#anyway. *backflips into the abyss*

[mettywiththenotes]

AFO strangling OFA users but Tomura, supposedly "the next AFO", who choked an OFA user too, let him go

I mean the conditions aren't the same (deadly battle vs middle of a mall and everything that comes with that), but I'm just saying like. There's some kind of connection here

This OFA user and "next AFO"s relationship is different. It won't end the same way

[aetherdoesthings]

I heard you wanted requests and I came running Aether. I fucking bolted. I cannot tell you how fast I pressed the 'ask' button. Also, if you're still sick make sure to take care of yourself first before doing requests!!!!

Anyways. Robin x gn!reader requested as always :3333 so there's this specific scene in my head thats been playing in my head lately and I crave hurt/comfort.

Either Robin or Reader being insecure about having scars and thinking their body, and the other reassures them that they love them regardless by kissing them/tracing them. And it's a bit suggestive? Like it's not meant to be sexual but one of the two is at least half-naked. I'm not sure if this is okay to request as an anon. If not, totally reject this, but I oust thought it's a cute idea.

And need I remind you that regardless you do it or not ill always love your work and will patiently wait if you do? No, I don't? Great. Anyways, love ya aether my beloved, stop manifesting hanahaki

-Enies Lobby anon (patiently waiting for pt.4 of hanahaki [I'm gnawing at the bars of my enclosure])

you can tell by that last statement how long this ask was asked 😭

forethoughts: apologies this took a while; this one hit a little too close to home for me :_). there's been a lot happening in my life, including but not limited to a stalking man whom tried to manipulate me :D. regardless, i hope you enjoy this one!! went back to my roots of a nico robin lover for this.

notes: made this one fem!reader because i wanted to write this to my younger self. robin is naked in this. they don't fuck, but robin and reader is like 1 1/2 naked. really soft and fluffy. word count: 2k

“Do you have anything else you have to do tonight, Y/N?” You looked up from the book Robin had gifted you, to find the gifter herself standing in your doorframe, her arms resting on top of one another as she gave you a warm smile. You slipped a piece of paper in the pages of the book, before standing up and facing your girlfriend. 

“Uhm, no, not really. Why’d you ask?” You replied. It wasn’t uncommon for Robin to suddenly pop up in your room ever since you had confessed your feelings to her. Although you slept in her room now, you still used your room as your study to do your work and to hide from everyone else when your social battery went down. 

“I was just wondering if you would like to join me for a bath. We’ve been together for quite a while now, and if you’re alright with it, I’d like it if we could bathe together.” Robin proposed.

Your heart did a backflip, dropping all the way to your stomach. You knew this day would come; you just didn’t know it would come this soon. Ever since you had confessed your feelings to Robin, the day that the two of you would be comfortable enough to bathe together was like a doomsday countdown in your mind. It wasn’t that you did not want to see what Robin looked like underneath two layers of clothing, but something else that had been gnawing at you for years of your life.

“Uhm…” That was the only sound that escaped out of your mouth; the rest were lost in the abyss of your mind. 

“It’s alright if you’re not comfortable; I do not wish to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable for my sake. Still, you should still take a bath soon. It’s getting late.”

“Well…” You sighed, shaking your head. Your fingers twiddled around the hem of your shirt, scrunching it up and releasing it. You could feel Robin’s eyes casted onto the top of your head, encouraging the neurons in your brain to speed up and think of an answer. 

“I… I guess… I should take a bath… we could do it together…” You regurgitated each word, looking at the wooden floorboards. Robin’s eyes analyzed your entire body, nitpicking each detail and examining your facial expressions. She did that everytime you were upset or doing something uncharacteristic. Still, it made you feel like you were under scrutiny by your own girlfriend who had also confessed her love to you. 

“Are you sure?” Robin simply asked.

“Y-Yeah. Totally.” You nodded your head, despite your eyes still downcast. Robin let out a sigh, accepting that you weren’t going to give her any other answer.

“Alright then. Let’s go.”

Everyone had unpredictable showering schedules: Luffy and Zoro could go on for a week, Usopp and Chopper every three days, and everyone else would shower every day. Franky had built bathhouses for each gender, so that you, Nami and Robin wouldn’t have to share the same bathhouse with Sanji. Compared to the boy’s, the bathhouse you shared with Nami and Robin always smelled like tangerines or lavender, depending on who used it last. The water was warm (thankfully), and every amenity you could ever need for person hygiene was available. 

Since Nami had just used the shower, the room was filled with the smell of tangerines. You didn’t mind it; you were used to the smell after being part of the Straw Hats for a while. You walked into the bathhouse behind Robin, your eyes gazing at the woman face a wall, removing her clothes without any problem at all. One second, that navy blue jacket and salmon sarong skirt was on her body. The next, she was fully naked and already heading towards the tub. Your feet were glued to the wooden planks below, eyes glued to the sight in front of you. 

Your contact with her was severed as Robin turned her head to look at you, a quizzical look on her face as she observed your fully clothed body standing feets away from the tub. A phantom flick on your forehead brought you back to reality, your mind racing with thoughts that triumphed over Robin's voice.

“Y/N, is something wrong?” The four words drove into that tiny bottle you kept near your heart, cracks starting to appear. Robin had moved closer to the edge of the tub, a hand resting on the wooden frame. Her brows were furrowed, her lips pursed as her eyes analyzed your body again, reading you like a poneglyph.

In the midst of the bathhouse, you could hear your heartbeat thud over the sound of the water moving around. If you could hear it, Robin could definitely hear it too. There was no point in hiding anything from her; she was Nico Robin. 

In your silence, Robin spoke again. “Is something on your mind that’s bothering you? Would you like to talk about it?”

Robin was always aware of how you felt at any given moment, and she was always willing to give you space and let you decide how you wanted to proceed with anything. Robin was the buoy you desperately clinged onto in the middle of a raging storm in the seas. The rope was never weathered down by the heavy downpour. Everytime Robin did something, said something, you could feel your body moving along with the rope, dragging you ever so close to the place you knew you were safe in.

Safe. Safe. That was what Robin was. Safe. With her around, you always felt safe. She always listened and paid attention to all your needs and made sure you were alright. She always went out of the way to make sure you were healthy and well. She was the one that was there to remind you you were loved when you yourself forgot to. Safe.

“Uhm…” Your voice cracked; even with just one word you could feel the corners of your eyes beginning to burn and body shaking alongside the ship. “T-There’s something that is on my mind, and i-is bothering me.”

You were actually doing this. Every part of your body was screaming at you, protesting and shutting down. Despite what you thought and believed, your body rebelled. You couldn’t blame your body; of course they would try and protect you from harm or stepping into unknown territories.

Robin stayed quiet, the corners of her mouth lifting ever so slightly. It was her way of telling you that you were welcome to say whatever you wanted, and she would be there to listen.

“I…” You bit your dry and cracked lips, looking down at your feet. “Remember that fight we had with the marines a few weeks ago?”

“Yes. I recall you were injured.” Robin’s stoic expression broke as she remembered your injury that left you immobile. However, she does not interject, letting you continue.

“It’s better; Chopper says I’m okay now, but…” You sighed. “Ever since then… I’ve become scared. I’ve become terrified to look in the mirror without my clothes on, let alone have anything that exposes… you know.”

A steady stream of air exits out of Robin’s mouth. When no words could roll off your tongue, Robin stood up from the tub, drying herself with the help of her multitude of hands. She walked over to you, causing your heartbeat to feign a heart attack. “May I?”

“S-Sure.” You didn’t know what Robin was going for, but you weren’t too disappointed with the results. Robin set the back of her fingers alongside your cheek, before cupping your face with both of her hands, tilting your head to face her.

“My darling…” Robin whispered, her hands moving down to your shoulders. “Can I see? Please.”

“Why do you want to see something… horrendous?”

Robin frowned at your choice of words, shaking her head. “Y/N, nothing about you is horrendous. Your mind, your body, your heart, none of that. You are perfect. You are who you are, no matter what. Please don’t call yourself horrendous when all I can see is goodness and kindness. I don’t want you to be terrified of the shell that protects that loving and caring heart of yours. I don’t want to see you be ashamed and afraid of your own skin.”

The corners of your eyes begin to burn. With just one blink, the floodgates burst open. You stood there in front of Robin, your shoulders rising and falling, choked and garbled sobs exiting your mouth as tears rolled down your face. Your heart churned, fighting off that foreign feeling that felt so wrong, but so right at the same time. A paradox of emotions. You felt so wrong for breaking down in front of the person you called home, but so… good for breaking down in front of the person you called home.

“Shh… Sh… it’s alright. You’re safe. You’re safe, Y/N. You’re alright.” Robin’s arms wrapped around your head, pulling you closer to her chest. Her still nude chest. In any other circumstances you’d be thrilled at the situation you were in. But vulnerability overpowered lust, and you let out a choked sob, burying your head in between Robin’s supple breasts, allowing yourself to melt into your touch and allowing yourself to be comforted. Drunk on overwhelming comfort and love, you didn’t even notice Robin’s duplicate hands lift your shirt up. You reluctantly removed your hands around Robin’s neck, moving away from your lifeline as your armor was stripped away. A choked protest exited your mouth as Robin placed her hands on your bare shoulders, not allowing you to run to her like a child to her mother. The only sound in the room was your heavy breathing, running faster than your heart was. When that familiar feeling of her hand removed, you stopped breathing, the deafening silence filling the room. 

Shit. Shit. Shit. She’s mad. She’s disgusted. She’s repulsed. She’s-

Soft lips were planted on one of the many scars littered on your body, then again, trailing downwards. Robin’s tongue flicked against your bruises, kissing it and swirling around the area. Her hands were around your waist, head making its way towards every scar you bore. Every kiss, every little touch or lick sent spiders up your spine, a shocked gasp involuntarily leaving your mouth. 

“My beautiful. My beautiful Y/N.” Robin murmured, her breath against the most vulnerable and hidden spots of your body. You stifled a gasp, your hand shooting up to your mouth as Robin continued to kiss every single abnormality from your skin. “My beautiful. My strong Y/N. I am so proud of you. I am so proud of you for being so brave. I love you so much. My love, in this vast world, you alone are the epitome of grace, the prettiest in the world. How could I ever be repulsed by the sight I see?”

Robin stood up, her hands slithering from your waist to your cheeks, as she wiped your tears away. She looked at you with a smile, kissing your forehead, your nose, and finally your lips. When you couldn’t breathe and choked on your breath, she was there, giving you the oxygen in her lungs to breathe, to stabilize yourself. When your legs couldn’t hold your body, she was there, holding you up with her arms. 

When you couldn’t speak, when all you could make was choked sobs and unintelligible rambles like a baby, Robin was there. She was always there. “My love, never be ashamed of the scars on you. They are a testimony to the challenges you face. They tell the story of a battle you fought, and won. Do not deny them, for your scars do not make you weak. They make you strong. My strong beautiful Y/N. My love.”

[bastardtrait]

Toby could feel himself free-falling into the abyss below, once afraid that uncertainty awaited him. But he realised now what lay beneath the mist: freedom. Freedom to be Toby Lucky, and not another Hare.

transcript:

COACH CALLER: A word with you, Mr. Lucky? Well, both of you. IAIN: Shoot, Martin. COACH CALLER: I've already spoken with the Whiteducks, but…I regret that this happened. Just so ashamed. That poor kid. Toby, you're a good friend for staying with him.

IAIN: I already know my son is a good kid. And I know that the Prescott kid is not. Now what are any of you teachers doing about it? TOBY: Dad… COACH CALLER: No, he's right, Toby. Mr. Lucky, be assured that there is absolutely no tolerance on my team for this sort of bullshit. Pardon my French.

COACH CALLER: The amount of parents that are already calling for punishment is overwhelming. Now as the phys ed department head, ain't much I can do besides take him off the team. I just have to hope that'll be enough. IAIN: (smirks) I'm sure the Prescotts doing backflips at the sound of that. COACH CALLER: Heh. Prescotts hate my Black ass anyway. (ahem) But that's…off the record.

COACH CALLER: Toby, you gonna stay on the team, son? I know we talked about it before, and now all of this…just wanted to know where you stood. TOBY: …no, Coach. It wouldn't be right. COACH CALLER: Mmh. I understand.

[half-truths-and-hyperbole-louk]

Louk's Bad Batch rewatch part 23 !!!

I'm back batchers rip my sleep schedule lmao but nothing can stop me from watching tbb

I've got my skittles and my tumblr and disney+ and I'm ready to go 🤟

The Bad Batch 2x03

this entire planet looks like it's made of spice

nervous imperial you're not fooling anyone my dude

Tawni Ames 👑 shoutout to the queen herself Tasia Valenza 💕

CORUSCANT !!!

CROSSHAIR 🥺🥲😭💕❤ I missed you sm (I watched s1 hours ago 🤫)

another Kallus parallel 👀

regs will always hate tbb lololol

Rampart 🔫😁(me, I hate his guts)

32 rotations... 32 ROTATIONS I- 😫

the empire are bitches and we don't negotiate with terrorists

the memorial wall 🥲 (we're gonna pretend it isn't a bunch of random letters hehe)

a few behind Crosshair literally say: sdflkphi, dkniihqaz, aweututn, qqhgouer ~ anyone know more aurebesh than me who can explain this pls ??

he called him by his name !!!

CODY CODY CODY CODY 💕💕💕💕👑👑👑👑

Cody's face when Crosshair mentions the jedi 😭

the only two without their helmets on !!!

FLASHBACK TO THE FIRST BAD BATCH APPEARANCE IN TCW 👀

"mmhmmmm" ~ battle droid, bro 💀

"Dooku was right in the end" real

"We always get shot down when we travel with regs" 👀

"How unfortunate... for you" ~ someone else said this and now I can't find it 🙃 anyway I'm pretty sure it was Crosshair idk

the droid high five lmaooo

clever boys 👑

Crosshair and Cody team up will never fail to make me happy 👌

"I've beaten clankers with far less" tbb mention 🥲💕

Cody trusting Crosshair 🥰 "you do make things interesting" I'd love to see early Cody + tbb missions pretty pretty please 🥺

my mans doesn't even flinch !!!!!

I can feel his smirk when he blows up the tank hehe

Cody has a jetpack and still went nah Ican make that jump 😂 I mean he did but still

Cody complimenting Crosshair 💕

WYLER AND NOVA OWN MY HEART FR

droidekas !!!

Wyler r.i.p my love 💔

There is just something about clones vs droids ya know

Crosshair and Nova silent communication I love it 👌

Cody screaming for Nova and Crosshair pulling him away 😭😭😭😭

r.i.p Nova my beloved 💔

Crosshair's discs !!!!

backflip !!!!

knife knife knife knife knife- 👀

Crosshair calling for Cody to help 🙃

KNIFE KNIFE KNIFE KNIFE KNIFE-

Crosshair putting the puck in Cody's hand - bro at first I thought mans was too injured to move the way he was like 'throw it for me I can do it from laying down in this spiral staircase' and he makes the shot and stands up 2 seconds later and is back to committing war crimes ?? Crosshair you dramatic bitch 💀

"nice throw" "nice shot" 🥰🥰🥰🥰

notice how the tk troopers got captured so they send clones to get them out.... 🙃

Mina Bonteri 💔

"peace was never an option" devastating

the clone music when Cody reasons with Tawni 😫🤧

Crosshair following orders but also saving Cody from having to kill Tawni

the Crosshair music 🥲

"so much for peace" 💔

"put her body in the square" but I can imagine how gentle he would have been with her body... do you think he left his helmet off so the people could see his face or did he cover his face for that

Ok I want to go full english teacher for a moment I'll do it in a few eps watch this space 👀

Crossy and his lil toothpick 💕 (he just murdered someone)

the clones did the dirty work now more tk troopers arrive 😡

Cody's whole speech 💔😭 "we make our own choices and we have to live with them too" knowing he's thinking about everything he's done and thinking he killed Obi-Wan... what if I screamed into the abyss ???

Crosshair not being able to sleep 😫

Rampart doesn't even know their names 😡

OKAY do we think "gone awol" means Cody has actually left or is he awol the same way Wilco is??

COME ON CROSSHAIR JUST LEAVE THE EMPIRE ALREADY 😫

hehe thank you for coming to my 2am tbb rewatch (again hehe) 💕 sorry it's late again if you saw any spelling miatakes no you didn't 🤟

[stainedkleaver484]

I’ll get my inktober stuff up here soon. The job I mentioned in my last post ended up being half of my year and I worked some really long hours, so I pretty much did a backflip into the abyss.

Since the work ended I’ve been trying to get back into working on comic pages, my language learning and being active (I’ve got shit joints and it’s the only thing that gets me through sometimes.) Man I screwed up my shoulder the last week of work and it’s just starting to function properly without yowling like a wounded animal.

