#Veyes Beauty

[fuck-you-i-am-spiderman]

Spidey songs tier list

The boppiest of bops -

Ways to be wicked - this is probably my ultimate favourite Descendants song. The vibes of it all are perfection. All of the looks, the little ad-libs into it, the way it opens and just radiates this chaotic energy. The Marlos moments, Evie's high kick, all of their voices blending together. It's my favourite song.

Rotten to the core - it's where it all began, it's the core essence of the core 4 and the films as a whole. I wish instead of GTBB we'd have gotten the Rotten to the core reprise

What's my name - what a fucking entrance. Uma slays every time, but this song is just so good and radiates such confidence. I love all of the moments where Harry is simping for Uma. Harry's part is so much fun and it's such a fun contrast to the main song. Love that we get to hear Uma's laughter in it too, it adds such a pure element to it - it's a detail I appreciate a lot.

Chillin like a villain - delicious. The way Evie, Jay and Carlos are all so in sync. Evie's vocals are so beautiful in this. The energy of this is so good and I love the way it changes and mixes talking and singing, it does it in such a smooth way.

You and Me - I really like this, it's such a soft and playful song. Evie and Carlos singing together, and then Jay and Mal coming to join them - it lives in my mind rent free. The Malvie moments in it are sooooo good. I love all the water work and the dancing. It's one of my fave songs to sing along to because it warms my heart.

Vibing (I appreciate them a lot, just not as much as the main bops) -

If only - I love the song but I really like my version, where it focuses more on the rotten four. I love a good solo ballad and I feel like this is a really emotional one. I will forever be bitter that they didn't put the reprise in D2, it did not deserve to be cut.

Space between - what a moment. The chemistry is so strong and it's so powerful and passionate. It's a love song. It's so emotional and raw. I just wish they'd have given the gays everything and put the extended cut into the movie instead of cutting away the second they held hands.

Queen of mean - I'm not an Audrey fan, however I really liked her looks in D3 and I love the power and the energy in this song. I just wish she'd have broken a bunch of shit in her room and really gave it more ooomph. But the song is a classic and I like it a lot.

Do what you gotta do - I really like this. The banter, the energy, the comedic timing. It's so much fun and I think their energies are veye evenly matched. I really enjoy this scene and this song a lot.

Night falls - this is a solid song in my opinion, I don't play it as often as the rest but I enjoy the beat and the different layers to this sign, it really shows the way the group come together with the harmonies and the build up.

They're okay (I low-key forget some of them exist and that's how they should stay) -

Good to be bad - eh, it's okay. I genuinely forget it's even a thing. I like it in theory and I like the aesthetic of it, but it isn't very memorable for me in comparison to msot of the other group songs.

Did I mention - it's Ben's only kind of moment so I feel like I appreciate it, like it's bop but it's not my favourite bop. I like the dancey elements of it a lot but I don't actively choose to listen to it either.

Break it down - I like this song, it's light and it radiates warmth. It has such a positive energy, I just have to be in the right mood for it. I think it's a solid ending song, but it's not one of my faves. It's just nice.

My once upon a time - again, I like ballads and I think Mal's voice is super powerful in this, but I don't like it as much as If Only.

I wish it wasn't Evie's solo / sorry but I usually skip -

One kiss - :( like if I picture it as being a gays only event it's great, but I really don't like that Evie's solo song is this one. It makes me so angry because she deserves better then this song.

Set it off - eh. It's alright, not my favourite, not my least favourite. To me, it's just there and I only really like the chorus of it - that's the only part that stays in my mind.

It's going down - I really like some aspects and the other parts make me cringe. I love Uma's parts but not enough for me to actively listen to this song a lot.

Spidey says: into the trash with you -

Evil like me - I really don't like this song. It feels so out of place to me. Like I love Kristin but she is not Maleficent, she's not who I picture and I feel like this was so campy and not something I vibe with when I'm listening to Descendants songs. It's so theatrical and I just don't like it. I'm sorry but no. It's not even in my playlist.

