Lewd King's Bucket List

'And not only is this not comfortable… it's boring. Way too boring. I mean, you can only spit on that thrall so many times before it loses its novelty. Actually, I should mention I've visited once before. And I was actually inside that thrall watching over you… You spit on me! And, let me tell you, I am NOT into that. Seriously, definitely not! It was so nasty feeling that slimy liquid trailing down my face and being unable to wipe it off! How nasty! You see, unlike how I infiltrated now, I was attached to that thrall. I couldn't even run! Besides… why even bother spitting on the thralls which have done no wrong? The true enemy is Despair. Though… spitting on an idea of a human seems quite hard unless Despair felt magnanimous enough to allow it — I doubt he would. So the next best thing would be taking it out on the thralls. I guess. But that seems quite odd, no? A victim of Despair taking out their anger on Despair by targeting a victim of Despair… How nonsensical! How redundant! You and I, Dia, how alike we are?! I mean, really. Who else could revel in doing something so pointless? By the way, I can tell you're annoyed at my rambling, but don't lie. This pain, this solitude… is it not nice to have a measure of something else? I'm merely serving you with my awesome words to pass the time and alleviate the pain! Ah, see. How smart and glorious I am!'

For a moment, Ixion felt Dia's lips stretch.

'Ah! Got you! Hide it as you may, but you almost smiled! Annoying though I am, my charm and mystique are truly something else. I can make even a caged princess laugh at my idiocy.'

Dia hung her head, shaking it slowly, dismissively.

'Alright, I guess that's enough rambling. I should tell you about my plan…'

Ixion paused for dramatic effect, then thought in Dia's mind.

'On the day of departure, I'll sneak in. Then, I'll possess a thrall and kill Drath.'

Dia shook her head slightly left to right.

'No? Ah, I see… I've never experienced the collapsing of a World. Well, a Memory World. It would make some sense that the process is one Despair could take advantage of. Perhaps it's a timely matter and he could draw inhabitants into another world. So then… this way of escape would be the only way? I guess… spit on his left shoe for no, right for yes. Also, obviously it's not the "only" way! But I doubt Despair will just let you go. So the only "viable" way.'

A moment later, Dia picked her head up and weakly spit on the left sabaton of the thrall.

'Wait…'

But that left sabaton was on Dia's right. Which would mean yes; however, it was indeed the left foot.

'We never clarified who's left and right! What a blunder.'

Dia sighed and lightly tugged at her chains.

"Can't you at least uncuff me, daddy dearest?"

A moment later…

A man stepped through an invisible rift in the air, claiming the spot where the thrall once stood. The thrall which had disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"You seem quite lively today."

Despair flashed a pure white smile at his daughter.

"Now, now, what has made you think I've garnered any measure of trust that you'll comply?"

'Ah, he said he was going to Verse, whatever that is… It seems he's already back.'

Dia clicked her tongue and then spit on the ground, between Despair's boots.

"What other choice for me is there?"

"You already ran to that man once. Who's to say you won't do it again?"

"That man… you mean Ixion? I thought he was of 'no consequence' to you."

Despair laughed.

"For once, you said something sensible. Yes, truly, he is a man of little consequence. His petty actions are merely pebbles thrown upon a marble pillar. Perhaps he'll throw enough to cause a scratch. Inconsequential. However, you see, I'm a man who likes to keep things in order. As inconsequential as a scratch is, I'd rather it not be marred at all. Therefore, you will stay here until further notice. Well, let me be honest. You'll be here until that man leaves."

'Hey!'

Ixion's soul was still, but he wished he could bounce about.

'I could cause much more than a scratch!'

If Despair wanted to call himself a pillar, then Ixion saw himself not as the man throwing stones, but as the man sitting in a crawler crane holding a wrecking ball. One who could topple that pillar with a mere pull of a lever, but consciously decided not to.

Not that Despair or any of Kaldora knew what that was… except Sloth.

"'That man' again? Are you too afraid to say his name?"

Despair looked away from Dia.

"As if. But, I don't want any of his tainted luck rubbing off on me. Name a ghoul and he'll appear."

Dia wryly chuckled as she pulled at her chains.

"Is that so? Well then. Ixion, Ixion, Ixion. Has he appeared?"

'Hey! I think it worked!' thought the ghoul.

Despair sighed and closed his eyes slightly.

"I pray not. Though, his actions recently have been most peculiar."

'Ah, shit…'

Ixion prayed he didn't put two and two together… his own odd actions mixed with Dia's. Assuming Dia's actions were out of the ordinary.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing meant for you to know," said Despair. "I didn't come here to tell you anything or that. I came here to give you a response. And that response is this: No."

Dia growled then, in a fit of rage, drew her lips together and spit toward Despair.

The man of murder swayed his head dismissively, then faded from existence.

The spit sailed into the cracked stone.

A breath later, Despair reappeared with a snarky look upon his face.

"Quite the confidence you've garnered today. Maybe if you'd been like this in your youth, like your sister, you wouldn't be in chains right now."

'Sister…?'