Anyway, I’ve got some commissions from more of my brother’s D&D buddies that I’m doing during the nights, so I’ll probably slap those in when I’m finished. Stop being as inactive until I land more work 😅

[curtaincalling]

ashe doesn’t deserve this but i really am super interested in the dynamic between cosmic queen ashe / dark cosmic jhin......

pre-corruption jhin being a member of her court, and genuinely creating these beautiful galaxies and constellations and worlds full of life. ashe admires the beauty of his work, and their relationship is one of a queen and her favored artist. together, they light up the expanse of dark empty sky. 

but then jhin is corrupted by the dark star (although, really, he did a backflip dive straight into it). and he paints over everything that they did, and twists it into his own dark vision. wherever ashe and her court go, jhin follows, to shatter and remake everything that they do. 

ashe continues to do what jhin abandoned--- creating these worlds of life with an artist’s touch. and naturally, jhin is obsessed on finding and.... collaborating on them. just like old times! 

[starlightsoulwriting]

Annihilation Tango: 4

Table of Contents/Description/Warnings Here

AO3

Alpha!Reaper/Gabriel Reyes x Omega!Reader x Alpha!Soldier:76/Jack Morrison

18+ ONLY, Omegaverse, Graphic Violence and Angst, Slow-Burn, Smut

MAJOR Chapter Warnings for Graphic Violence and Blood!!!

Chapter Summary: Your mission with Reaper doesn't quite go as expected and you end up covered in blood.

CHAPTER 4: Maybe I’ve Gone Crazy

New York was never a quiet city, and even in the dark of night cars passed by your hidden roof-top vantage point, the flashes from their headlights illuminating your and the Reaper’s masks for just a split second at a time before leaving the both of you in tense darkness once again, pensively watching the warehouse across the street.

“Has she disabled the cameras yet?” You asked softly, fingers drumming against your arm as you looked across the street at a patrolling guard on the neighboring rooftop, if only to distract yourself from the alpha next to you. You couldn’t just keep staring at him all night. He would notice if you kept at it, even with the masks.

(For all you knew he was staring back, and you quieted the thought even as it sent a thrill through your spine.)

“Should be down in the next thirty seconds.” He replied, clearly disinterested in you, voice short. But it was nice. You were half-tempted to turn on the recorder function in your helmet, just so you had good audio of his voice, but stopped yourself. That would be going a step too pitiful and you weren’t going to be caught dead doing something that sad. You would just have to remember what he sounded like instead like a normal person. Even though it sounded like sex itself and you wanted him to lean in close and whisper dirty things in your ear.

You nodded at him anyway, heart beating fast in your ears, still, thirty minutes after your initial high from touching his very muscular arm wore off. “We should split up once we’re in, cover more ground.” You spared one more glance to your right, but he was in the same statuesque stance as he was last time you’d checked - arms crossed almost casually, staring across the street and paying you no mind. You turned back to the man pacing in circles. “I’ll take the top two floors, you take the bottom two.”

Reaper grunted in an affirmative. “Just comm me if you find the package. Black plastic cases with blue stripes.”

“Sure thing, sugar.” You started as you tightened your bandolier around your chest and checked your helmet’s sensors again for the fifth time, the words flying out of your mouth out of habit before you could think. “Black case, blue stripes.”

And then you froze, almost choking around nothing.

Kill me.

“What-” Reaper made a noise in the back of his throat somewhere between choking and growling, leaving you with unease and embarrassment swarming deep in your belly. “Did you just call me?”

Oops.

“Um.” You cleared your throat as if that would help you now, mind running a million miles an hour flailing for an excuse other than the fact that it’s funny and you’re horny. “I, ah- Use my callsign and I’ll use yours, Angelface.”

And you’re digging the hole deeper and making the nicknames worse. Nice move.

Very sane. Much flirt.

He leveled the dead, black abyss of his mask at you, looking you dead in the face as much as he could, leaning over slightly to emphasize how much taller than you he was. “No.”

“Hmm.” Was that no to calling you your callsign or no to you calling him names? Either way, he was looking at you now, and towering over you, and god damn if your stomach didn’t do backflips. And he’d called your bluff, you weren’t going to back down now. “...How about Casanova, then?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Stud muffin?” You held back a giggle, hand almost going to your face over your mask.

“You’re on thin fucking ice, Kitty.” He ground out, emphasising the diminutive in response, and you chewed on your lower lip, fighting the nervous/excited jittering you needed to let out. Even though he sounded harsh, you swore there was a hint of amusement in there somewhere, sending butterflies blooming wild in your chest.

“Love of my life?” It came out as a half-squeaked laugh as you almost curled into yourself with embarrassment and something else you wouldn’t name.

Still, you could admit that one was a bit much.

“Shut up.” He growled, shoving you square in your shoulder hard enough to knock you down, bowling you over onto your ass, and turned away from you in a flash. “You’re going to give away our position.”

You stared at him for a second, eyes wide, idly rubbing at where he’d pushed you on your collarbone, a soft tingly feeling radiating from where his hand had been.

Was he being sheepish? What you wouldn’t give to see his face - whether he was being genuinely annoyed or if this was some kind of tsundere response to your flirting and therefore kind of adorable actually. He shook his head with an audible sigh, arms crossed again, but not as tense as before.

So that was something, at least. Nothing like embarrassing yourself to clear the air.

And then the giggles bubbled up in your throat despite yourself and the grumpy, lethal soldier next to you shooting you what you could only assume was a nasty look. “Okay, sure, I’m quiet.”

Another car passed by, lighting up the bone-white of his mask for a single, blinding moment before drowning the two of you in the night’s darkness once again.

You supposed you were just lucky you were too useful to kill outright. You doubted anybody else teasing him like that would be let off so easily. At least he hadn’t threatened you yet, so it’s a leg up on the first few times you’d met.

Another few seconds passed without a word in the now-comfortable silence before Reaper broke it. “Sombra’s patched in, but she can’t get an angle on the cases.” He nodded toward the building. “We’re up.”

“I’ll handle the guy on patrol, you go on in and start searching.” You shook your head with a sigh, but you pushed yourself up anyway, taking the time to brush the dirt off your ass, decidedly ignoring the weight of Reaper’s looming presence and the metaphorical egg on your face as he stared at you like you were a nuisance. But it was hard to tell with him. “Jumping to the southwest roof corner on three.”

He nodded, still looking at you without comment.

What exactly was he looking for?

You swallowed and put on your game face anyway, clenching and unclenching your hands in turn, if only to relieve some tension. “One.”

He turned away from you, finally, pulling out his shotguns with a flourish and twirling them around his fingers before grabbing onto them properly.

You would roll your eyes at him if that wasn’t at least a little sexy. Dramatic son of a bitch.

“Two.” You laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling warm cords of muscle tense beneath your touch, like they had when you’d brought him here.

It made you wonder if anyone ever just held him for the sake of it. You would, but at this point you think he’d rip your arms off for even attempting it.

“Three.” You exhaled slowly, everything going quiet for one, beautiful moment.

And you were off, landing being the lone watchman without so much as a sound.

Reaper dissolved into mist as soon as you materialised and seeped under the door and into the building, leaving you to take care of the guard like you'd asked.

Deep breath, hands up, muscles loose.

Your boot scraped against loose concrete dust and made an ever-so-soft sound underneath you as you pushed off the ground, but you were already in the air and onto him before he could so much as turn around.

The last thing he saw before he was teleported to New Jersey was your palm crashing against his nose and a spray of blood.

You winced at the impact, but shook it off with a huff, straightening out your gloves. Hmph, he’d bled on you. You’d liked these gloves, too. Would have to get them cleaned.

One down, however the fuck many to go.

You teleported to the other side of the roof door, just inside the first landing, following Reaper’s lead. The fading incandescent bulb lit up the dingy stairwell just enough to prevent night-vision from working right, and tempted you to take off your mask completely just so you could use your enhanced sight to see better than your color cameras could, but you kept your helmet firmly on. You only took off your mask as a civilian or on Continental grounds for a reason, even if it was unlikely any of these fuckos would ever see you again to justify it. The ones left alive, that is. Which you hoped would be most of them. Mass murder tended to attract unwanted attention.

At least there weren’t any shotgun blasts going off from Mr. Shooty Shotgun McSplode. Yet.

You stepped softly onto the next landing and crouched behind the door, peering through the thin, yellowed window onto the floor beyond it. The night was quiet to the point of being eerie - no people loitering about in the storage area, but the crates you were looking for weren’t there, either. So you took a deep breath and teleported to the other side so no one heard the latch, making your round around the top floor of the building, treading lightly, and looking for anything that fit the brief.

You looked into the first few latched cases, even though you knew they weren’t the target, spending a minute to take in any information about the people you would be going up against if you were seen. The first one you opened was full of pistols, carefully stored in foam cases without ammunition, ready to be shipped. After that, were literal bricks of cocaine, which made you roll your eyes and shut the case just as soon as you’d opened it, and after that lay bags of pink-tinted pills.

A drug ring, then. At least now you felt less guilty about stealing from them.

And there was a rocket launcher in the next one. Tacky. You closed the case and stopped fooling around, standing up higher and looping into another room.

You turned the corner just to be met with the butt of a gun smashing into your nose, mask not breaking but still ramming right into the center of your face, leaving your ears ringing. The man in a bomber jacket lifted his gun at you as you fell back against the wall and blinked to regain your bearings. Ow. You looked back up and narrowed your eyes. Now he was two guys in a bomber-jacket, smirking at you with his pea-shooter as if that was enough of a threat to have you quaking.

How cute. Really terrifying.

You pushed a hand underneath your mask to press against your nose, grunting at the sting lancing through your face - but at least it didn’t feel broken, espite the feeling of blood dripping past your upper lip and into your mouth, tinging your taste buds with salty iron. You looked back up at him as you stood back up straight, gritting your teeth with a scowl. “Surrender now and I won’t have to hurt you.”

He had the soundness of mind to laugh at you for the audacity of threatening him when you were apparently unarmed, his eyes closing for the split second you needed to shoot your leg out at his ankles, sweeping his feet out from under him, catching his falling gun in your hands, before you straightened back up and pointed it down at him just as he hit the ground.

You rolled your shoulders, stretching them out now that you weren’t threatened with a 22 to the face, absentmindedly nudging at the fallen, dumbstruck man on the floor with your boot, sending him to join his buddy in Jersey.

Have fun with your friend.

You scanned the room for cameras, and when you found none, you lifted your mask up barely enough to wipe the blood on your mouth onto your jacket sleeve to prevent it from dripping onto the floor. You knew better than to just spit it out the easy way and give them your DNA. This would have to do for now.

At least your sleeves were black and easy to wash. You weren’t seeing double anymore, and had a gun to pawn off for extra cash. All good things.

The last room had nothing but a cluttered table and half-filled crates, like this guy had been sorting through something. You raised an eyebrow as you got closer, catching the shine of the product as it hit the light. You picked up the small, silver-colored bar and tossed it in one hand, feeling at the weight.

Ooh, unbranded platinum, if you were right. Maybe white gold? Probably melted down from stolen goods either way, and worth money in auction.

You’ll just take a bit of that. Just enough not to weigh you down. Every little bit helped, after all.

A gunshot interrupted you, and you dropped the bar with a metallic *ting*, listening for any more.

Another.

From somewhere below you, you were sure of it, the sound muffled by the concrete between, and you stilled, silently praying that one of these guys hadn’t gotten the luckiest shot of their life and shot Reaper right through the skull. It wasn’t until you heard a distinctive shotgun blast in response that you relaxed, and the amount of relief flowing through you all at once was embarrassing if you were honest with yourself.

He was still alive.

“Found them.” The ecoed words crackled through your Comm in one rushed breath, the Talon-issue earpiece distorting the sound of his voice and adding a layer of static to it you didn’t care for. Not nearly as nice over the radio.

“I figured, Romeo.” You let the name linger in the air as you resisted the urge to bash your own skull in for calling him that, you were so stupid, before you relented and continued after the short, embarrasing silence. “Where are you?”

“Northwest corner, second floor.” A pained grunt that sent dread down your spine. “You get everything out, I’ll cover you.”

Right. Because fighting wasn’t your job here, apparently, even though Reaper would no doubt leave an incredibly high body-count that would get you into way more trouble than this was worth.

Or get himself hurt. Not that it mattered to you that much or anything.

Still, fuck that, you weren’t going to stand for it.

You shook your head and turned on heat vision, looking Northwest and down through the floor at the fight going on two floors below you. It was easy to tell which of the glowing humanoid blobs was Reaper as soon as you switched cameras, he ran hot, after all, shining white on your viewscreen as he body-slammed someone headfirst into a wall, making you wince.

Ouch. Looked like that hurt. You hoped he hadn’t just sprayed that guy’s brains all over the wall.

Okay, there’s an access point you could jump to.

You teleported down to the fight without further thought, crouched behind some cold-black metal boxes and out of sight. You peered around at the dozen-plus people getting wrecked by your mission partner, switching back to normal cameras as you looked for your objective.

Damn it.

There wasn’t enough cover to get to the damn crate and teleport out without taking fire, even if you were fast - it was in the middle of the crossfire! Reaper was taking them down fast, yes, but not quite fast enough to end this comfortably, in between dissolving into mist to avoid their shots.

He let out another pained noise and you clenched your jaw.

Time to fix that, then.

You switched viewing modes again, the one camera inside your right cat ear taking over a small corner of your display, surveying the room while the rest of your head was safe behind the crates, even as Reaper tossed someone over your head and into the pile of cardboard boxes behind you with a sickening crack.

He didn’t get back up.

You swallowed, the depths of your debauchery just now dawning on you. You shouldn't have been reminded about how much you wanted Reaper to plow you in the middle of a firefight, but there you were, thinking about how easy it would be for him to toss you around.

That man was probably parlyzed at the very least and all you could think about was your sex life.

You blinked and turned back toward the fight, gears turning in your mind, surveying the enemy instead of just staring at Reaper and being useless, no matter how much you enjoyed watching him bowl people over like it was nothing.

You just needed to find someone in sight of the rest of his pals in the least cover, in the least crossfire, and then take him out in the most terrifyingly gorey manner possible to scare the rest of his buddies screaming off into the night, and away from your partner.

It’s worked for you before, no reason to think it wouldn’t now.

And as capable as Reaper was, each pained grunt from him worked your heart tighter and tighter into painful, writhing knots, instinct kicking in despite yourself and the knowledge that it wasn’t your job to protect him, dumbass, he’s not your alpha.

Protect him, have to, can’t let him get hurt, can't do this again, it’ll kill you this time, for sure, but he’s not yours, not yours not yours. Not your place, you’re not his, he can handle himself, you don’t need to coddle him, but-

You bit at your cheek until the pain forced your instincts to focus on the actual threats in front of you instead of worrying itself into knots over not being his mate.

Because it didn’t matter, he was your partner and who the hell would you be if you let him take all the fire for you, just because that was ‘his job’?

You would be a coward, that's what. And mama didn’t raise no coward.

So you grit your teeth and dug your nails into your palms, tasting the iron in your blood as if it was a grim warning, and steeled your nerve all at once, in less than a second, the ocean of your emotions settling into the eerie calm mirror-flatness you needed. Cold and precise.

Like flipping a switch, you slipped back into the headspace you’d lived in for years in the Crisis, and later in Tricell, as your team fell around you one by one, until it was only you.

But you needed it. You couldn't do this as yourself.

You were about to do something stupid and gruesome and attention-grabbing, but with any luck, it would end the firefight right here and now just like it had so many times before.

This was so going to fuck with your headspace.

And, oops, too late, no time to think about it any more, there’s a clean target across from you, reloading his magazine, not paying attention to you at all because one of his pals was trying to put Reaper in an incredibly ill-advised headlock as another reaches for his guns. “Taking out red jacket to your left.” You breathed into the comm, ducking back down behind cover.

“Understood.” Reaper growled as you heard a loud snap ring through the room, and you knew without looking that he’d just broken the neck of the one racing for his shotguns.

Here goes nothing.

You just hoped you didn’t get shot this time. This plan tended to get you shot.

With a slow exhale, you teleported just behind the man that’s just now raising his gun toward Reaper again while another two fire again, forcing him to turn into mist and reposition or eat lead. You turned away, instead focusing in on your target as he whirled around at you, drowning out all the other gunshots going off across the room as you shoved at the hand raising a pistol at you, hearing the crack of bones in his wrist, not holding back your strength even a little, even as white-hot pain flared across your right side and wrenched a scream from your lips - the resulting rumbling, bone-deep reverb of a shotgun blast at the person responsible fading into the background as white, implacable noise.