Be our guest (remix) - nope. It's a big fat no from me. I didn't ask for this sign, nor did I want it. The only part of it that's remotely interesting is just Ben being a bit of a dork but as far as song wise, it's just not something I vibe with or care for honestly.

[aahhkillme]

Overworking to stop Overthinking

Veye few know how tiresome it is to think.

I find the easiest way to stop thinking is work.

I am 19. Pandemic's still on. I ain't no vaccinated, however I write and sing and study and read and listen to music. In an attempt to stop thinking about people who didn't take a moment to think about me.

I think doing something productive till my mind is so exhausted of doing anything else (THINK) is somewhat going well. Better than lying in a bed watching horror movie reviews. 

It gives much more satisfaction of spending the day, not miserably.

I always thought that I don't care who come and go in my life. That I am mature enough to let people go when they wish. I guess not.

I guess it is the cycle of life indeed.

To keep thinking you matter and then dont.

To keep thinking you are someone. and then dont.

Discovering that you change with experiences and what you thought you were was just the matter of time before you became something else.

This 'Discovering myself' is not going so well right now. maybe some other time. Not now.

Now that I've realised I ain't no strong, I ain't no beautiful, I will just do something else. Study or sing or maybe write like I am right now.

Hopefully I will 'Discover' a little more digestable fact about me soon. Until then, I'll try living.

Cheers to my self welcome on studyblr.

byee!

[northsideblaine-archive-blog]

First you're a brother fucker. Now you're a gay man in love with Rose? What the fuck did the farm do to your head?

Hello there, new friend! I apologize for how long this is but I want you make sure you are getting all the information you deserve.

Firstly, I'd like to say thank you so much for taking time out of your day to message me. I know there are plenty of other things you could have done with that time and effort but it's very special that you would choose to give it to me.

Secondly, when it comes to my relationship with my brother, it's a very complicated situation. Sadly, as many people know we have a sort of dysfunction family -- especially where my father was concerned and many know about the awful things he was involved. What not many people know, aside from Marley, Charlie and Aaron, my father was very abusive... both psychologically, emotionally and physically and when I came out, it make things that much rougher.

Growing up in that short of toxic and damaging environment, I was always looking outside of myself for safety, security, comfort and love. Which was Dare in every sense of the word -- because he was my big brother, who took the hits for me, who saved me from the punishments and petty high school bullying... Who would fight for me and would always be there when I need someone to hug or love. As twins, we were so used to being two halves of a whole and we encompassed each other wholeheartedly. So much so that we often ruined healthy relationships or healthy choices outside of one another for each other. In a way being twins from a tough situation with veye little love, stunted us and we developed a "us and them" mentality. Which is why we made the mistake of romantic transference or confused what should have been normal sibling love or affection for romantic.

But I have been through a lot of therapy recently and with the help of Frank I was able to realizethat I can love my brother as just a brother. I can love and appreciate everything he has done for me without letting my feelings get twisted into believing we are lovers.

Lastly, I have always identified as a panromantic homosexual. But I have never claimed to be a gold star or whatever the term is as I find that very damaging towards people who have yet to figure out their sexuality and is a way to make someone feel less than. But, yes I have mainly had sexual attractions toward men in the past and that was my sole preference but romantically I have fallen in love at least a little bit with everyone I have ever met.

Love is not equal to sex.

You can have a very deep and important love without sex. You can have many different forms of love that never involve having to take your clothes off and put bathing suit parts together. Both romantic and platonic.

When it comes to Marley... I've always been in love with her. We are best friends and we've been best friends for longer than either of us can remember. According to uncle Frank, Marley and I first met when we were four years old when I wandered into a grocery store alone and I walked out with a whole cake that I promptly tried to share with her. Luckily, uncle Frank knew my dad which is a very long story in itself... and he took me home...

