head back to Garlemald." Except, that probably depends on how much this healer will take for her services, given that his gil is running low already, and his provisions in his hidden Garlean cave even lower.

Groaning, he

He looks down from the ceiling at Hwei, then shrugs. "Then I don't get it." Though, given Deimos' limited interests, that probably isn't surprising...

Themis - or Elidibus - posing in one of the Saja Boys' pose (Baby Saja) in a similar outfit to that they wear in their "Your Idol" performance, from K-Pop Demon Hunters.

❝ Give me your desire, I can be the star you rely on. ❞

⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻

(( sorry for the silence for a while - been busy in irl and in game! but i wanted to show off this glam that i put together a decent while back for k-pop demon hunters.

themis looks good being evil~ ♥ ))

Considering that for a few moments, Deimos lays back, staring up at the ceiling and reaching up to scratch at the cord of his eyepatch. "S'like drinkin'," he theorizes, "'cept you don't have to pay for it?"

...he could use that ability.

Deimos eyes the man, not judging him, but more simply amused, then snorts at his elaboration. "Wish I could say the same. I get hungry, I get in a /foul/ mood," he laughs.

(....hopefully he'll feel up to his usual self by the time he gets /hungry/-hungry...)

"Mmm. I'll have a bit, then y'can finish the rest." With that, he hands over the spoon, then instead lifts the bowl to his lips, drinking just about a third without waiting for any argument about proper eating habits, before handing the remaining lion's share of the soup back to Hwei. "Enjoy."

Only once she's gone does he relax finally, closing his eyes and resting for a few minutes to shed the strain.

Finally though, he forces himself back to reality and starts on the soup, before pausing and glancing at Hwei. "....you need any'a this?"

He snorts at that, giving the royal rat a quizzical look over his shoulder before returning to butchering. "You ever link up with a voidsent before? They're not exactly the type to take a break-up well. Or allow it at all."

....plus there's the matter of his eye, not that he's going to admit that.

A scowl is his answer, one hand twitching as he reminds himself that if he kills the royal rat /too/ quick, it'll defeat the whole point.

"Yeah, well, I didn't exactly have much choice," he fumes, before hoisting the carcass onto the table and getting to work on (very crudely) butchering it.

in the room is the blood-stained leather pouch on the table, but beyond that and the furniture, there's nothing.

Eventually, though, after just over an hour, Deimos will return in much the same way as he left, but this time with a dead Saiga draped over his shoulder as he lugs it through the gate.

too small for a person to fit through even if they could somehow climb the straight-vertical walls thirty feet into the air.

It does, however, serve as a source of oxygen for Nerva -- which is probably for the best, given that Deimos is likely to be gone for an hour or so.

The only other object

A secret exit there is not -- the only way in or out realistically is teleportation. Or, as Nerva accurately guessed, a Reaper's abilities. The walls are solid ice and completely smooth, reaching up 30' or more, and only at the top is there an exit: a single vent for the smoke from the fire that's

That leaves Nerva alone, in a largely empty cave. There's the shoddy bed, stained in blood, a few very basic pieces of wooden furniture of sturdy make, most stained with both blood and cheap booze, and a small locked trunk at the end of the bed. But beyond that and the fire.. The cave is very empty.

fabric of the world once more, barking out, "Getting food. I'd tell y'not to go anywhere, but I guess it's not necessary. So instead, just don't die yet."

And with that, he steps through the hellgate and closes it behind him, preferring to hunt down sustenance rather than talk about his past.

"Because it is," he snarls, not answering in what is clearly a touchy subject for him. Standing, he moves over to grab his coat, then glares at his captive.

"They can hunt me down, so long as every last one of you is dead, I don't care what happens to me after."

Reaching out, he rips a tear in the

"Because it's what you deserve," he spits, turning his attention back to the fire. "I won't rest until every last Garlean and collaborator are dead -- not the half-assed nature of the Final Days, but true, complete eradication of every last one of your bastards."

Only then *can* he ever rest.

anyway? Who better than the eidolon-worshipping savages?" He snorts, shaking his head. "Your propaganda provided the kindling. All I need to do is dry it out again, then drop the match in."

"People can always be made to hate," Deimos answers with full confidence. "You take a mother, a husband, a sister, a child. Little by little, they get angry. People can't bend forever, they break eventually. And who better to turn their hatred against than those they've been fighting for years

then."

He grins, finally turning to look his captive in the eye. "Then, we can finally get back to how things *should* be."

"And then I'd be the Eorzean that helped some royal rat bastard, no way in hell," is his immediate answer. "You're not getting free 'til I've taken everything from you. 'Til Garlemald is foaming at the mouth to get you back, and then even more when they get you back as fucked up as you'll be by