Instead of reacting, you surged forward, ignoring the pain searing through your body as you hooked a leg around his and pulled back, knocking him off balance enough that you could spin him around to face everyone else as he fell, pulling him back upright as you wrenched his broken arm behind his back until it his shoulder popped out of its socket, and his scream captured the attention of at least some of his buddies. You groaned through your teeth and tried not to scream as you jostled whatever gunshot you’d gotten for your trouble while grabbing your human meat shield, but still, you had him.

You needed an audience for this, and it seemed like you’d gotten a few of them off of Reapers back now, and tentatively flickering their guns between you and the black mist whirling around the room and whisking their friends away to god knows where. You sunk your hand into his hair, yanking him back against you close and wrapping your other hand in a bruising grip around his chest, ignoring his pained wheeze even as you felt his ribs give under your grip with a sound too similar to breaking celery for comfort.

There were still eight people standing, not including you or Reaper.

Had more come in here since this started?

Either way, it ended now.

You knew, you knew, if you focused in on the man squirming in your grip just right, right where the base of his skull met his neck you could just -

-CRACK.

His body went limp, still rigid and standing, three feet away now instead of pressed against you - you were numb to the blood spraying onto your visor and over your body and over the floor and his friends and, you just stared at it gushing and flowing and spraying - as the body first landed on its knees, and then bodily slumped face-down onto the concrete, arm flopping limply beside it.

Or, what would be face-down, if it still had a face, and his head wasn’t still clutched by the roots of it’s hair in your left fist’s death grip, blood slopping out of the severed neck and puddling deep red on the floor, and it choked, even dead, gargling as it lost air and body all at once, even though it died nearly instantly, cut off cleanly at the brainstem.

By you.

And the room was dead quiet, the people in front of you frozen in either fear or disgust - while you stood stock still, exposed and raw like a nerve desperate to bury itself back into safe, warm darkness - blood drenching you from head-to-toe, running off your jacket in rivers to join the rest of it on the concrete, pooling around the treads of your combat boots and reaching wider, and wider, and wider, and-

You stood like that, still, for two seconds, using all your energy just fighting off the shakes that threatened to overtake you as empty adrenaline coursed through your bloodstream, forcing you to take several deep breaths of blood-thick air through your nose as you regained some amount of composure, lest you lose yourself in the moment completely and regress into the quiet, catatonic version of yourself that you were afraid of becoming again.

(Last time it had taken three psychiatrists and one Jack Morrison to pull you back out.)

You let out a measured breath, and tilted your head to look at them one by one, holding their rapt attention like an actress holding in a breath between lines of her soliloquy, wiping the blood off the camera on your helmet with your jacket sleeve, and levelled the last eight gangsters alive with a glare you hoped they felt in their nightmares, even through your visor.

“Who’s Next?” You snarled out, near-manic and spitting in the inside of your visor, but it did the job, sending the group into frantic motion all at once, people shoving at each other as they scrambled to get through the one doorway, not bothering to take the time to close the door properly, leaving you alone as it slowly, slowly, swung itself shut.

Alone, with a severed head held too-tight by the hair in your fist.

The door closed with a dull thud.

You dropped the head to the floor, head reeling in dizzy circles and frozen to a halt at the same time.

You blinked.

And lost your composure all at once, curling in on yourself against your knees, gasping in your breaths and only barely succeeding at staying upright at all, vision tinted with that awful shade of red that always took over your nightmares.

Red, red, red, all the way down, down to the flesh, to the bone and underneath, everything was always so red, you couldn’t run from it if you tried, you can’t run, you can't run, you can’t run-

Bootfalls sounded, catching your attention and jarring you from your thoughts all at once, everything in your brain screeching to a halt as you remembered you weren’t alone in there. You lolled your head to the side to find Reaper staring at you from a solid ten feet away, too far away for you to reach, the most sheepish in demeanor you’d ever seen from him, but you couldn’t pull together the threads of your thoughts enough to feel self conscious at the way you were panting, almost wheezing, off-balance, and shaking, not even finding it in you to care that the miniscule chance you’d ever had of fucking him just dissapeared into vapor right in front of your eyes, too caught up in the nauseating mix of a frozen mind and overthinking crashing into eachother and resulting in what would probably sound like AOL dial-up noises if it was made tangible.

You swallowed around the taste of ichor to no relief, mouth feeling suddenly full of sand.

Reaper stood still, like he was waiting for you to do something, before he stepped closer, slowly, one step at a time, the hesitation reminiscent of someone approaching a scared animal, until his shoes were covered in the same blood yours were. He put a hand on your shoulder, steadying you, and all at once you realized you were listing forward and had almost fallen to the ground without realizing it, Reaper practically holding you upright all by himself.

You just stared up at him dumbly, not sure what he was getting at.

And then he shook his head and squeezed just slightly - enough to pull you back into the moment that much more without hurting you with his claws. “Let’s get you back to base and cleaned up. You're going to get fleas.”

Right. You had to take him and the cases back to Talon.

He coaxed you back upright completely, not exactly gentle but not exactly rough either, holding you by both shoulders for a moment as if he was making sure you could stand before he let you go. A whisper-quiet whine left your lips when his hands left you, insides screaming at you to go to him, (warm, safe, alpha, mine), but body refusing to cooperate with you. He ignored it anyway, even though he’d almost definitely heard it.

Still, he was looking at you, with another appraising look, lifting at the right side of your jacket to peer at your wound, making you shiver as he leaned down to look closer, still too dazed to enjoy his attention on you as he hummed. “The medbay can get you some stitches and a round of antivirals. Don’t need you to catch something.”

You lifted your head to stare at him blankly, voice small, and scratched. “What?”

“You’re the one who got shot and then turned herself into Carrie.” He spoke slowly and over-exaggerated, but it was still almost too fast for you to process, nodding at the corpse to your left. “There’s no knowing what he had in his system. That was reckless, kitten.”

Kitten?

You shivered as the cold metal claws left you again to clench and unclench idly at Reapers side.

“Oh.” You blinked, joining his gaze at your side and just now paying any attention to the long line blasted through your tanktop and the clean hole in your jacket - a deep, oozing wound sliced through your side, rough and torn around the edges, all soaked through with dead man’s blood. You couldn’t tell yours and hid apart, even through the dizzying pain of you pressing your hand against it to stem the blood loss. “I... guess I did.”

Christ.

Reaper shook his head and sighed audibly as you stumbled to follow him to the pallet, boots feeling more like lead than rubber, but all you could hear was the rushing, ocean-crash sound of blood in your ears, gaze unfocused on the world around you. You just focused in on the three red shells of his chest armor to keep you upright as he walked backwards until his legs hit the payload. (If you had paid attention you would have noticed his hands were up and ready to catch you.) You sidled up next to him and laid a hand on his shoulder, resting your weight between him and thos eotherfucking crates, this time feeling him look down at you at the almost intimate, soft touch of your gloved hand against his arm, instead of staring straight ahead like he had both times before. You didn’t look back at him, staring ahead of you at a spot on the wall.

If you weren’t about to check out of reality completely you might have liked feeling so close to him, close enough to appreciate his radiant warmth for even just a second.

You teleported him to the Talon warehouse you’d been introduced to earlier, now left completely alone among the carnage you’d created. You shut your eyes tight and turned away from the last in a long line of bodies, laying both hands on the crates, and joined him.

The only part of the base you’d been shown was a vast, dull grey warehouse with concrete floors, both a loading bay and aircraft hangar rolled into one, speckled with more palettes like yours and a jet or two, and even a helicopter, way off on the other side.

Fuck, you felt like you could sleep for a month.

You leaned against the crates, curling one arm protectively around your side and trying to take some deep breaths.

“Don’t bleed on the cargo,” Reaper huffed, grabbing your arm in his clawed hand and pulled you off, wrenching a pained cry from your throat, nearly passing out into his arms like a fucking movie damsel as your vision swam with darkness. He paused, grip softening all at once, not pushing you off of him when you leaned your forehead against his chest armor. “...Can you walk?”

You nodded tiredly, and with an overly-dramatic sigh, he was leading you out of the hangar and through the halls by the arm before your mind could catch up with the fact that you were even moving, legs clumsy underneath you as you struggled to keep up with his longer strides. At one particularly sudden turn, you’d fallen over completely and landed in a swirl of mist instead of hitting the ground, back upright and next to him a split second later before you could even tell what was happening.

He didn’t say anything about it.

Neither did you.

He pulled you through too many turns for you to keep track of as your brain started to become even more fuzzy, in reality probably only three, but at that point everything felt like you were watching through glass, a screen between you and the world, more than just the helmet that actually was.

You stopped in front of a pair of sliding doors, which scanned the both of you with ominous red scanner-thingies before opening with a cheery beep. Reaper ushered you, still somehow heartbreakingly gentle, even through all the pulling and catching and pushing, into something resembling a military med-center, all stark-white tile, but smaller than the ones you were familiar with, other rooms branching off of the main one with navy-blue cots and horrifically bland hospital curtains.

It smelled the same as the disinfectant they used at Overwatch’s mobile med unit.

“Prep an OR and get me a crike tray, I can’t tube her!!”

You closed your eyes hard at the memory, focusing on the blinding pain in your side instead until it was gone as quick as it came, swirling around in your foggy consciousness until it was once again in the background.

A woman - a redhead, hair up in a loose bun - walked up to you with surprised eyes, gaze sweeping over Reaper first, but eyes going wide once they landed on you. Reaper said something you didn’t process for several seconds, by which time you were once again being herded to a new room, which had a cot, and a dinky little shower in the corner. The smell here wasn’t as strong, and you breathed a little easier.

(He’d said to get you some clean clothes, some antivirals, and a suture kit.)

Reaper pushed you to sit down on the cot, still handling you like an actual feral cat that would run off on him, stopped for a moment, staring at the wall instead of you, and left through the still-open door, hands still clenching and unclenching at his sides, leaving you alone, dazed, still not altogether there mentally, and in the middle of a very dangerous base full of very dangerous people.

You would’ve left right then if you’d had any presence of mind or energy left - who knows what these people wanted with you - but just for that moment it was easier to sit down and stare blankly at the ceiling, lying down with your legs still hanging off the cot and allowing a few tears to run down your face, right where no one would see them.

The woman from before walked in not even a minute later with a set of clean, black clothes of soft jersey knit, helping you sit up so you could check their size. A bit big probably, but they would be fine. They were softer than anything you owned currently (the shirt was even a turtleneck), so it’s not like you would complain. She pulled out a pair of those angled scissors hospitals kept to cut people out of stuck-on shirts, setting them on the side table as you dropped the clothes next to you on the cot.

“Let’s get you cleaned up and do a neuro exam before we get you stitched up, yeah? The shower’s not very big, but it’ll get the blood off.” She smiled shakily but still brimming with a gentle softness. “But first, do you want some morphine? Some of the guys around here refuse it for whatever reason, but really, it makes everything so much easier for everyone.”

You wanted to laugh in her face. Why the fact that she was cute, and little, and ginger, and in Talon was so fucking hilarious, you had no idea, but it was. How the hell did she end up here? Still, you nodded, and, after letting you check the little rubber-stopped bottle to make sure it really was morphine, she gave you enough to take the edge off while you got cleaned and stitched up.

You went to shrug off your jacket, but pain shot sharp through your torso when you moved again, making you hiss. You set your arms back down dejectedly, looking at the (nurse? doctor?) in front of you with a sigh. “Can you help?” Shit, your voice was hoarse. You needed some fucking water.

She just looked at you with watery, sweet, hazel eyes and nodded.

It took a while to get your clothes off, even though she saved time by cutting your shirt and bra off you completely and forcibly reminded you of hospital stays passed.

The more things changed, the more they stayed the same, it looked like.

“Don’t you worry, Dr. Zeigler’s the best we got. You’re in good hands.”

“What’s your name?” You murmured just to fill the silence, and drown out the familiar voices circling in your brain - trying not to wince when her tiny gremlin hands wrenched your pants off much harder than she needed to, her eyes flickering between the patches stuck to your neck and your several tattoos, instead of on what she was doing.

“Don't mention the tattoo, please.”

She paused for a moment, big eyes searching yours, before she nodded, eyes back on your side instead of the conspicuous military tattoo on your left leg that you really should’ve had removed ages ago.

Stupid sentimentality.

“You’d be surprised how many people here are ex-military, you know.” She pressed her lips into a thin line, shaking her head with a grimace. “Me included. I doubt anyone would make a big deal of it.”

She started working on your shoes and socks.

She smelled like flowers and tea, a calming note to it that had you almost listing off more than once before she was shoving at something else painfully and jerked you back awake - but then again, that might just be the shock of getting shot sinking in. Either way, she must be a beta. No way would she go without scent blockers as anything else, working in a place like this.

Still, she was a judgy beta with careful, scrutinizing eyes that kept flickering between the patches on your neck and the door like she was expecting something. You just looked away from her and didn't meet her gaze, taking the time you had here to come back to yourself more now that you were somewhere relatively safe, even if not completely, and no longer in blood-soaked, ruined clothing.

“Not that surprising, I guess.” You said, thinking back to the familiar way Reaper held himself, the confidant strides and stiff posture. It made sense, unfortunately.

You were there, too, after all.

“I’m April.” She said with a smile as she finished, your underwear still on for now, thankfully, before she grabbed a bottle of antiseptic and poured it onto some sterile gauze, covering up her mild smell with pungent ethanol. You wrinkled your nose at it. “U.S. Army Mobile Surgery Unit. What about you?”

“Well, April, I’d tell you, I really would, but then I’d have to kill you.” You laughed humorlessly, tensing as her hand approached your side, anticipating the moment when you would probably scream like a bitch baby. “But you can call me Kat.”

She rolled her eyes at you, but a smile creeped onto her face anyway. “Well, that’s just typical.”

Then she pressed the gauze to your wound, making you shout at the pain and lack of warning, cleaning it out as best as she could, pulling screams out of you in staccato, digging your hands into the sheets as she rubbed her grubby little fingers into the cut even deeper than you would have, squeaking out apologies every time you cried out.

At some point something metallic crashed over in the hallway, making her jump and hit you right in your wound, making you shout again, even as some kind of commotion broke out with accompanying thunks of bodies, but she just told you to ignore it with an exasperated shake of her head, finishing up and pressing a temporary waterproof dressing over your skin.

Comforting.

“That… happen often?”

“Depends on the season. You know how Alphas get, even on meds. And this place? Chock full.” She stood up with a shrug and a thin smile, re-tying her hair. “Now, do you think you can shower by yourself?”

You sighed. At least the scent blockers on your neck were waterproof, even if she kept nervously looking between them, your face, and the door. (And no doubt the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground outside your door, signalling the end of the altercation in the hall before it was silent again.)

You had a sneaking suspicion the rumour mill was going to flip it’s lid no matter what you did here.

Something weird was going on here.

You managed to slip off your underwear by yourself before she helped you stand, only slightly woozy on your feet despite your bloodloss.

Another win for the SEP program.

You paused, now fully naked. Except for one thing.

Your fucking helmet.

You stepped into the small shower without further fanfare, drawing the curtains closed with an annoyed huff, and taking the visor off with your good arm once you were sure April couldn’t see you, handing it through to her. She didn’t get to see your face, at least. Even if you couldn’t hide anything else. You could keep this to yourself.

The water pressure in this particular Talon base sucked ass, but at least you got the temperature to a decent luke-warm. You closed your eyes, letting the remaining blood flow off you, thankfully very little left now that your clothes were off and your wound was washed off. You didn’t need to wash out your hair, either, thanks to the helmet.

You turned it off after staying in there until the water was cold, having been careful not to get your head and neck too wet for your visor, and stuck a hand out for it before anything else, placing it back on your head with a scratchy “Thanks.”

April helped you dry off and shrug into the new turtleneck and sweatpants, gentler now than she’d been with your clothes. Sometimes showers felt more like magic than hygiene, and you felt more grounded and normal than you’d been for the past hour, head clearer and heart rate finally settling down.

She was tying your boots for you when someone knocked at the door, making you raise your eyebrows. You turned to her for help, but she just shrugged at you unhelpfully - her wide, almost panicked eyes almost made you not answer, though, like she knew who it was.

“Come in?”

Don’t be Moira, Don’t be Moira, Don’t be Moira.

The door creaked open, revealing Reaper, half-leaning on the door frame and swaying slightly on his feet, most of his armor nowhere to be seen, and holding some kind of plastic-wrapped medical tray. He waited just long enough for April to finish tying your shoes before he leveled her with what you guessed was a glare and growled out a single: “Out.”

She lost her composure all at once, shooting up straight and stumbling on her way out the door, squeaking high and girlish as she passed him, able to throw one last panicked look back at you before Reaper slammed the door shut in her face.

“You shouldn’t terrorize the medical staff.” You wheezed out, curling an arm around your side as he dropped the tray on the side table and knocked your ruined clothes to the floor, making you frown and quirk an eyebrow at the same time, staring bemused as he kicked the one chair over to the bed, and sat down in front of you without saying anything else. Close enough to touch each other, if you wanted. “They’re gonna poison you one of these days if you’re not careful.”