After that Marls and I ended up in the same kindergarten class and we were pretty attached to each other. Uncle Frank would give me and Dare rides home or take us to Pop's on days our father was too drunk or busy with Serpent business.

But I digress... Marls was the first person out of Dare I really saw... and the first person I let close enough to know me. She helped shape me into the person I am because even when i found myself trying to go down the Serpent road, she became the anchor or tether that pulled me back.

Emotionally and mentally, I have always been in love with her but I think because I was so caught up on the label I put on myself... not taking my own advice when I've told other people about sexuality being a spectrum... It took me forever and a lot of sessions to stop and listen to my heart and soul telling me "Oh there you are... I've been looking for you forever."

In a way the Farm did help a lot, in leading me to realizing how deep my love for Marley really ran. Again, it had nothing to do with sex but considering how beautiful Marley, inside and out, I'm very sure that saying I'm gay isn't correct anymore.

@marleyrosens @sshardassanderson

[kentucky-the-fried]

Imperium: Chapter 5

Featuring @shunkuroichii ‘s Shun and @rosalinastorybook ‘s Orion

Chapter 5: I Ya Mogu Byt' Geroyem

(And I Can Be A Hero)

Days after the fight with Sven, I hear my name being whispered amongst people in the city. Every person I pass by ends up giving me a warm smile, wide eyes, looks of utter amazement. I can feel them all looking at me, I hear their voices inside my head, and it does not take long for me to feel out of place yet again. This recognition should not go to me. It should go to Draco, who killed Sven. My sixteen hour fight means nothing in comparison to his feat, and to keep hearing these BLADEs say my name...well, I cannot help but feel on edge.

Eventually it gets to me, and I force myself to leave the city without taking any missions. It might do me good to get some fresh air. Being free of my duties, even for a moment, lifts some stress off of me. I enter my Skell and shift it into vehicular mode, deciding that a drive could help me clear my head. But as I allow my conscience to pick the route, my thoughts consume me.

You failed your team. You failed Draco. You are worthless.

My hands shake a bit, and the sensitive controls of my Lailah Queen pick up on it. The Skell swings back and forth, and I have to steady my grip to get it to stay straight. After a few deep breaths, I keep on driving forward, staying in control of the Skell.

...Control.

Is that what I need? To control my emotions, to stop dragging myself down? The word rings inside my head, a voice that never dies. I take another deep breath. I continue on my way to an unknown destination.

After some time, I find myself in Oblivia. Why did I bring myself here? This place only brings back the memories of the fight with the forfexes, the vigent I supposedly talked to. I still do not understand what happened, but either way, the memory makes me cringe. It is not normal to be able to talk to indigens. Have I always been able to do that? What on Mira gave me this ability?!

Finally giving up, I park my Skell near a cliff, closing my eyes. Though the air around me is cool, sweat rolls down my forehead. I lean back in my seat, glancing outside. The walls around me seem to be closing in on me with every negative thought that fills my brain, so quickly, I hoist myself up and out of the Skell, stepping onto the barren ground with a tiny sigh.

At least the breeze feels good.

I start to walk forward, looking around at the vast wasteland. There is something beautiful I find in the silence, but there is nothing nice to find in the heat. Seriously, why did I come here? I will sweat to death in this gear if I stay out here any longer! Pulling my right sleeve off of my skin, I sigh. Yeah, I should probably go. This was a bad idea, coming here. I only feel more distraught about everything. Maybe the missions will help me, after all.

I turn to head back to my Skell, and as I take a step to the right, something cracks underneath my foot. Startled, I jump up, looking down to see what I had done. The thing next to my foot is...a comm device. I check to make sure I did not drop my own, and noticing it still in my pocket, I raise an eyebrow. Did someone pass by and accidentally drop it? I decide to pick it up, wiping some dirt off of the screen. With the press of a button, the screen lights up. It seems in working order, besides the flicker every now and then. I blame myself for that.

