𝐄𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 | •𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐰•

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝟑

Where we would fly

𓇢𓆸 𓆤 𖧧 𓋼𓍊 𓆏 𖧧 𓍊𓋼 𔓘

𝕊ℕ𝕆𝕎 fell gently in the city as a man's urgent voice cut through the chilly air, "Fellow Burguishen! Your city is under siege!" He fervently handed out papers to the passing crowd, proclaiming, "But you are not alone! Have your voice heard!" Amidst the flurry of activity, the two siblings were engrossed in a newspaper with the headline, 'STORM WRECKS MIGRANT VESSEL!' Aline, a familiar voice, interrupted their reading. "So, have you caught him yet?" Melody's face lit up with joy upon seeing her friend. Aline, clad in a dark pink and black checkered coat to ward off the cold, and with baby blue hair, approached them.

Running to him, Melody was enveloped in Aline's arms as he gave her a warm hug. "Hello, little dragonfly," he greeted with a smile, playfully ruffling her hair. Melody fondly remembered the early days of their acquaintance when Aline was skeptical, but with time, he had come to see her as a little sister. Their bond had grown strong, and the warmth of friendship flourished in the midst of the wintry cityscape as for him and as for Philo... not so much.

He gazed at Philo, who remained engrossed in the paper. "Aline," Philo spoke without shifting his focus. "It's been three weeks since the last one. I expect he'll be on the prowl tonight, won't he?"

"Good to see you, too," Philo replied, still fixated on the paper, seemingly disinterested. "I'm just wondering if I should make a point of running my errands before sundown," Aline remarked. He draped an arm around Melody, attempting to shield her from the cold, despite her already being clad in a black button-up coat, a red dress, black stockings, and a pair of black boots. Philo finally shifted his gaze toward the male fae. "I'd have him by now if more of the victims had been forthcoming." As the trio began walking, Aline added, "Yeah, well, a bloke with a badge knocking on your door isn't exactly a relief where they came from. At least they like Melody even more." Aline noticed a display of flowers, plucked one, and delicately placed it in Melody's hair, accompanied by a coin to pay for it. Melody smiled appreciatively. Philo sighed, and Aline turned to him, asking, "What?"

"I'll concede, the police aren't saints, but we're not the damn Pact," Philo declared, fixing his gaze on the male fae. "Yeah, but you folks abandoned us to them, just like you'd abandon us to Jack and leaving your sister to tend to the wounded, making her the angel," he added with a smile, glancing at Melody, who responded with a playful eye roll. Aline turned her attention back to Philo. "It's what people are saying."

"Right. How bad is it? Do I have to worry about riots?"

"It's tense. A racist with a hammer is beating us wherever he finds us, and we don't see too many of you lot out here giving a shit," Aline observed, eyeing Philo up and down for a moment. Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a man's voice. "You looking for trouble?" he said as a fae woman and a male faun walked past. "Yeah, you're not in Sheep-Land anymore, you fucking trotter. This city belongs to us! You'd do well to remember that!" The men around him voiced their agreement. Melody shot the man a lethal look, but before she could react, the arm around her tightened. She glanced at Aline, sighed, and turned her gaze away from the man.

"Anyway, this Jack business. I can tell you where I'd look." Aline turned to both Philo and Melody, a significant pause emphasizing his point. "Which is what you both are doing here." His gaze shifted to Melody as she began to speak. "Last victim said he had muttonchops." Aline looked at her with evident approval. "Hmm. Well, look at you." Philo raised a newspaper, drawing their attention. "Did you see this?" Aline took the paper in his free hand while keeping his arm around Melody. "Another wreckage." Melody glanced at the paper as well. "It looks like it came from Anoun."