“Too late.”

Um?

You’d caught the ever-so-slightly visible waver in his step, like he wasn’t fully awake, somehow, making you shoot him a concerned look he couldn’t see. “...You good there, sunshine?”

“Worry about yourself.” He said, moving closer, leaving no room for argument, even though the mist that flared off his body was… much more active than usual, pouring off him in waves.

But you didn’t really know enough about him to know what that meant.

You swallowed, not sure what he was even doing there in the first place, suddenly self-conscious. “I’m fine, really, I just need to rest another few minutes before I port back to the Continental, and Doc can stitch me up fine, so, whatever it is you want, I can deal with in a bit, just-”

You cut yourself off, noticing he wasn’t wearing his gloves just as he was pulling on new disposable ones, then went on to peel open the sterile tray without paying much attention to what you were saying.

Oh.

It was a suture kit.

“Doc’s a fucking butcher, and Kepner’s worse. Somehow. Would patch you up with super-glue if she could just so she can move on to the man with his guts hanging out.” He said in a kind of benign scorn, like he’d been on the receiving end of said treatment more than once but didn’t know what to do about it. “Now lift up your shirt.”

Your brain froze.

Excuse me? Am I fucking dreaming?

“What, and you’re better?” You barked out a laugh, resisting the urge to shrink back from him and run away, but then again, he was warm, you were close enough to feel it through all the layers of his clothing, and you really wanted to pitch forward and just. Lean on him, maybe stare at the tight black turtleneck he wore that matched yours. But you didn’t really think he’d appreciate it, especially with how oddly nice he’d been earlier. “You’re telling me you can throw stitches better than a fucking surgeon?”

“Yes.” He said simply, continuing to pull out a pair of forceps, and then used one of them to pull out a curved needle that had string already threaded through the tiny opening.

You don’t know if it was blind trust or the confident way he handled the forceps just as easily as anybody else you’d seen that made you believe him, but you did.

“Why, though?”

He just stared at you for a second before he went back to setting up.

You translated that as him looking at you like you’d said something dumb that he wouldn’t dignify with an answer.

Was he really going to stitch you up for seemingly no other reason than wanting to? That… seemed a bit hard to believe.

You worried at your lower lip, a really irresistably dumb idea popping into your head, hesitating for a moment and looking for cameras in the room. There weren’t any. You had a sneaking suspicion Reaper would know and wouldn’t be caught dead being kind to someone on tape, so there was that...

Besides, you liked Reaper a hell of a lot more than some of the other people who knew what you looked like.

You placed a hand on either side of your helmet and slid it off gently, setting it on the cot next to you.

“Hello,” You smiled tentatively with a little wave, trying to gauge some kind of response from him.

You had the privilege of seeing with your own eyes how Reaper stilled all at once, frozen as he was laying out his supplies, his right sleeve ridden up just enough that you could see a patch of his skin. It felt like a secret, knowing that his arms were an ash-brown, and it made you smile. How many people had even the slightest clue what he looked like?

He was staring at you for sure this time, you just knew it.

You looked back at his mask, tilting your head. “Cat got your tongue?”

...

“Don’t be stupid.” He said low, voice a note deeper than before, and even more lovely to hear without the extra layer between you and him, something that simple enough to send shivers up your spine. “Just lift up your damn shirt so we can get this over with.”

And he ruined it.

“Wow, just what every woman wants to hear.” You rolled your eyes, before turning your gaze firmly to a small digital clock on the other side of the room, heat rising up your face. “Um… I can’t lift my arms that high.”

He sighed, heavy and deep. “Just... lay down on your side, then.”

You bit your lower lip, but nodded, turning around and laying down on your side so you faced away from his heavy gaze and towards the wall, somehow hoping that if you didn't look at him then your racing heartbeat would calm down.

You jumped at the first touch - a surprisingly gentle hand tugging at your hemline. You forced yourself to relax, breathing deep and counting your breaths. His fingers were warm, so warm, on your skin, just barely touching you as he folded your new shirt over itself until he could see your wound just under your ribs. He peeled off the temporary dressing, making you suck in a breath through your teeth at the pull.

Shuffling sounds behind you, and the snapping of gloves as if he was changing them out for new ones now that he’d touched something that wasn’t sterile. “You’re not allergic to lidocaine?”

“Nope.” You sighed, knowing what was coming, and not looking forward to it.

“You’ll need quite a bit.” His voice was closer now, said as a warning, but still washing over you and calming you down as you caught the tail end of a version of his distinctive Alpha smell (smoke and amber) - a version that seeped into your brain and soaked it in dumb and told every inch of your body to relax and stay calm, that everything would be alright, and you listened to it even as you blinked in surprise that he was practically telling you to chill the fuck out just with his scent.

“Okay.” You breathed in a bit deeper, hoping that scenting him more would help, but still clawing a hand into the sheet beneath you, preparing yourself for what you knew would be a bad time no matter how many hormones Reaper sent flooding through your system to calm you down.

He plunged the needle into the raw edge of your wound, and you clench your teeth as your vision spotted white with burning, raw pain, even after he paused. You sucked in an unsteady breath, and he started again in a new place, and again and again until you lost count of how many times you’d been shot for these stupid fucking stitches, darkness creeping steadily into your vision until you floated in a barely conscious haze.

“I’m done.”

You didn’t realize you were crying until he stopped, and you felt his now-bare hand softly pressing flat against the back of your neck, the gesture of comfort normally reserved for pack members or best friends friends or mates making your face heat up even more than before, but still, you found yourself unable to resist the urge to press back against him and sigh heavily in relief all at once. So you did, sinking into his grip and relishing in the way it tightened over-so-slightly at the soft humm you let out in response, lighting up just about every neuron in your brain with a soft, glowy pleasure, your eyes drifting shut.

Apparently he knew you were an omega, somehow, or was guessing, but his intuition was embarrassingly spot on, and you almost melted into him right then and there when he gave you one last comforting squeeze. “The hard part’s over.”

Christ, you could never look at him again, why did you take off your fucking helmet?

He took his hand away, and you let out a barely contained whine at the loss and tilted your head back to chase his touch, floating in a cloudy place where the pain didn’t hit you as much.

And then he cleared his throat, breaking you out of your trance all at once and sending you crashing back to the reality of you laying down on a scratchy Talon med-cot, and he sounded like he was just as uncomfortable as you were, even if that was pretty damn unlikely, because you were fucking mortified, entire upper body warm from embarrassment an morphine.

And then he pat your shoulder. Fucking hell.

It was too painful to laugh at.

You wiped the tears off of your face and bored your eyes straight into the wall in front of you so you didn’t have to face him, hoping to preserve some modicum of dignity even as your voice cracked. “If you tell anyone about this I’ll fucking kill you.”

“You’re insufferable.” It was soft and gruff, without any real bite to it, and it made your heart clench in your chest with an unexpected resurgence of yearning.

God, the embarrassment was worth it just to be this close. You couldn’t stop the smile from forming on your face. “Good thing I’m so cute, then.”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself, princessa.”

Oh my god you were going to explode what the fuck, Reaper?

Was this how he felt when you called him cutesy nicknames?

You kept your mouth shut, afraid of eliciting more unexpected pet names from him.

You would explode.

Even though you felt him stitching you up moments later, the cold metal forceps a shocking contrast to his warm hands, you managed to keep yourself from squirming away from the pulling, awkward almost-pain at your side. And the one time you did, arching your back away from him, he’d grabbed your hip and pulled you back against where his leg hit the cot, shocking you into almost catatonic stillness in one swift motion, knee warm against your lower back.

Shit, that was hot. And you so totally shouldn’t think about him railing you while he was literally right behind you, caging you in with his muscled body, and you wished you weren’t too injured to make a move and you wished you were somewhere other than the middle of a clinic in a Talon base so you could just. Try something and make a fool of yourself kissing a mask.

It was enough to make you want to scream, or more likely just let the frustration build until you internally combust.

Which seemed like a good plan. Very easy to execute.

When he was done, he lowered your shirt back to its rightful place and pulled you upright, and you turned around just in time to watch him stand from his chair.

You swallowed, trying to think of something to say, something to keep him in there longer, but he wasn’t exactly the type of guy you asked to dinner, was he? Instead, all that came out was: “Valdez won’t cheap me on the commission for this, will he?”

Smooth.

“I’ve been looking for an excuse to kill him, so I doubt it.” He shrugged, pausing on his way out and more steady than he was when he’d come in, mist back to normal, barely-visible levels, and looked over his shoulder at you, hand lingering on the door like he wanted to stay, too, even as he went to close it, making some sad, attention starved part of your heart leap in anticipation. He cleared his throat again, looking away. “Don’t stick around. Moira’s flying in in the morning, but she has a bad habit of showing up early.” And then that part of you was immediately smothered with a pillow in it’s sleep. Jesus christ.

You raised your hand in a tiny, tired wave. “See you round, then.”

He hesitated, the brighter light from the hallway reducing him to a silhouette in the doorway. He shook his head. “You better hope you don’t.”

He shut the door behind him, the soft sound of the latch closing echoing in your ears louder than gunfire.

Somehow, you felt both more and less alone than you did this morning.

Later, in your hotel room, when you managed to look in the mirror, you couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

His stitches were perfect.

A/N: This chapter's title brought to you by Terrible Things by Brick+Mortar.

M-M-M-Mega Chapter! Finals week is stressin me but I was too antsy to get this out here ave it before I change my mind! Anyone have a guess as to what might've happened to Reaper in between scenes? He'll tell Kat eventually at some point down the line but I wanna hear what you guys think. If someone gets it right I'll let y'all know. The answer is really funny.

@seirensou​ @not-so-quite-human​

[deci-doodles]

Personal hc thought thingies regarding the twins and their roles as traveler/traveler’s sibling:

Aether’s canonically older so he likes to tease Lumine about it and takes charge as a result. He’s more level-headed and not as confrontational.

Lumine’s a bit feral in comparison wheezing but seriously she seems to deal more damage than Aether does in game. She can be a bit over the top/show-offy with her fighting (see this video, she does a whole ass backflip with her anemo burst)

Anyways:

As the Sibling/Abyss Princ(ess), both desired to be more powerful in order to find their lost sibling as well as a festering anger (both being fuelled by the Cataclysm) which led to their corruption and the formation of the Abyss Order. Abyss!Aether still sees Lumine as being his little, naive sister so he wants to wait and guide her to what he thinks is the right path, same with Abyss!Lumine except she wants to ‘repay’ her brother by doing what she sees as protecting him and getting him to eventually join her.

As the Traveler, Aether’s insecurities are that he failed his sister by being separated and thus unable to protect her anymore, his nightmares mainly centre around Lumine berating him and calling him a failure. As for Traveler!Lumine, she feels that their separation’s also a result of her being too reckless and she has nightmares about Aether abandoning her because he’s had enough of her.

Hopefully that makes sense, just a midnight brain fart of mine rip

[edit]: apparently due to their practically identical age, the twins would decide who did what with Rock Paper Scissors and I think that’s adorable

[pk-freezer-burnt]

Epic Kirby Planet Robobot Review

5 years after it’s initial release i have finally gotten around playing kirby planet robobobobot. today i have beaten the final boss.......and now.......... i share my thoughts

- First and foremost i wanna note that although waddle dees are a common enemy in every iteration of the kirby series, planet robobot has probably has been the most violent game towards them. if i ever asked myself questions such as, “can i scan a waddle dee with my robobot and have it disappear forever?” or, “can i punch waddle dee’s city bus into the building and explode it into a million tiny pieces?”, the answer was probably yes

- THIS IS HALTMANN’S WORLD WE ARE JUST LIVING IN IT

- I kinda binge played this game, so it felt a little short, but the art and music really makes up for it. not to mention the 3d aspects incorporated into the game play. this game really was a piece of art :3

Copy abilities: oh yeah baby they brought back my boi MIRROR ABILITY! it’s my favorite! i spammed the up and down B moves so much. and the smash bros ability is so good, but i only found it in one stage. it’s a good ability to use for boss fights. ALSO shout out to the circus ability, why wasn’t this in star allies? i wanna see kirby doing backflips and juggling flaming bowling pins on my switch

- Speaking of copy abilities, i wish the robot had the ability to transform into all the things kirby could. 2 ton circus robot.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: the unexplained robokirby you would control with a remote until it fell into the abyss

~*~*~ end game time ~*~*~

Classique kirby game moment when most the plot happens in the last few stages and ur still left with questions... but at the same time thats what i love about it, it keeps me motivated to see what happens next.

dang, the game wasnt subtle with the whole um... wuts the word.... colonizing theme of haltmann taking over planet popstar. the dude was really like “yeah we’re more advanced than u and we’re gonna need ur natural resources. also u natives need to know ur place” like boly shiet

ANYWAY yea. CEO’s FW the mother computer sucks his soul straight outta his brain.

MFW KIRBY’S ROBOBOT SUCKS UP THE HALBERD

MFW STAR DREAM’S SHELL BREAKS OFF AND REVEALS NOVA’S FACE

LIKE SERIOUSLY WHAT- IS IT NOVA? IS IT A COPY? ARE THERE MORE CAT CLOCK REALITY WARPERS OUT THERE?? HELLO?!?!?

anyway yeah. meta knight needs a restraining order after this one boyz.

11/10 korby game

[mechanicalriddle]

EYY ITS EXALTED SECRET SANTA OVER ‘ERE

Here are your choices for this year’s EXALTED SECRET SANTA, o secret santa. Here are your choices for this December…

(big shoutout to Tumblr for completely butchering the image quality on all of these!! anyway heres a link to a big version:)(x)

Ted is one of my first and most beloved Exalted characters and if you follow me at all you’ve probably heard about his misadventures!

Ledaal Tedeo (22, he/him) is a disgraced ex-dynast who had nearly managed to graduate from the Heptagram with his sorcerous credentials, until he exalted working on his senior thesis and had to get the heck outta there. Now he is on the run from his old life accompanied by a ragtag circle of solar misfits (and one abyssal) and having… Well. A time.

He’s a sorcerer, lore supernal, genius mathematician and artificer, Single Point initiate, clinically anxious and perpetually annoyed (by everything). In his spare time he enjoys a.) working, b.) smoking weed and c.) chillin (in a high-brow, decadent sort of manner). You might draw him toiling away at a workbench, toking off a cool pipe with a dragon or something on it, casting a spell, swinging his sword around, hanging out with his Huraka familiar, etc etc.

Special appearance notes... He has funny wispy hair due to his strong db pedigree. He also has supernaturally clean and shiny teeth due to the blessings of a teeth god. Oh yeah and an evil tattoo which is a great excuse to wear fingerless gloves everywhere. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: do not “skinny-wash” this character!! I will be very cranky if you do that!! If you don’t think you can draw a fat character, well… learn, or pick a different guy, or something.

~~~

(x)

Oh wow, cool abyssal. Huh, wait. They’re not an abyssal? NO because they are a FIRE ASPECT! They’ve not familiar with your “realm” nonsense or whatever because they were raised in a DOOMSDAY CULT! The Last Candle Lit Against the Dark (20, they/them) hails from the high north, along the fringes of the bordermarches. After their disastrous exaltation they were cast out by their kin into the frozen wastes to die. Instead, they were taken in by a lonely goddess imprisoned in a sunken city. Here they were granted knowledge, the secrets of sorcery, and a few fun little mutations as a bonus.

Candle makes pretty egregious use of their control spell, Blood Lash, instead of more conventional weaponry (otherwise opting for knives, in a pinch). They also have way too many oxbodies + the pain tolerance merit, meaning they can get slapped around a fair bit without being significantly hampered by it. You could draw them doing some kind of cool action sequence, like using their blood lash, or doing a cool backflip, or something like that. Other options… reading forbidden texts, performing evil blood rituals at a spooky altar, trying on some gaudy goth fashions, or just hangin’ out.

Their aspect markings manifest as grey hair & perpetually soot-stained fingertips. Their control spell gives them nasty, veiny markings, which become more intense and spread farther over their face/arms if they are angry or overexerted. Their evil goddess connection has a few funny effects as well- They have a second set of eyes that can see in the dark (which are kept closed most of the time) and hooves that improve their jumping capabilities (kept under their Convenient Hoof Concealing Gucci Boots) as well as a few fun effects that are a secret to everybody (except me, and the GM of course)

(cool example shrine)

~~~

Also I didn’t wanna put this guy in the ring but I ran out of time. So! here is my last option...

(x)

(note: i was running out of time so i just yanked this text nearly directly from a post I’d put together for commissioners.... so if the wording seems a bit weird thats why)

Broken Star (21, he/him) is a day caste abyssal, investigation supernal, lifelong skullstone resident, former detective, and fresh-from-the-grave Bodhisattva Anointed by Dark Waters crony.