I find the name of the BLADE in the top corner of the screen. Orion. What a beautiful name...NO, STOP. I flash a look upwards towards my Skell, wondering if I should bring it back to the city. But then, something catches my eye, a bright contrast to the colors of the wasteland. As I step towards it, I understand just what I am looking at. I can never mistake the color of mim blood…

I bend down, reaching one of my ungloved fingers to touch it. Great idea Pongo, touch the disgusting blood, nothing bad will happen! But as my fingers touch down, I realize that the blood is still fresh. Whoever this blood belongs to, they cannot be far. I look into my other hand, down into the comm device. Orion. Orion.

They might be in trouble. No, they are in trouble.

Standing back up, I place the comm device in the opposite pocket to my own, observing the land around me for any trace of their whereabouts. There seems to be more blood, but not much, leading outwards into the plains. Clenching my fist, I start to follow the trail on foot. I could always take my Skell, but I fear that my scanners will be unable to pick up on such a faint trail. The naked eye is a powerful tool, and I intend to trust it.

And it is with my naked eye that I spot something. No, someone. Someone is standing out in the distance, looking around. It is impossible to miss this figure; clad in dark clothes, he is a great contrast against the light sandy brown of Oblivia. I stand perfectly still, wondering if it is worth it to try and talk to him. Perhaps he knows something about Orion, what happened to them. Maybe he is Orion.

He takes another step forward before his head spins towards me. Eyes wide, I await something. I await anything to happen. But there is only silence between us, and the growing feeling of dread. I will become an embarrassment again if I talk to him, and yet I feel I have to try.

I give him a weak wave, my heart sinking down to my stomach. What am I thinking?! This guy probably thinks I am some weirdo - or even worse, a stalker. Gods, what do I do what do I do what do I do

“Hey.”

...He spoke. The guy spoke to me. Oh my gods. He is walking towards me and I am just standing here like an idiot and I -

“Have you seen anyone else around here?”

I swallow hard. I have to respond. “N-No...just you and me…”

He stops in front of me, and I am finally able to grasp just how tall this handsome stranger is. I have to crane my neck upwards just to be able to look into his gaze. His hair is long and spiked, covering his right eye but not his left. It shines a dark blue in the Oblivian sun, complementing the dark blues in his outfit. He dons a veyes to cover his mouth, for some reason. I never understood the appeal of those. However, the veyes designed for the female gender are quite nice.

“Damn it,” The man curses, quickly glancing to each side of him. “Damn it.”

The silence returns for a while. I bite my lip, anxious to say something. This guy obviously needs help looking for someone, and yet I have my own little mission to try and find this Orion -

...wait a minute.

“By any chance...the person you are looking for...is their name ‘Orion’?” I ask quietly.

The man blinks once. “Yeah.”

Sheepishly, I take out the comm device I found and offer it out for him to see. As he takes it within his gloved hand, I explain, “I just found this...and I was following a trail of blood...until I saw you, that is. Not that you distracted me or anything, because I was doing pretty good I think, but even if you did distract me, which, how can one not be distracted by such a handsome face -”

I stop myself. Must I always humiliate myself in this way?! Chuckling nervously, I watch as the man turns away to face the horizon. I do not need to see his mouth to understand that he seems concerned. He is doing his best to hide it, I can tell by the way he moves as I try to face him, but his stiff shoulders and constant repositioning are clear indicators. Whoever Orion is, they clearly mean something to this man.

And so I summon up as much courage as I can, and ask:

“D-Do you want me to help you find them? Orion, I mean.”

“No.” His response is sharp. “I can find her on my own.”

Alright, so Orion is a she. Good to know. I open my mouth to speak, but somehow he has slipped out of my field of vision. Spinning around, I notice that he is walking off towards the plains behind me - in the totally wrong direction of the blood trail. What does he think he is doing? I shake my head, more determined than ever to help him. I jog up to his side, calling out to him. “If you really want to find her then you are going the wrong way!”

He stops suddenly, and I almost crash into his back. As he turns to face me, his arms cross over his chest, and he gives me a dark scowl.

“Which way.”

I point feebly in the right direction. “Well, that way, but -”

And he walks past me again. Wow, rude. Groaning, I jog back up to him again and position myself in front of him so that he has to stop. That dark scowl of his is really intimidating, but I cannot let it faze me. I want to help him, and I will help him no matter what.

“Look, I know you really want to get to her,” I say slowly, “And trust me, I understand the feeling. But you cannot scour the entire continent and hope that you get to her in time.”

“Watch me.” He snarls, moving to shove me aside. But I push his arm away before he can grab my shoulder, determined to help.

“Please, just listen for a moment, I beg you!” I plead, “I am following a trail of blood at the moment and it might lead us to her! But if you go off on your own and ignore all the clues, then you will never be able to find her! Please, at least can we work together on this? Two or more heads always triumphs over one!”

I patiently wait for an answer, half expecting him to shove me aside again. But as his shoulders release some tension, he nods. “Fine.”

I give him a tired smile. “Alright then! Follow me, Mister - ah, I never got your name…”

As I lead the way back in the direction of the blood trail, he answers, “I go by many names. But you can call me Shun.”

“And I am GoPon - I MEAN - Pongo.”

I really thought I could nail that introduction, but nope, social interaction is a jerk. But now, I at least know his name.

And so we walk together in silence as I lead the way, my head tilted downwards. There is more blood than I thought initially, and I cannot help but fear for Orion. Losing this much blood is never a good sign. Almost without thinking, my right hand presses down against my left arm. At this point I know when the ticks come; it is no surprise that they have become more frequent, given the uncertainty of the situation. I only hope that they do not limit my abilities in the near future, as they have done so often in the past.

The silence feels strange. I long to ask Shun something, anything. Maybe I could ask about his relationship with Orion? It is clear that he cares for her deeply, but is this in a romantic sense? Or are they siblings?

“Pongo.”

I quickly stop in my tracks to turn around. Shun is looking off towards a large structure in the distance, barely hidden by one of the many towering peaks that scatter the landscape. Its gray metallic coating is easily identifiable as a Ganglion creation, and though I have not looked to see where the rest of the trail leads, I can only assume that this would be the likely location of Orion.

And, thankfully, I have been here before. Well, not thankfully, why would I be thankful for being in a Ganglion base? No no, I meant it as in I know the layout. Yes, that sounds a thousand times better.

“The Milligan supply base,” I confirm. “Not a terribly large Ganglion base, but it has its fair share of enemies.”

“She’s in there. I know she is.”

Shun starts to walk towards it, yet again attempting to leave me behind. At this point I wonder if he hates me, and that is why he keeps trying to leave. But I will not let him. I jog to keep pace with him as we head around the peak and towards the entrance to the base, making sure to keep a safe distance. It seems rather quiet outside, but I am not fooled. There are zigs up ahead. They have really really good sight, but I pray that we are too far down to be noticed. And if we are? Well, we are screwed.

“So, ah, what now?” I ask Shun as we stand outside the entrance. Now that I think about it, it seems too quiet here. Even the zigs whir about, silently watching, waiting. Where are the other Ganglion? Are they on a holiday or something? No, they have to be somewhere.

“We go in, and we blast those sons of bitches.” Shun says blatantly.

My eyes widen. “Um, okay, that is...a plan. But I do not think that is the best plan.”

“Then what are you going to suggest?”

I open my mouth, but at first I say nothing. He has a fair point. What exactly would my plan entail? Stealth, speed, charm? All three? Maybe I could use Ghost Factory to - wait, no, that is only a decoy. If I wanted to disable complete enemy detection I would need Shadowrunner, the aura associated with the dual swords...they sound really cool; maybe one day I can learn how to use them. For now, my primary melee weapon is the photon saber, and that is for support more so than offense.

“I think we should try and sneak our way inside,” I start, “Since there are two of us it would be easier to try and -”

...Shun is gone.