His primary weapon is thrown daggers. Conveniently he has wings which are made of dagger “feathers” which he can remove and throw at people. In close combat he prefers paired shortswords, and fights in a sort of rough-and-tumble ‘brawler’ style.

The wings are a part of a sort of “second skeleton” artifact weapon which has been grafted onto him via necrosurgical bullshit. All the pointy metal-looking bits sticking out of him are also a part of this ‘second skeleton’. He gets some cool evocations from it! But also angst :[

He looks very mean but he is not actually!! Hes sort of a jokester and a goofball and hes pretty frequently got a big, sharp-toothed grin on his face. Which is not to say that he can't be a serious and incredibly dangerous assassin when circumstances call for it...

For things you could draw him doing… Prowling around, swordfighting, throwing his feather-daggers, doing cool flips, being a show-off are all excellent options to get you started, but if you have other cool ideas then by all means have some fun with it!

(x)

[mettywiththenotes]

Okay, see, here’s why I’m comparing the “His heart...!” Bakugou moment and “His heart has stopped!” Tomura moment from War Arc

They both have the same energy

The whole “Oh no something happened with his heart, and there’s no coming back from that, so he’s gotta be dead, right?” thing

It’s the assumption that if something has happened with the heart, then the chance of dying is GREATER than it was before (which it is), especially with BOTH of those moments acting as cliffhangers at the end of their chapters (362 for Bakugou and 269 for Tomura) - but it’s framed like it’s the End Of their characters, when the likely possibility is that something BIG is about to happen, whatever that may be

Also I was looking through both chapters and

Bonus! Because the following parallels looked kinda interesting

There’s the It’s All Coming Up Now (heroes seemingly losing, villains winning)

vs the It’s All Over Now fake-out (heroes seemingly winning, villains losing)

[rainsonata]

Doppelgänger 9/15

Chapter 09: Consolidation  

Fandom/Pairing: Elsword; none Rating: T Word Count: 7,821

Summary: It was like looking into a mirror. What happens when one’s reflection talks back and throws uncomfortable questions? El Search Party struggles to find entrance into the Demon Realm, but Dominator has a plan.   

Alternative Title: Dominator fucked up and now everyone meets their alternative selves  

AO3 Link / FF.NET Link

— [Chapter 01] [Chapter 02] [Chapter 03] [Chapter 04] [Chapter 05] [Chapter 06] [Chapter 07] [Chapter 08] [Chapter 09] [Chapter 10] [Chapter 11] [Chapter 12] [Chapter 13] [Chapter 14] [Chapter 15] —  

----------------------------

Class Notes: 

Canon Path: Knight Emperor, Aether Sage, Daybreaker, Rage Hearts, Code: Esencia, Comet Crusader, Apsara, Empire Sword, Doom Bringer, Ishtar and Chevalier (Innocent), Bluhen   

Alternative Path: Rune Slayer, Oz Sorcerer, Anemos, Furious Blade, Code: Ultimate, Fatal Phantom, Devi, Flame Lord, Dominator, Timoria and Abysser (Catastrophe), Richter

-----------------------------

Daybreaker 

A pair of eyes followed her, carefully making notes of her movements with an analytical intent not unlike that of a soldier. Daybreaker saw him do the same with her companions. Rune Master scratched the back of his neck and laughed when caught, but his smile failed to reach his eyes. He was doing what humans did when anxious or uncertain about their future. It was the kind of behavior Daybreaker saw when humans realized that they had no control over their current situation. Rune was trying to understand who they were, these strangers that shared his friends’ faces, yet didn’t know him. 

Empire left with the others with the premise of approaching a cavern after Bluhen and Bringer detected Knight’s El resonance. It made sense to send one of their stronger team members in case they had to fight off demons or powerful enemies that were after the Dark El. There was a possibility demons like Ran were out to get their revenge on the team. 

“They haven’t returned,” Rune said. “I don’t sense them.” 

The rune user sat at the base of one of the many mountains decorating the terrain. Rune sat with his legs crossed and traced his finger over the sand. It was hard to believe he was Knight from his demeanor. He could be pouncing on Rage with trivial questions for one moment, but then lose all emotion and ask if they knew where the Dark El was.   

Daybreaker wanted to believe his interest in the Dark El was for the same reason as Knight’s. 

“What’s your plan?” Rune said, “You promised to help if they didn’t come back.” 

“Only if they’re in trouble,” Rage replied. 

“Are they?” Rune tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear. 

He sat up and stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles. Weaponless, Rune had nowhere to go except where his kidnappers were willing to trek. His mannerisms reminded Daybreaker of the boy she first met near Ruben Village. Rune was brash and said what was on his mind with no plan in mind, although the latter was questionable. There was a familiar hint of mischievousness in Rune, sometimes snorting to a joke no one knew about except for himself. 

Rage tapped his finger over his communicator, his lips forming into a tight line when there was no response. He breathed in unison with the Nasod arm, alive and independent from its owners’ thoughts.    

“What’s wrong, Raven?” Daybreaker saw the man frown. 

“Elesis isn’t answering.” 

“What does that mean?” Aether asked. “Did something happen to them?”

“I’m trying to call them,” Daybreaker tapped on her device and waited for the familiar voices of her friends. “Where are you going?”

Rune sat up. 

“How can you sit here and act like nothing’s wrong?” Rune glared.     

“You don’t know what they’re going up against,” Rage went after him. 

“Which is exactly why you should go save them!” He pulled his arm away from the older man, “Doesn’t it bother you that they asked you to sit and wait?”

Daybreaker had her gloved hand out, mere inches away from Rune’s face. She grabbed hold of the collar of his jacket and pulled on it, forcing Rune to lower his head so they were at the same level. He was just a child yet he was so eager to throw his life away for strangers he hardly knew. There was fear in Rune’s features. 

“So you’re going to throw a tantrum like a child?” Daybreaker asked.  

“Rena?” Aether gasped. “What are you doing to him?”  

“I don’t think I’m asking much when I tell you to remain here.” Daybreaker kept her voice even, “I understand why you’re upset and that you are here against your will. I know that makes us look bad, but I think it’s going to be worse if something was to happen to you because of us. We promised Elesis we would keep you safe.” 

Daybreaker couldn’t allow it in her subconscious to allow him to walk off like that. They have already lost Knight. If the other El Search Party learned that Rune had gone missing over another heroic act, she wasn’t sure if it was something she could ever forgive herself for. She didn’t know Rune well, but she couldn’t stand the idea of seeing a young human getting hurt. Not after losing Knight.    

Rune cracked a smile, tears streaming down his cheeks. She loosened her grip when his eyes flickered cyan for a brief moment. Daybreaker bit her lips. The other Elsword was influenced by the El too. That’s why he was receptive to other people’s El resonance. It must be painful for Rune to be aware of people’s state of mind or power, a blessing and a curse. Rune could have sensed something most of them couldn’t. No wonder he was eager to charge into another battle. He was Elsword, after all.  

“Heh, you really are Rena.” Rune laughed without humor, “She would have said something like that.” 

Knight’s doppelgänger rolled his shoulders and pulled his jacket back to show off his bare stomach. His attire was more reminiscent of civilians from Bethma than from his hometown. Rune had his hand behind his back, twitching in need of having a weapon by his side at all times. It was strange how similar he was to Knight without realizing it. 

Aether flicked the rune user by forehead with her fingers before crossing her arms, “Where were you planning to go anyway? We don’t even know where they are!” 

“That hurts!” Rune whined.  

“Rena, are you there?” Crusader’s voice broke out in static, “This is Chung. The cavern is collapsing. I’m with another person. We can breathe, but there’s a monster outside. Be careful, it’s dangerous! It can-” 

His voice was cut off before his message could pass through. Daybreaker’s throat went dry and searched to see if any coordinations have been sent to her. Without them, they would have to find their teammates by relying on their senses. 

“I heard Chung’s voice,” Rage remained composed. He sensed her anxiety and was already coming up with a plan for their next mission. “I’m guessing this is the signal?”

“I think that warrants more than that,” Aether said dryly.    

The sky bloomed into deep violet. Lines cracked against the vibrant heavens, outer shells of crystals framed and hollowed out from the insides to form an assortment of portals. Black spheres tore the surrounding space apart. A deafening sound crashed in Daybreaker’s eardrums when they exploded in the sky. 

The cacophony produced by the powerful force strengthened as Daybreaker led them closer to the source, at the entrance of Shadow Vein, a cavern filled with giant crystals. Towering mountains came into view when they arrived at the base of where the cavern opening was supposed to be. Slabs of rocks and boulders blocked the entrance, leaving little room for even the smallest child to fit through one of the bigger holes. Rune slammed his bare hands against the boulders. 

“Are you in there?” Rune pulled his arm out in search of his sister, “Elesis!” 

“Elsword!” Empire cried and reached for him with an arm smeared in blood. “Is that you? We’re inside Shadow Vein!”

“We’ll find a way to get you out, I promise!” He choked into a quiet sob.   

Green light shone as Daybreaker strung her bow and focused her energy on the pointed end of her arrows. She shot two arrows to a shadowed figure that appeared from her peripheral vision, followed by a backflip and fired several more towards the sky. Daybreaker gasped when the sky disrupted and the very fabric of time and dimension was torn apart. Her arrows disappeared into the small holes created by the tears and flew back towards her. Daybreaker launched herself into a backflip and cartwheeled away with her bow tucked behind her back. 

Fire, ice, and electricity were dispersed by Aether, followed by explosions from impact as she fired a circle of elements to the enemy. Smoke filled the air and the elemental mage’s voice was heard amongst the chaos.       

The shadowed figure dissolved into space, taking the shape of a tall figure with white hair reaching down its back. A magenta-colored crystal latched onto their chest and glowed a sickly coloration to their skin, a shade lighter than her’s. Their jawline was met by a slender neck covered in black material unknown to Elrians. Drones levitated around the stranger with a mind of their own, acting as a shield and deflecting dark energy from the monster they were fighting. 

“That monster has Elsword!” Aether pointed to the shapeless crystal monster. The Dark Agate pinched Knight between its fingers, lifting him and screaming when Aether summoned icicles to pierce through its hardened skin. The icicles broke off and shattered into dust.            

Rage leveraged his blade between his Nasod arm and pressed his weight against the monster’s legs. Sharp lines cracked into its exterior and dark liquid leaked out, emitting a foul smell that reeked of rotting flesh and metal. The end of Rage’s Nasod arm drilled further into the monster’s skin, twisting and forming dents into it. The Dark Agate groaned and charged against the base of the mountain. Stone walls rumbled and cascaded over the land, sending pebbles raining down over Rage and Knight. 

“It seems like your friends came for you,” the stranger chuckled overhead. They maintained distance as they lowered themself to reveal the face of a man. Scars stretched over the lower half of his face and grinned. “I’ll be nice and deliver their princess~”

“I’m not a princess-”  

Knight stopped fighting from the monster’s hold and froze. His body outlined in blue and faded. His cries echoed the valley and shook the mountains’ foundations surrounding them. Knight reappeared next to the stranger. Nowhere to stand, Knight panicked and waved his limbs in panic. He was hundreds of feet above the ground and had nowhere to break his fall. 

Daybreaker leaped into the air and strung several arrows between her fingers with dexterity. Her arrows fought against gravity and flew across. Three arrows ran through the seams of the back of Knight’s collar, pinning him and sending his body slammed against the walls of a cliff. She ran over to check his status, but a purple blur beat her to it. 

“Elsword!” 

Aether waved her staff and teleported in succession to the base of the cliff. Her arms were stretched out and stood on her tiptoes in reach for Knight. It would have been touching to see Aether finally be honest about her feelings for the younger boy, but the stranger’s appearance led to more questions for Daybreaker. What did he do to escape from the hold of a powerful demon?  

“Aisha, help me!” Knight clung to the wall, pushing his legs up in search for something to stand on with no avail. 

“I’m trying!” Aether growled, “You’re lucky Rena is here to stop you from breaking your neck!” 

Daybreaker rubbed her forehead with a sigh. She couldn’t believe her arrows were strong enough to stick to the walls. Being in Demon Realm must have done something to strengthen her tolerance against the demonic energy and help her rebuild her strength as she would have in Elrios.  

“So cute,” the enigmatic man giggled. He rested his elbow against one of his drones and lifted one leg up. 

“Where are you going?” Knight looked at the man. 

“I already saved you twice,” he yawned. “I think you can handle this one by yourself.”

The man opened a portal and exited from the scene with a Cheshire grin being the last thing they saw. The portal was sealed shut from behind and the sky went back to being a melancholy blue dipped in tones of red and orange. Who was he?  

“If you keep moving, you’re going to fall!” Aether chastised. 

“How am I supposed to get down?” Knight asked. “There is nothing to-, ah!” 

The arrows holding Knight snapped and the boy slid down. Daybreaker winced as he dropped from several meters high. They scrambled to run to where Knight fell with their arms out. Rage slowed down his run into a fast walk and had his arms ready to catch the younger member of the El Search Party. Daybreaker readied herself by placing her weight into the back of her legs, but her train of thought interrupted by the sound of Knight shouting and Aether screaming. Knight had crash-landed his body onto Aether by full force. 

“Elsword, you’re too heavy!” Aether complained. “Get off, you’re crushing me!”  

“My back hurts!” Knight whined. “Where did Paradox go? We need to go after him!” 

“Not in your condition,” Rage said. He brought Knight’s arm around his shoulder to help him stand up. “You can tell us more about that man when we bring you back to safety.” 

“What about Rune?” Knight asked. “What happened to him?” 

Red flames shot into the air and brought Daybreaker’s attention back to the cavern’s entrance. Empire and Rune were still there. Horror rose from the back of her throat and she went back to find them.   

     Magic ran through Rune’s veins. Flames flew between his fingers as the rune user idly juggled fireballs between his palms and fired them like bullets. He was adept in fire magic that could have challenged Aether’s abilities. Most mages needed a physical object to channel their magic into, yet Rune was able to summon fire without burning himself.

Sparks flared inside Rune’s hands, emitting heat and uncontrolled flames to match the anger playing across his features. Hand over his hip, Rune ignored their calls. Rune’s hands formed into fight fists and gritted his teeth. He snapped when the Dark Agate expelled crystal shards from its body. Rune incinerated them with his flames, moving his limbs with fluidity and dodging its attacks before firing back. He landed his attack directly into the monster’s chest and watched it tumble over with a low groan. 

“Heh, is that all?” Rune grinned. “That was nothing!” 

Their footsteps alerted him of their presence.  

“I solved one of your problems!” Rune saw Knight being helped by Rage and his smile faltered, “and you found your guy... ” 

“You’re okay!” Knight lit up. 

“Heh, you too?” Rune scratched the back of his neck. “Looks like it’s hard to kill you too.” 

“I’m glad you’re safe,” Knight was relieved. “I was worried about you.” 

Rune hid his face from view, “You’re just like what they told me. You’re making me look bad.” 

“Huh?” Knight was confused. 

“Forget it,” Rune shook his head. “I’m just rambling.” 

The sound of rocks and stones rumbling made Rune look up to see the Dark Agate bringing its body back up. Horror came into realization as he searched for the last bit of mana to summon his flames. Rune didn’t hear them shouting his name and didn’t move. 

Its clawed arm overhauled to reach for Rune when the sound of gunshots pierced through the thick air. A rain of bullets broke through the monster’s skin and left holes inside its body before it could move. The last bullet hit the Dark Agate between the opening of its “mouth” and the monster collapsed on its own weight. 

Daybreaker searched for the source of the bullets and stopped to see a pair of ice-blue eyes peering from behind a boulder. Their white armor shared the same sheen as the shells found off the coast of Hamel. A young man stepped out from the shadows when Rune waved and beamed to the newcomer. 

“Chung?” Rune choked when he was pulled into a tight embrace by Crusader’s counterpart. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner,” he whispered.     

----------------------------

Fatal Phantom

Phantom didn’t let go, feeling his shoulders shake when he hugged around the rune user’s smaller figure. Several day cycles had passed since he had last seen Rune, but his body was struggling to adjust to the new sleep cycle in Demon Realm. His muscles continued to tense and idly played with the trigger with his thumb even as Rune gently rubbed his knuckles over the marksman’s back. 

He noticed their audience and obscured his lower face with his scarf. Phantom counted three heads and frowned. There were supposed to be more of them. What happened to the people Oz reported over his last contact with the dark mage? She said they were fighting against Add, Ain, and Chung. He searched for a face identical to his when he felt a warm pair of hands run up his body.     

“It’s okay, I’m here.” He felt Rune’s lips lift from the corner of his mouth, pressing them at the nape of his neck. 

“What are you doing trying to fight by yourself?” Phantom hissed and pushed himself away, ignoring Rune’s hurt expression.  