How in the blazes is he able to escape so quickly?! He must be a ninja or something!

But after I glance around, I spot him heading inside, taking no measure whatsoever to be stealthy. He must be pretty confident and strong if he thinks he can barge in like this - or, he is an idiot. I settle with the former, quickly moving to follow him inside.

Strangely enough, everything is as quiet on the inside as it was outside. I spy a few Marnucks patrolling the area, but they make terrible guards, honestly. One time I stood right in front of a Marnuck and he did not see me. I wonder what happened to him. He seemed like a pretty nice Marnuck - well, as nice as Marnuck can get.

Shun makes it to one of the towers, pressing his back against the wall and peeking over at the two Marnucks guarding the entrance. I have hidden myself behind a few large crates nearby, deciding, if he keeps this behavior up, that I will act as a lookout for him. He has made it this far without attracting attention, and I would feel really guilty if someone stabbed him in the back just as he found Orion. As I watch him sneak past the guards and slip inside, I heave a sigh of relief, but I do not let my guard down. Any noise he makes will surely get picked up. And if Orion is in one of these towers, her disappearance will surely attract attention. We will have to make a quick escape if this is the case.

Hmm. I know I made this observation already, but it is too quiet here. Not even the breeze dares to make a sound. The silence only makes me feel worse. I start to regret not following Shun inside. Maybe some Ganglion were inside waiting for him and he was unable to handle himself against them. But would I not have heard it? There would have been a struggle, most likely. No, Shun is fine. Shun will be okay. I repeat this in my head in an effort to calm down.

But my body decides to betray my conscience. I peek over the first crate and make my way over to the tower. The Marnucks are still looking around warily, as if they can sense my presence. But I slide behind them with relative ease and head into the tower. Conveniently, there is no door. I wonder who decided that was a good idea. My hand floats to my saber, tucked into the loop of my belt. I have a feeling I will need it.

Inside, the room is wider than I expect. There are crates and strange containers scattered about, and a ramp to the right side of the room connects the ground floor to the next level. I glance around once before my eyes land on Shun, kneeling next to a tiny, bruised form. Beneath her blue and purple locks, her cheeks are red and damp from crying. Her clothes are torn and there are bruises and scrapes running up her legs and arms, but the most significant wound is a deep gash in her lower abdomen. Her blood stains her pink top a delicate shade of blue. It is a miracle she has not bled to death.

Neither of them have noticed my presence. Shun has his saber drawn, waving the blade over her wound as he mumbles the name of the healing art: Astral Heal. I cannot tell if it has an immediate effect, but Shun seems much more relieved after using it.

“You idiot,” He scoffs quietly, “Why did you go out alone?”

“I...I had a gathering mission. And I didn’t want to bother you to come with me…” She whispers, her breath ragged with every sob she makes. “I thought…”

Shun releases his breath. “Let’s just get you home. Don’t want you dying, do we?”

She attempts a futile laugh. Shun scoops his hands under her body, lifting her up bridal style, and as he turns towards me he scowls. “We need to get her to the MMC.”

I nod. “Yeah...I can call my Skell to transport her out of here. That should be the fastest way.”

“Do it.”

I let go of my saber and whip out my comm, dialing a code into it. A while back I was able to install a return program into Eros, allowing it to use its tracking device to hone in on my location and fly to me. As soon as I get the confirmation, Shun steps back, staring at something behind me.

“Damn it, we’ve got company.”

And sure enough, as I turn around, the two Marnuck guards are blocking our exit, guns raised and ready to shoot. That is one thing I know for certain: there is no negotiating with simple guards such as these. We - no, I - will have to fight my way out of this. Shun has Orion to worry about, so now it is my duty to protect them both!

“Stand down, humans,” The first guard growls, his gun aimed directly at my head. “Or death will be imminent.”

I cannot help but smirk. “Everyone says that.”