“I had it under control.” Rune wasn’t as concerned and stretched his arms out. In a quieter voice, the redhead tilted his head back and chuckled. “And I wasn’t alone, I had you.” 

Phantom enjoyed being around Rune (he could hear Anemos giggling if he ever admitted that), but he could never wrap his mind around how the late Sieghart could say embarrassing things without getting flustered. It was like standing next to a sun, if said sun was a blinding red and set itself on fire intermittently. He huffed and feigned a cough to hide his embarrassment. 

“Rune?” 

He turned to see a face identical to Rune’s peer from the side. How similar they were, yet there was a distinct contrast in how Knight presented himself. Hair brushed to the side in a neat short cut, Knight was covered in blood and sweat. Dried blood covered his sides and cracked when he moved. He leaned against Rage’s shoulder before pushing himself and stumbling over to Rune and Phantom with a pained expression. Knight straightened his back and pulled out a sword covered in red runes to offer it to his counterpart with an awkward smile. 

Good grief, did all Elswords smile through their pain? 

“I wanted to return this to its owner,” Knight brought his hands into his pockets. “I think you’ll make better use of it than I did.” 

Aether looked at Knight with an alarmed expression. “What were you doing with Rune’s sword?” 

“One of your friends has Elsword’s weapon,” Rage explained when Phantom gave him a look of confusion. “He had blue hair and didn't talk much.” 

“Ain?” Rune ran his hand through his hairline, “You saw him?” 

“I think Paradox is involved in this,” Knight said. “He uses portals to toy with people. That’s why he has your sword. He must have done the same with mine.” 

Who was Paradox? Phantom was already lost in the conversation in who was being referred to when everyone had a counterpart. He wasn’t even going to try and guess which one of his teammates went by the name of Paradox in another dimension. 

It was clear that Paradox had left Knight shaken. His skin was paler than Rune’s and sadness reflected in his expression when he addressed them with unnecessary formality. Knight had a stockier build than Rune, but without his sword, he was defenseless and had nothing to occupy his hands with. He kept his hands in his pockets or folded them over his thighs, tinkering with his fingers when he spoke. 

“What did Paradox want?” Daybreaker asked. Motherly concern took over and the elf woman rested her palm against Knight’s forehead. “Did he hurt you?”

“I’m not sure,” Knight admitted and shook his head. “He kept me close and made me watch you guys fight each other. I think he’s lonely.” 

“What kind of person does that?” Aether puffed her cheeks, “he brought that monster and left us to clean up his mess!” 

“We should at least find him and learn what his intentions are,” Rage said. “Elsword said he could control portals. If we can get him to talk, maybe we can help them return home?”   

Phantom felt their eyes fall on him and Rune as if they had just been noticed. It was an uncomfortable feeling being scrutinized by the people they were supposed to be fighting hours ago. Rune probably wouldn’t appreciate it either if they were to break out into another fight. He squeezed Rune’s hand when he saw the latter breath out a heavy sigh. 

He saw it in his partner’s eyes. Rune was blaming himself again, playing the martyr and carrying the burden with miserable pride. It was pitiful at first sight, but it was getting on his nerves and Phantom has had enough of it. Rune shouldn’t be the first to jump ship and take the blame for things that were out of his control. The rune user wasn’t the only one from a different dimension. 

“We’re not leaving until we find the others,” Phantom said. “One of our friends said they were stuck inside Shadow Vein with one of yours.” 

“You mean Chung?” Daybreaker asked, “He said he was with your Aisha.” 

“Who probably isn’t as skilled as me,” Aether smirked. 

“You haven’t even met her yet,” Knight deadpanned. 

“What? Have you?” Aether scoffed. “Because last time I checked, you were kept hostage by a man wearing a trash bag!” 

What a strange group, Phantom thought. They were lively and bickered among themselves, not unlike his teammates when they weren’t busy chasing after demons because of strange circumstances that liked to fall on them. When was the last time their party had the chance to sit down and chatter without being rushed to their next destination? 

“I’m sorry for causing you trouble,” Rune blurted out. He looked at Knight with guilt. “Your sister is trapped inside the cave because of us, I’m sorry. I-”  

“What are you apologizing for?” Aether stared at Rune. “Don’t blame yourself for something you have no control over.”  

“No one is angry at you,” Daybreaker agreed “What matters is that you and Elsword are safe. There’s no reason to fight anymore.” 

Phantom was apprehensive in meeting the people that took away his friend, yet they were treating Rune as one of their own, comforting and reassuring him, easing the pain away with kind words of encouragement. No matter how different they were from his friends, their actions were genuine and held no grudge against them. After months of traveling in Elysion, it was strange to meet people again. The other El Search Party didn’t hold the mysticism the El Masters and priestesses had. They were adventurers like them that knew how to hold their ground against powerful enemies. 

Was Phantom blind in worrying about Rune when the fire user was in good company with capable adventurers? He wasn’t ready to fully trust them, but Phantom saw that they wouldn’t harm Rune. He gathered that the opposing party, at least in regards to Aether and Daybreaker, were the more honest adventurers from how open and relaxed they were in discussing plans in their presence. Phantom had enough encounters with deceitful clients to recognize the signs of ones he could not trust.     

“Did you come here alone?” Rune asked Phantom with worried concern. He gripped his hand around Phantom’s; they were warm and sweaty.    

“No,” Phantom said. “Aisha contacted us and Eve detected you.” 

Rune lit up at the mention of their team members. 

Ultimate gave him affirmation about Rune’s location in the logical optimism she often had (“Based on reading analysis, there is an 80.88% chance he is in this region.”). Phantom didn’t ask where the numbers were from. It was rare for her to make mistakes, even rarer for Ultimate if it involved their friend. Rune wasn’t hard to find, anyway because he liked to make his presence known. His flames flared like a beacon for Phantom to find the rune user.    

“Where are they?” Aether asked. 

“Yo!”  

Five figures came into view past the blocks of shattered boulders crumbled over the closed cavern. Ultimate’s winged form was visible, shaped by the dark curves thrown by the smaller sun casting over the Nasod Queen. Draped over her shoulder was Abysser drooling with his eyes shut and wrapping his arms around Ultimate’s mechanical wings. Timoria exchanged a look of defeat to Phantom and shrugged in exasperation. A spark of annoyance was apparent in the brisk walk Ultimate took; Moby and Remy followed their owner and hovered to prevent Abysser’s head from bumping into things.   

Walking behind Ultimate was a gray-haired man in a sleeveless top covered by a heavy furred coat. Phantom recognized him as the opposing El Search Party’s Ain. Featureless and free of the El’s influence, Bluhen kept his head low, deprived of emotions. The cowlick forming from his hairline dropped and his eyes wandered from the present. 

Leading the strange assortment of misfits was a woman in black leather that covered most of her body. Everything about her reminded Phantom of the flames she and Rune manipulated - her eyes, hair, and the tattoos engraved into her skin. The tattered jacket over Flame’s shoulders crackled in unison to the footsteps made by her heeled boots. The body dragged over her shoulders was a man in black and purple. His face was hidden, but there was little guess to who that was supposed to be. 

“Is that Add?” Rage gawked at the display of an unconscious teammate. 

“I said yo!” Flame waved her arm. As she neared, she lowered her shoulders and unloaded the heavyweight with a toothy grin. “When a person says hi, you’re supposed to say hi back!”

“You’re not sis,” Knight looked away with disappointment. 

“Ouch,” Flame winced and rubbed her back. “Sorry~” 

“Don’t be rude!” Aether hissed but gave the older woman an apologetic look. “Don’t be mad, he’s injured and went through a lot.” 

“Nah, it’s just a little strange to know I have two brothers.” Her eyes moved over to Rune with a wide grin, “but this one is still my favorite!” 

“Elesis?” Rune’s eyes widened, “Ow, that’s my rib. Your hugs are too much.” 

Rune cried in receiving a bear hug from the sister he looked up to, rubbing the tears streaming down his face in laughter. Flame let go after getting playfully punched by her brother. His joy sparked a bright light and for a moment, Phantom forgot they were stuck in the middle of a place where they shouldn’t exist. Seeing him smile made the search for the idiotic redhead damn worth it, although that thought was soon cut short. 

“Ain? Are you okay?” Daybreaker rushed to Bluhen to check on the priest and placed a gloved hand over his shoulder. “Did you go into a full fight?” 

“I’m just tired,” Bluhen gave a weak smile. “Good thing Mr. Guardian stopped the fight. I would have lost in a fight against two.”  

“Is that what happened?” Knight asked. “What about Add?”

“This guy wasted all his energy healing himself,” Timoria pointed to Bluhen. She pulled her cap down to hide her eyes, “Ciel is down because he got too close.” 

Ultimate placed Abysser on the ground and had his head resting against a makeshift pillow. Bringer was arranged in a similar manner as they set up a temporary healing station to heal wounds after the disastrous fights. Both had white hair and didn’t stir when moved by the people carrying them, snoring softly next to one another.    

“What’s wrong?” Phantom asked. He saw Rune placing his hands over the blocked cavern, his tattoos glowing in anticipation with desperation in his expression. Arms reached out for the other side with guilt, Rune leaned his body forward with a bitter smile.  

“His sister is trapped inside,” Rune nodded towards Knight talking to one of his teammates with a saddened expression and shaking his head. “So are a few others, including our friends.”

“Let me talk to her. Go help the others.” He heard Rune sigh but left to talk to their conscious teammates. Phantom placed his hand over the slab of stone, searching for an opening where he could get his voice across. “Elesis, are you there?”

Weak laughter came from the other side, a young woman’s voice was heard. 

“Are you Chung?”

“I’m the other one. Call me Phantom.” Phantom said, “Who’s with you?”

“Devi,” she answered. “There are two more inside. This entrance is blocked, but Chu-, a friend of ours said he felt a breeze coming from somewhere else.”

Empire was talking about his counterpart, Phantom heard her hesitance in referring to the other one. The sheer size of the cavern covered more ground than some of the mountains surrounding Hamel. It was not uncommon for caves of that size to have multiple entrances and exits. His alternative could be using that information to look for a new exit.  

“Locate them and search for another way out,” Phantom said. “We will be looking for them too.”

“Thank you,” Empire breathed. “I’m sorry about the trouble we have caused.”

“You did it because he’s important to you,” Phantom closed his eyes. “I will talk to both of our teams and let you know if we find something.”  

Phantom turned to meet with a pair of red eyes looking at him with curiosity. It was like looking into a cracked mirror. The shape of his eyes and face were Rune’s but his posture had more in common with Hamel soldiers than that of a village boy. Knight was well endowed in plated armor designed for offense, chained and overlapping with one another to strengthen his defense for front row battles. He gave Phantom an impressed smile and approached the assassin with no fear. 

“Thank you for doing the right thing,” Knight was grateful. 

“I only did it because someone asked me to,” Phantom said. He moved away and kept his distance, but Knight came in closer. 

“You care about Rune a lot,” Knight leaned in to inspect Phantom with interest. “Is that why?”

He would be damned if he was expecting Knight to be any less perceptive than Rune. How much of the conversation between him and Rune did Knight overhear? Phantom wasn’t going to open about his life story to someone he had just met, even if that person looked like someone he knew!  

“You should stay back and heal,” Phantom turned his head away to hide the pink in his cheeks. Did none of the Elswords know personal space? And in public! “There’s medicine if you need some.” 

Please read the room, he silently begged Knight to leave. They have already found Rune. Now they needed to regroup and find a way to leave this dimension so they could do their tasks properly. There were things they needed to do if they wanted to make progress without any further delay than the inconveniences caused by every other person they have met. 

Knight didn’t leave. 

“That’s okay, Ain can heal us!” 

Fucking hell.  

----------------------------

Empire Sword 

Underneath the dull lighting of the illuminating crystals, Empire could make out Devi’s small figure. Limbs tangled and sprawled out, her eyes were closed shut. Her face was pale and had a sickly hue. She had scars formed over one another in layers, some of them blossoming into patterns nearly identical to the ones Empire had before she met Bluhen. 

Empire dragged Devi over to the flat surface, further into the cave and away from the dangerous rocks and boulders that nearly crushed them. They would be dead if it wasn’t for Devi’s quick thinking, Empire thought with a bitter smile. The red knight had technically won the fight against the late Haan, but it was a bittersweet victory for her. Once again, she was separated from Elsword because of the strange circumstances around them. 

She produced a bandage roll from her bag and threw the rest of the contents back in. Empire held up a flashlight over to Devi to inspect the woman for injuries. She unrolled the bandage and wrapped it around Devi’s exposed ankle, tightening and rolling it into a knot and tucking it in.    

They needed to find an exit out of this place. Crusader was somewhere inside Shadow Vein with the opposite team’s Aisha. Phantom said he and the others would search for an exit too, but she was uncertain how much she could trust him. He sounded stern when he made his promise, keeping his voice low as if afraid of being heard. There was no timidness in his tone, but a harsh one that spoke of urgency. 

The red knight couldn’t understand why there was another El Search Party. What did they want from them and how did they cross paths with them? Could this be another result of Knight’s brief connection with the El in Elrianode? Her lips quivered at the thought of her brother’s action bringing about their current situation. Tempering with the El was risky and made them easy targets.   

Empire tucked a strand of hair behind Devi’s ear but paused to the serene smile that graced upon the woman’s face. Legs crossed and arms hugging her spear, she was defenseless in sleep, free of pain and ambitions. She laid in silence as Empire lifted her head to stare into the depths of the cavern. Her eyes strained to look into the dark abyss and landed over to Devi’s face again, unable to look away.     

Why did Devi save her? 

She had foolishly fallen into Paradox’s provocation that would have cost her life if Devi wasn’t there to break her fall. The demon they fought was still out there and they were trapped inside because of her impulsive decision. What kind of leader was she? Empire gripped her claymore and hissed from the pain digging into her shoulder blades. 

They were alive, but the air here tasted like dirt and copper, a combination she was unfortunately familiar with. The interior entrance of the cavern had a low ceiling that forced Empire to crouch her body and look down.    

The red knight had Devi’s legs bent and lowered her body. Empire pulled Devi by the wrists until she was standing, bringing Devi’s arms over her shoulders and lifted herself up to carry the unconscious woman. The additional weight had Empire steady herself in a slow march into the darkness. 

The crystals enclaved a narrow pathway for Empire to follow, careful to walk around the tight twists and turns leading downward. Light cracked between Empire’s fingers and the jagged lines etched into the boulders that were effectively blocking the way they came in. Water drops pelted her face as she looked up to find crystals forming from the ceiling, their radiance growing and fading in strength. There was an earthy damp smell as Empire strained her muscles to shove the rocks and pebbles out of the way. She rubbed her head with the back of her palm and hissed in pain. Blood trickled down from her bottom lip as the red-haired woman gasped for air.  

Her body and mind had adjusted to the heavy demonic pressure that was the hallmark of Demon Realm, a red haze of aura that no longer clouded her mind. Demonic energy maintained the realm’s stability, but something changed when Paradox appeared. Portals were not foreign concepts to her, but she never saw so many open until she saw Paradox fight Knight. The number of portals that began opening in various spots made her uneasy. They reminded her too much of Glave taunting the El Search Party into visiting various dimensions for his own amusement. 

A shadow swooped down and spread its wings. Empire screamed when it let out high pitched squeaks and turned around, only to bump into her again. She almost dropped Devi. Her back was turned when she saw a human-shaped figure lurking from the darkness. Empire darted past the shadow to see the cavern tunnels widening again.

A pointed hat covered in zippers came into view, followed by a young woman appearing under the lighting and dressed in an outfit that was just as eccentric. Oz Sorcerer caught Empire by the arm and reeled her in with her staff, stopping her from running headfirst into the wall. She flashed a smile to Empire and tipped her hat off with serene eyes. 

“Sorry about that,” Oz apologized. “Angkor thought you were a demon.” 

“Angkor?” Empire gawked at the ball flapping its wings beside the dark mage. That thing was the demon Rune mentioned earlier? But it was so round and fat. “It’s real?”

“As real as I am.” Oz looked at Devi sleeping over Empire’s shoulder. Her eyes narrowed, “what happened to her?”

“She passed out because of the earthquake,” Empire explained. “We’re trapped inside and need to find a different exit.” 

“Of course we do,” the woman sighed. “There’s no easy way out because that would be too simple.” 

Empire burst out in laughter, tilting her head back and catching her breath in short gasps before settling with a lopsided smile. At least Empire could be assured that Oz was going to be as sarcastic as her counterpart. She chuckled when Oz looked at her in confusion, if not weary by the red knight’s presence. Empire realized the source of Oz’s nervousness when the heavy hitter of the other team was found unconscious by her hands.   

“Ugh, you’re so loud.” 

Devi lifted her head. Arms wrapped around Empire’s neck, she fluttered her eyes open and hung her head over the red head’s shoulder. She pressed her weight down and twisted her body to find her head reaching the cavern ceiling. Her muscles twitched as Devi wiggled her limbs, discomfort in being held down by the enemy and unable to move. Tufts of hair stuck up in different directions in a messy array. Sharp fingernails clawed into Empire’s shoulders.   

“I’m having a conversation with your teammate,” Empire said without feeling sorry. She wasn’t going to let Devi’s words bother her. There were bigger things to worry about.  

“Good to see you didn’t lose your head,” Devi caught Empire’s gaze with pursed lips. 

“We’re done fighting,” was all Empire could muster to say without making herself into a fool. 

“I know that,” Devi said with boredom and yawned.  

Once again, Empire found herself at a loss for words. Her head was spinning when she was met by Devi’s tactless comments. Blunt words jabbing from the sides without the refined restraints Apsara had in more fragile conversations. 

“Is Chung with you?” Empire turned to ask Oz. She searched for white armor in the midst of the dim cavern. 

“Here I am,” a blonde head poked into the hallway. Crusader dragged his destroyer over in a conspicuous manner that was almost comical if not for the serious expression on his face. He looked at her and Devi with a puzzled expression, “You’re here too?”

“Unfortunately,” Empire rubbed the back of her head. “We’re looking for another exit to meet up with the other team. Did you find anything?” 

“No,” Crusader shook his head. 

Dry blood plastered over his armor, red paint streaming over seashell white armor. A closer inspection, Empire saw the cracks indented into his armor, blooming into miniature craters and embedded with dirt and grime. Sweat glimmered over his face and left the impression of a man who had found his calling in war. Crusader held his head high as a trained soldier should have. He would have been the ideal soldier for the Velder Army. Out of breath, but fearless and eager to partake in the next challenge that awaited him.  

“I didn’t think the leader would get herself trapped down here,” Oz rested her elbow on Angkor. The giant bat squeaked and struggled to stay afloat with weight pressing down on its head.  

“I’m not the leader,” Empire protested. 

“You’re the one who ordered your team to fight,” Oz drawled. “I think that’s enough to earn the leader title.” 

“You’re the one who forced us to fight!” Empire turned her head to glare at Devi, who covered her mouth and giggled. “Don’t you have any shame? How is this justice?”

“Justice?” Devi stopped laughing to narrow her eyes, “‘Justice’ is only in those who are the strongest. You can’t defend your beliefs if you can’t even defend yourself.”  

“What happened to you?” Empire blinked in bewilderment, gaping at the woman who shared Aspara’s face. Cold and distant, unfaltering and unapologetic about the impact her words had on others. How could she be Ara?   

“You don’t have to continue holding me like a maiden,” Devi said. “That won’t be necessary.” 

Devi leaned her body inward, lifting her legs up and removing them from Empire’s hold. One hand over Empire’s shoulders, she pulled one of her legs out in an attempt to find footing over the cave’s sides. Her foot slipped over the rough surface and she lost her slipper. Devi fumbled over and her body swayed, falling back and losing her grip on her rescuer. Empire gasped for air and paused. A loud crash cracked the ground followed by Devi’s shrieks. 

Empire stared dumbfounded at the sight of Devi on the floor. Face planted into the floor, Devi had her limbs sprawled out and struggled to lift herself. The dark-haired woman held up her head, strands of hair fell over her face as she stumbled and fell down again. Orange pupils glowered in anger.   

She’s definitely Ara, Empire offered a hand to pull her onto her feet.  

“Who else would I be?” Devi placed one hand over her hip.             

Did I say that out loud? Empired tucked her head in to hide the blush creeping up her face. “Sorry...” 

“Why are you apologizing?” Devi put on her slipper, “you should be saying that to your team.” 

“That can be done when we find an exit,” Oz tapped her foot impatiently. “Angkor found an exit closest to us.” 

“Which I said that might be worth looking into,” Crusader said. “These caves are similar to the ones near Hamel and must have several exits and entrances for there to be a constant draft in the tunnels.”  

Devi looked at the blond with new interest, “I suppose that makes you useful for something.” 

“Some of these tunnels were dug by demons, so it won’t be an easy walk,” Oz warned her. 

“They would be fools to get in the way,” Devi grinned.

“How could I forget?” Oz rolled her eyes. 

“Why are you encouraging her?” Empire asked. 

Oz shrugged, “Is that a problem if it helps us escape?” 

“No,” Empire sighed. 

Deeper into the tunnels they went, lit up by the crystals grounded at their feet and above their heads. An uneventful trek into the darkness, a rare silence in an alien land uninterrupted by their heavy solemn footsteps. Demons dotted the so-called abandoned path. Beady eyes lurked from the shadows before disappearing from sight and reappearing again behind a crystal. 

“They’re not attacking,” Crusader saw a small group of demons disperse away from their path. 

“With an earthquake that size, they must have lost many of their members today. Fighting us would be a bad idea.” Oz added, “Of course, my guess is as good as yours.” 

“You made a contract with a demon,” Crusader said. 

“Doesn’t mean I speak demon,” the dark mage scoffed. “That’s Angkor’s job.” 

“Why would you do that?” Crusader asked. 

“Why would it matter?” Oz said, “I chose a path I thought was the best option.” 

Her words struck a memory inside Empire. Knight said something similar after waking up to being rescued by his friends… from the El. The red knight understood his reasoning, but she couldn’t let go of the unnerving feelings igniting from her core. It wasn’t right for a brother to sacrifice himself in the place of an older sibling, but Knight argued that it was the best option. For all of them. 

Empire unsuccessfully searched for lament in the purple-haired woman’s features. Demon or not, those were eyes of a person set in their decision with no regrets. Was Empire wrong to believe that their alternative selves were prisons of their decisions as much as she was to hers? She was proud to be the captain of the red knights, but her duty as an older sister led her to leave her soldiers. Was it the right decision to believe in her men and place her presence elsewhere?  

“Miss Elesis?” Crusader’s voice emerged from the silence, “You’ve been quiet.” 

“It’s nothing,” Empire shook her head. “I’m just thinking.” 

“It must be something important,” Crusader said. “You look tired.” 

If it wasn’t for their situation, she would have bumped her knuckles on his shoulder plate and teased him about his serious expression. 

“We finally have Elsword back and now we’re lost,” Empire let out a soft laugh. 

“I don’t think that’s very funny,” Crusader frowned. 

“It turns out he didn’t need help to save himself,” Empire sighed. “He can fight his own battles, yet I can’t stop worrying about him.”  

“It hurts because he will always put others first,” Devi said with sadness. “Even if you tell him not to.”

Empire nodded. She didn’t know Knight was having an internal battle with himself until it was too late. He wouldn’t let her know because he knew she would try to stop him. If it wasn’t for the rest of the team, Knight would still be… 

“United by the same idiot,” Oz sighed. “I think all of you have spent enough time giving him grief over that. I think it’s stopping all of you from moving on.” 

Crusader looked at Oz with wonder and smiled. 

“You’re right,” Crusader said softly. “He needs us as much as we need him. We need to move quickly so he won’t worry about us.” 

“To think a kid has this kind of power over people,” Devi mused. 

“People trust him,” Empire said. 

She trusted Knight because he was her brother, but he proved that he was more than that. Knight was a capable adventurer and a reliable friend, always ready to lend a hand even to strangers he had just met. Some called him naive, but maybe that was what made him disciplined. He lived by a code to always give people his trust, which has earned him friends and sometimes enemies. It was a type of mentality that was unworldly inside the battlefield. 

Sunlight shone at the end of the tunnel. The smell of fresh pine woke up Empire’s senses and lifted the heavyweight off her shoulders. Standing at the exit of the caverns was a familiar face with red-hair and matching eyes.  

“Hey, sis!” 

Elsword?  

Empire rushed over to the voice but stopped when she saw the long bangs framing his face.     

“Elesis?” Rune repeated her name. 

“You’re not Elsword,” Empire heard herself say. 

Her head spun as she realized what she said. Empire extended her hand to apologize, but Rune had disappeared. The others’ voices flooded around her. 

----------------------------

Author Notes: It’s been 80 years. I am writing this as many parts of the country are going into self-quarantine for COVID-19. I will continue to slowly upload new chapters as I am still required to attend to work and classes online. Thank you for everyone’s patience and wonderful comments.  

[statenstonehart]

She-Ra And The Princesses Of Power: The Gargoyle God! Pt.1

  Adora gritted her teeth as she threw a series of punches at the simulated Horde soldiers. Her fist connected with the soldier's face, shattering the the helmet. Another soldier charged with a staff. The blonde backflipped out of the way and drew her sword and slashed the soldier in half. The soldier with the broken helmet struggled to find his way but what he felt was his body being shredded by Adora's sword.  Light Hope came in with worry in her eyes.

"Light Hope? Are you okay? What's wrong?" Adora asked. Light Hope looked to her feet then back to the woman. "He's waking up." She said. "Wait, who?" Adora asked.  "Apophis, The Gargoyle God Of Destruction." Light Hope said. "Sounds pretty bad. ...He IS bad, right?" The blonde asked. "He is VERY bad. When he's angry. Many planets have perished due to his violent nature. Like Thundera." Light Hope said. "He destroyed Thundera? I thought it was destroyed by a meteor." Adora said. Her heart sank from this news.  "It was. The meteor was caused by the hands of the God Of Destruction himself." The hologram said. 

An explosion rocked the outer walls of an old castle. The debris crumbled down into an abyss. The Phoenix walked towards a little rock formation with alarm bombs scattered around a sleeping gargoyle. The Phoenix cleared his throat. "Lord Apophis, it's time. It's time to wake up." The gargoyle's ears perked up as he heard his companion. "And don't fall back asleep. Recall it was you after all who set the alarm bombs to go off at this time. Hate to see you oversleep and one of your backup alarm-" The Phoenix was cut off by yet another alarm bomb explosion.

"...Fine, Blaze...I'm up." The gargoyle God said groggily. Blaze sighed. "I just don't want you sleeping in 15 years too late and waking up groggy like the last time. But if you require some more coddling, I'm sure I can provide you with some entertainment." Blaze said as he began to find his vocal range, to Apophis' annoyance. "I SAID I'M UP!" The gargoyle roared. He got up from his bed and walked over to to the Phoenix. "You woke me 39 years later when I was supposed to get at least 50. This better be important." The Gargoyle growled. "Oh, I'm sure it is." Blaze said. "...well, get on with it!" Apophis shouted. "Maybe we can discuss those dreams of yours you keep having over breakfast?" Blaze asked. "Fine." The God grumbled. 

"So, you're having these dreams of a golden warrior? Like one of those Super Saiyans that are fabled across the universe." The Phoenix said as he cut a slice of roast beast for his Lord. "It wasn't a Super Saiyan! I'd gladly crush those worms beneath my feet as they gasp for air. It was different golden warrior...A woman...With a sword. I can't put my finger on the name since I keep waking up from this dream every time we charge at each other." Apophis said as he had a mouthful of the food. 

"Hmm, sounds interesting. The eternians sent us an invite to a party. Sounds fun." Blaze said. "FUN? Singing and dancing sounds like FUN? Don't be idiotic, Blaze or I will have to destroy you.." The gargoyle growled at the Phoenix. "...So, you want to..." Blaze began. "Yes, I'm going to take my morning frustrations out on the people of Eternia. Is there a problem with that?" Apophis asked, sternly. "Of course not, Lord, but you may want to think about this. Eternia has more riches than you can do with." Blaze said. The gargoyle's eyes gleamed. And then he thought. "...Fine Blaze, you win. I will spare Eternia. For now." The gargoyle said. "So...are we going?" Blaze asked. "Fine, let's go to Eternia." Apophis said. Blaze took his staff and stood up as well as Apophis. The Phoenix tapped the floor with his staff and a stream of flame teleported them to the planet of Eternia.

"Aw, CRAP!" Adora shouted. "What's wrong, Adora?" Light Hope asked. "Glimmer has a party at Bright Moon and I'm totally going to miss it! She's gonna KILL me!" Adora shouted. "You're fine, dear. You may go to your friend." Light Hope smiled. Adora sheathed her mighty blade and grinned. "Thanks for the training!" She shouted before running off.

King Randor sat there, flabbergasted on what he witnessed. The Gargoyle sat across from him. With his fist resting on his jaw. "...Well?" The gargoyle asked, his tail swished back and forth as his eyes gleamed. 

"L-lord Apophis, please be patient with us. The cook is almost done." Randor said, afraid of the consequences of the actions from the palace. "Well, until then, I'm getting a bit bored...should I...Entertain myself?" The God asked as a red energy orb formed in his finger. 

"No! Please! ORKO! Is that meal ready?!" Randor called to the kitchen. "Nearly done, your highness!" Orko shouted. "Fiddle! I can't get this thing cook faster enough! 

..Oh I'm such a dummy! It's done!" The sorcerer shouted as he took out the steamed ham. 

He floated to the great table and presented the ham to the God, who looked at it with disgust. "This looks absolutely dreadful. It's still bleeding..." Apophis growled. "Orko you nitwit!" Duncan shouted. "Don't yell at the fool." Apophis ordered. "He may have screwed up the main course, but certainly not the dessert...where is the dessert anyway?" The God asked. 

Prince Adam came into view and delivered a sponge cake. "...What in the Oblivion is this?" Apophis asked. "This is sponge cake. I made it myself." Adam said. The gargoyle carved the ham and took a bite. His eyes widened as he felt the heat from the spices punch his taste buds. He quickly gorged down his mead and growled at Rondor. "Orko, what did you put in this?" Duncan asked. "...Ghost pepper..." Orko said sheepishly. "Orko you didn't!" Randor shouted. "Well..." The Gargoyle God said before regaining himself. "The mead was good, But I did have a feeling that the ham was bad."

Blaze piped up. "Your Highness, We came from another planet not just for your food, but your valuables...well not all of them." The Phoenix said. "Maybe a ring or a necklace or two." Apophis said. "Orko, give these fine gentlemen sone valuables." Randor said. Orko zapped a ring on the God's finger and a necklace on Blaze's neck. "Something you've done right for once, you fool!" Apophis shouted. "Tell you what, I'll give you half..." He said. Rondor looked confused. Apophis used his finger and tapped on the table. Creating a shockwave that took half of Eternia.

"Well, there goes half of the spoils..." Blaze said as the two surveyed Apophis' work. "I Didn't like them anyway." The gargoyle said. "Did you ever find out that name of the golden warrior when you fed?" Blaze asked. "Uh...YES! NO! YES! AGGH!" Apophis struggled to remember. "Take your time, Lord.." Blaze said. "SHE-RA! YES! Her name was She-Ra! She was at least 8 feet tall! With a sword! We were locked in Mortal Combat! Though she appeared to be beautiful, she did have a mean right hook." Apophis said, rubbing his jaw. "Well, while you were busy being salty about bad food, I found the location of this She-Ra character." Blaze said. "Where?" Apophis asked. The Phoenix pointed to the planet on the right. "Etheria." He said. "Good work, Blaze. Take us there." The gargoyle ordered.

Glimmer put the finishing touches of the party, she wore a pink dress with black stripes and a flower crown. "Cute!" Bow shouted. As the Princess modeled the look for her friend.  "Any word from Adora? Glimmer asked. "No, sadly. Her training must be that intense to skip this thing. The Castle Of Bright Moon's doors opened and in came Adora, running in, she slipped and tumbled in front of Glimmer. "...Ow." Adora said. "There you are, slow poke! Where have you been?!" The Princess asked. "I panicked and got lost in the Whispering Woods. But I'm here, and ready to PARTY!" Adora shouted. "We have to wait for my Mom, she's getting ready." Glimmer said, before sitting in the chair. 

"...Blaze...Where are we?" Apophis growled. The Phoenix looked around. "By my knowledge, I'd say we're in the Whispering Woods." Blaze replied. "Well, I'm getting annoyed from all this whispering.." the Gargoyle said. "There's a clearing over there." Blaze said, pointing to the clearing from the Woods.

They walked out of the woods to see the Fright Zone, A brown, dreary, desolate hellhole. The sky's covered in a mixture of puke green and rotten brown clouds, the soil as black as pitch, and full of the worst kinds of monstrosities known to man. "...Well, it's better than nothing, I suppose." Blaze Quipped. "I don't mind it, at least we get some food." Apophis said. "Lord, you've just eaten on Eternia." The Phoenix scolded. "The Roast Beast was dreadful!" The God growled. "Fine, fine." Blaze surrendered. "Just know your stomach can hold so much before exploding." The gargoyle ignored his companion and walked in the building.e you are! I'll fetch the mistress!" The soldier shouted before running off. "Well, your reputation precedes you, my Lord." Blaze said as he leaned on the walls. 