I would grab my guns, but seeing as I am being held at gunpoint, reaching for any other weapon besides my saber would be suicide. They would shoot me on the spot. So unless I had a distraction -

A distraction. PERFECT.

My jaw drops and I point towards something behind the Marnucks. “Oh my goodness, is that GOETIA?!”

They both spin around wildly, looking for their precious leader. I quickly unholster my guns off of my back and double check to make sure I have TP to spend. 8000. Filled up. I press down on my first buff, allowing the shadows to lick at my feet. The decoy spreads to Orion and Shun, and I yell at them, “GO! UP THE RAMP!”

Shun does not need to be told twice. He bolts up the ramp with Orion safely in his arms, and I am quick to follow. The Marnucks turn back around to face us, but all three of us are on the second floor already, and soon we proceed up to the third, the fourth. The last ramp up brings us outside and onto the roof. The sun shines down on us as I cast a glance behind us, realizing that the roof is a dead end unless we decide to jump. We could handle the fall; the gravity here allows for us to survive even the most dangerous drops. But with Orion in this state, I agree with Shun silently that it is not our best option. Hopefully Eros will be here soon, we just have to wait.

“HUMANS.”

They are upon us. As I face the ramp we came from, the two Marnuck guards have arrived with reinforcements. They quickly surround us, ten against three. No doubt they have called for more support, but for now these odds are...optimal? But with Shun holding Orion, it might be one against ten. What a weight to carry. I do not think I am sweating because of the heat anymore.

Thanks to the decoy, the Marnucks all stare in different directions, trying to pick out which one of us are the real ones. They all have their guns poised and ready to fire, but their uncertainty blinds them. However, this does not come across in the voice of who I presume to be the higher in command. “You will stand down or die.”

“You would not, perhaps, enjoy a third option? Where we just, you know, walk away?” I ask.

Judging by their silence I assume that they do not enjoy this option. Well, it was worth a shot.

“Where’s your Skell.” Shun hisses, looking down at Orion. She is shuddering now, and sweat rolls down her forehead as she closes her eyes. Frantically searching the skies for the familiar red Skell, my breaths become panicked and shallow. Damn it, I am supposed to be protecting them both! And now we are surrounded and we will all die and I will let all of my friends down and my name will go down in history as the one belonging to the complete and utter failure -

Calm down.

My eyes widen in surprise. That does NOT sound like my normal monologuing voice. It sounds foreign and weird, but at the same time...it feels very welcoming. So I listen to it. My breathing grows slow and controlled, and I look towards the sky in the hopes that Eros will appear in the nick of time.

And what do you know? It does!

The flash of red breaks through the sky with a hot pink trail, heading straight for us. The Marnucks have not seen it yet, but as I grin, Shun takes notice. Eros descends loudly, and the Marnucks yell a moment too late. It lands square on top of two guards, crushing them under its feet. Without any orders being issued the remaining Marnucks start to fire at Eros and us, but our decoy is still up, so for the time being I ignore the shots.

“GO!” I order Shun. We both sprint to Eros, whose cockpit has already opened upon sensing my presence. Shun lifts Orion inside, hopping in after her. As I climb inside after them, I turn back to the Marnucks with a sly grin.

“Better luck next time.”

I could swear that my voice sounded different just then, but as the cockpit door closes up, I do not allow myself time to think about it. Instead, I take the controls and lift Eros back up into the air, dodging as many of the shots as I can. The bullets only just puncture the armor Eros wears, hardly enough to damage anything important.

As Eros flies over the sandy terrain, I turn back towards Shun and Orion. He is huddled over her, his hands over her stomach, where the worst of her wounds are. Her eyes are glazed over, unfocused and uncertain. I offer a tiny smile of reassurance.

“We will be home soon. The MMC can fix you up.”

She returns the smile. “T-Thank you…I’m...I’m Orion, by the way!...”

I nod. “Interpongo. With the Ceptors.”

...damn it.

<- Chapter 4 || Chapter 6 ->