A few minutes have passed and the witch known as Shadow Weaver came to view. "G-Good evening, Lord Apophis. It's a privilege for you to be here." She said. "Good evening, Mistress. We've came here to ask of you a simple question. Have you heard of this She-Ra woman? The Lord wants to meet her in person." Blaze said with a smile. "I have, but we're not sure of her exact location. The Force Captain, Catra has known her as long as I have, she'd know where she is." The witch said. "Find me, Catra, then." Apophis spoke out.

"Are you insane?!" Glimmer shouted. "My mother is RIGHT HERE!" She shouted "Oh, Glimmer, it's only a game of Spin The Bottle. It's not like we're going to have hot steamy sex in front of the Queen." Bow said as he placed a bottle in the middle of the table. 

"...Why would you think like that?!" Glimmer roared. "Glimmer is right. I can't have fornication in my castle. It'd ruin my reputation." Queen Angella said. "Why ARE we talking about sex in the middle of a kid's game?" Adora asked. "Bow brought it up!" Glimmer shouted. “Yeah, I kind of jumped the gun on that." Bow said, sheepishly. “If no one will spin the bottle, I will." Angella said as she spun the bottle.

Around and around it went. It stopped on Adora who had a look of worry. ".,.Can we talk about this?" Adora asked. "Just give her a peck, will ya? I don't have all night!" Glimmer shouted. "No tongue. Got it?”Adora asked as Angella drew near, no need to worry, darling." Angella said with a smile and placed a kiss on her forehead. "That wasn't bad. Now was it?" Angella asked. "I thought you'd get my mouth."Adora said. "And tarnish my regality, are you high?" The Queen asked. "Well, that was fun." Glimmer said. "Easy for you to say, you haven't spun yet!" Bow shouted. "Maybe because I don't want to lock lips on my mother! Or you! ...Maybe Adora." Glimmer joked. "No. I'm out of this, I got kissed one too many times. "It's all in good fun, Adora." Bow said. Ooh, cake!" Adora shouted before walking to the snacks. 

The God tapped on the table impatiently.  Waiting for the Force Captain. The cat woman arrived and bowed before the God. "I am Catra. You've sent for me?" She asked. "I did, where is She-Ra?" Apophis asked, his tail swished back and forth. 

Catra clenched her fist and grinned a Sly grin. "Bright Moon. West from here. You'll know when you see a giant rune stone in the middle." The cat said. "Perfect." Blaze said. "If I may, Lord, I'd heard of your power but never experienced it for myself. May you show me a glimmer of it?" Catra asked. "Fine then." Apophis stood up. 

"Come at me. Full power, no holding back." The cat woman charged at the gargoyle, her claws out and ready to shred flesh. The gargoyle used his finger to block a full forced punch. He then used his tail to whip Catra in the face. The cat drew back and hissed. "No fair!" She shouted to The God's amusement. Catra went for the charge again only to be sidestepped and kicked in the gut. "That's not power, that's just skill." Blaze said, enjoying the fight.  "I'd rather not hurt you, since you are a high ranking position." Apophis said. "Shall we then, Lord?" Blaze said. "I'm ready to go, yes " The God said before the two left for Bright Moon 

To Be Continued

[xyliane]

height problems

summary: when they’re kids, killua’s taller by a bit. by the time they grow up, killua’s taller by even more. but there’s a brief moment when he’s not. and it’s ridiculous. gon’s ridiculous.

notes: I’ve been in something of a end-of-quarter writer’s block (stares into the abyss of my big bang fic), so uh. have some immediately-post-reunion fluff. G, mostly-platonic killugon, a few years later, fluuufffffffff. 1400 words. (also on ao3!)

---

Killua notices the difference shortly after he turns sixteen and Gon tumbles back into his life, both of them taller and stronger and different in ways that Killua still hasn’t wrapped his mind around. And for a while it doesn’t matter, not with all of the excitement of traveling with his best friend, maybe for a few days but maybe for a few years, until they know each other again better than anyone else. But now it's impossible to ignore, a familiar song that’s slightly out of tune and a hair off beat, and Killua can’t take it anymore.

Their stuff is dumped haphazardly around their hotel room, because who cares about sorting clean and dirty socks when there’s catching up to do? Or that had been the problem at first. But Gon's chatting away about some nen exorcist he visited, a friendly middle-aged woman with a Hunter for a wife and three kids about Alluka's age, blissfully unaware of any glaring issues until Killua interrupts him. "Stand up.”

His best friend pauses mid-sentence, something about one of the kids and a mishap with their wheelchair. "Killua?"

He scowls (or at least tries to—it's hard to frown when he's been grinning for hours). "Just do it."

Gon looks like he wants to say something else, but does what he's asked without complaint. Killua stands too, and walks over until they’re almost nose to nose, staring at his best friend's stupid freckled cheeks. Gon's eyes widen a little, eyebrows drawn in concern. "What's wrong, Killua?"

Killua doesn't answer verbally. He just reaches out and squashes his hand against the spikes of Gon's hair, flattening them out. The pointy tips are just as unexpectedly soft as he remembers, like the ends of a brush. He brings his hand as level as he can towards his own head. It clears Killua’s white curls—barely.

Gon grins.

"When the hell did you get taller than me?" Killua demands. By maybe a finger’s width. Or two. If that.

His best friend shrugs. “I just hit my growth spurt a little while ago. I had to buy all new clothes, see?” He flaps his arms, as though trying to emphasize the long green sleeves and orange vest he’s been wearing.

It all makes so little sense that Killua can’t say anything reasonable either. “You’re not allowed to be taller!”

Killua hates how much he loves Gon’s laugh, gleeful and bright and directed entirely at Killua’s distress. “It’s not really my choice, Killua. I’m even taller than Ging now.”

Which means Killua’s Ging’s height now, and that feels really weird for reasons Killua can’t put his finger on. Will he or Gon be taller than Leorio some day? But he forces the thought aside by trying to smash his best friend’s head down to a more reasonable height, Gon whining even as his eyes dance.

Killua doesn’t realize he’s staring until Gon pulls just outside of arm’s reach, an introspective look on his face that would have been out of place a few years ago. “Do I look like…”

Like he did on the worst night of his life.

Killua swallows hard. He’s woken up in a cold sweat more times than he wants to admit, images of impossibly long hair and empty black eyes flashing on the back of his eyelids. The memories are bad enough but in his dreams, Gon doesn’t wake up, doesn’t come back, and part of Killua has been terrified meeting Gon would make all of those nightmares real. It’s so stupid that he’s been scared of seeing his best friend again, but what if that is the Gon he sees next time? It’s only been a few years. What if that is still Gon’s future?

But it’s not. Seeing this Gon, his Gon, still his best friend even though they’ve been apart for so long, makes Killua realize even if that Gon is still there—and he is, earth-shattering anger just as much part of his best friend as his laughing eyes and stubborn smile—Killua isn’t worried anymore.

“You don’t,” Killua says, and brushes white curls out of his face to avoid the prickling in the back of his throat. “You’re you.”

“But I was me then, too.” His best friend bites his lip, obviously thinking too hard about what he’s trying to say. It makes his nose crinkle like a squished button. “I’m growing, but I don’t want to grow like that. I mean, maybe I will, but it’ll be me if I do. And I won’t push you away again, I promise.”

That’s a conversation they still need to have, but not right now. Killua takes part of the step back inside Gon’s reach, oddly relieved that his best friend doesn’t move away, lets him stay close enough to touch. “Like I said, you’re you, Gon. You’re too selfish to be anything else.”

A small, hesitant smile returns to Gon’s face. “Really?”

“Promise,” Killua says. He looks Gon over from his spiky hair to his booted feet, pretending to not notice how his muscles are filling out or how right his stupid shirt looks. “You just need to stop growing.”

“Aunt Mito thinks I’ve got another year or so before I’m done.” Gon’s grin widens, guileless and wholly innocent. “I’m gonna be so much taller than you, Killua!”

The very thought is ridiculous. Gon is ridiculous. “You are not!” Killua splutters.

And then, horror of horrors, Gon reaches out, and down from the almost negligent distance he’s taller than Killua now, and pats Killua on the head like he’s a fluffy kitten. “You’re so small now. Is this what it was like before for you? And now you’re tiny!”

Killua can’t be held responsible for tackling Gon at that, toppling the both of them to the floor and pinning Gon down. “You take that back, or else,” he says.

Gon wriggles, trying to break free. He really has gotten stronger, but so has Killua. “I’m just saying what’s true, Killua.”

The need for terrible, glorious vengeance floods Killua’s veins and he bends over his best friend, a malignant smirk on his face that makes Gon’s eyes widen. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he says, and attacks.

He’s rewarded by a screech, Gon trying to curl away from the inevitable assault on his most ticklish spots. Killua keeps him trapped with a mix of strength and stubborn willpower as he dances tickling fingers across his best friend, narrowly missing getting a bloody nose to a flailing hand as Killua finds the spot just above the elbow that’s always been a weakness.

“St-staaaaahahahap!” Gon manages to squeak out.

“Stop saying I’m short!” Killua says, pinning Gon’s legs under his thighs to keep from being thrown off. The movement makes Gon’s shirt ride up, and Killua shifts his fingers to dart across the warm brown skin at his waist.

Gon is laughing so hard he’s not even making any noise, just little yelps as he squirms. “Is that a yes?” Killua says.

That earns him a ferocious nod, and Killua finally relents, letting Gon flop against the carpet as he tries to get his giggling under control. He’s turned red from head to collar, freckles deepening along his cheeks and peeking out from beneath the hem of his shirt. When he opens his eyes, they’re full of sunny joy that warms Killua under every inch of his skin, all the way down to his toes.

This is nothing new. Being around Gon makes the world a little brighter, it always has. But what’s unexpected is how the sight of Gon trapped between his legs, flushed and panting and unreservedly happy, makes Killua’s heart do a triple backflip and parkour its way up his throat until he feels like he can’t breathe, like he needs to lean down and—

Um. What.

“Hey, Killua? Are you okay? I’m sorry I called you short even though you are now—”

Killua does his best to shove the weird feeling right back where it came from as he renews his attack, not relenting even when Gon says through choked laughter and giggling sobs that he’ll never do it again, he promises.

What an asshole of a best friend. Why did Killua miss him anyways.

[vvatchword]

Let’s Kill Tree Jesus

Guild Wars 2 was my main MMO there for a while. I don’t even like MMOs for the most part. I play it because one of my best friends likes it, we have a ready group of pals to draw in should we need them, and we’re guaranteed to have a satisfying time.

I have a pathological need to sort things and complete checklists. So when left to my own devices, I trot around mapping areas, or upgrade my crafting skills, or organize my inventories, or mess with my characters’ clothing. All kinds of satisfying, low-key activities to relax with.

Then I got to Orr.

Orr is a location in-game, a drained sea exposing a nation of undead. The plot sees most of its denouement there and the map is absolutely fucking titanic.

Orr is the least enjoyable gaming experience I’ve had in ages. It just goes on. And on. AND FUCKING ON. It’s like it takes all of the worst parts of Guild Wars and crams it together in one interminable clusterfuck.

Jumping Puzzles. There is no reason to call them “puzzles.” That implies that there is a problem to solve. The only problems that exist are (a) Arenanet’s SUPER SHITTY JUMPING MECHANICS and (b) surfaces/hit boxes whose behaviors change according to the mercurial whims of the elder gods.

If you fall off the shitty-ass jumping torments, or are too slow while finding a Point of Interest, or try to pause and take a look around, you will be mobbed by seventeen high-level zombies and bludgeoned to death with your own liver.

Ugliest. Map. of all. Time. Look, I know for a FACT that “ugly” and “horror” don’t have to equal boring, but here we are. The scenery is hideous. Constant overcast skies. Gloomy taupes and beiges and blacks and midnight blues. Character designs, despite interesting visual notes like fanged mouth-guts or coral fans rising like wings from their shoulderblades, are overwhelmingly bland.

Somehow it has no character at all. You know how when you play BioShock or Half-Life 2 you can look around and think, “This is a place someone lived/worked and I can imagine what life was like before Death ground it into dust beneath his bony heel”? Guild Wars 2 hasn’t gotten beyond “SHITTY FANTASY PAPERBACK COVER.” It cannot surprise you. There is little to no genuine heart in it. Architecture is shrug-worthy.  All characters are underwear models between the ages of 18 and 29. The cringey Good/Bad dynamic erases all interesting possibilities of mortal fallibility and complexity. For example, enemies have laughable dialogue like “DEATH GOOD,” and the plot converges around a character I dubbed “Tree Jesus,” a platitude-farting milquetoast who I continually wished death upon.

My friend started helping me map Orr a while back and it took us absolutely for-fucking-ever. I started actively hating the game. It took me a while to realize that was what was happening--I still LOVE playing with my buddy, you know. She is the fucking best. There’s something to be said for Niina’s cackling while I sprint screaming from twenty furious zombie gorillas. So having fun with Niina masked the growing sense of fury punching up through my diaphragm.

What made me realize that I wanted to dropkick Guild Wars 2 in its smarmy asshole face was when I got into Warframe. In Warframe I can hover in midair like a bored Jedi and shoot a guy in the face while backflipping. Master the parkour and up your stats in some specific delicious ways and before you know it you are bouncing across walls and drifting in slow-mo while mowing down mutants with your shiny space gun. In Warframe, if I fuck up a jump and land in an abyss, it is my fault. In Guild Wars 2, if I have landed in an abyss, it’s because the edge of the mushroom I landed on isn’t feeling well today and called in sick so if you don’t mind BYE SUCKER

Anyway I’m probably still going to play GW2 until I die

Funniest thing about this is that I was the one to get Niina into Guild Wars to begin with and she’s become this superfan, while I’m just like....... drifting off into the ether I guess

[myfuckingfanfictionblog]

THERE WAS A SEQUEL TO RED BULL PENIS

dallons in the hospital. he was diagnosed with osteoporosis.

he would be leaving the hospital the next morning after spending months in intensive care. they found socks and red bull in his bones and had to remove them. now he’s boneless. hes just skin and muscle.

like chicken nuggets.

but theres one body part u dont need bones for ;)

ur ears.

when he is released from the hospital, they tell him he has to pay 20 million dollars for all of the water he consumed during his stay. he ignores them. he puts on his sparkly pants and exits.

hes only wearing his pants. no shirt. no sexy lingerie. no socks. he hasnt worn socks since the… Incident.

he has nightmares about the Incident every single moment of his life, even when hes awake.

they had to amputate his leg and his dick stump too. he got a prosthetic dick but no leg. he has a peg leg now. just a stick glued to his leg. sometimes he likes to sit and chew on his stick. then he is reminded of the Incident and cries until he falls asleep.

he shakes away his memories and walks into the hospital parking lot, barefoot and shirtless, wondering what to do next.

he sees a strange vehicle in the parking lot. the door opens and zack hall exits. dallons heart races, he hasnt spoken with anyone associated with panic since the incident.

“fuck you dallon” zack says. he throws a cigar at dallon and drives away. the cigar hits dallon in the face and he falls over. his peg leg snaps in half. hurriedly he shoves it up his butthole, no lube or condom.

he pulls out his cellular device and contemplates who to call for help in this crisis while the peg leg leaves splinters inside him. he knows that brendon is probably smoking with zack, laughing at dallons misfortune. he scrolls through his contacts and suddenly he is hit with an idea. his one friend through everything. his main man. the guy whos never left him for anything. his bro.

he calls josh dun.

josh answers after a few rings with a confused “dallon?”

“hey josh please help me im in a parking lot there are splinters in my rectum”

“ok dallon im coming im bringing tyler” josh says and hangs up.

josh sighs and grabs his keys, giving tyler a nod as he quickly rushes to his skateboard. josh gets on his skateboard.

tyler quickly goes to sit on joshs shoulders. “onward mighty steed” tyler yodels and kicks josh in the ribs. josh screams in pain and starts obediently skateboarding.

they skateboard to the hospital gracefully and spot dallon laying in the parking lot. “ew is that dallon” tyler says.

“stop being rude” josh says

dallon cries as tyler picks him up

tyler holds him bridal style on joshs shoulders. josh cries because dallon is really heavy. tyler doesnt know what to do so he sticks his toe thumb up dallons ass.

dallon cries and smacks tyler, causing josh to wiggle and swerve. everyone shrieks. josh skates over a pebble causing tyler, dallon, and tyler’s toe thumb to fall over. josh gracefully backflips off the rogue skateboard but tyler and dallon smash into the pavement.

the peg leg is jammed deeper into dallons rectum and tylers toe thumb is still in his butthole. tyler gets a splinter. everyone is getting splinters.

josh is lying on the ground dead

tyler screams and pulls his thumb out, crawling to his dead band mate. he puts his thumb in joshs butt, but josh is already dead. tylers efforts are useless

tyler buries his face in joshs chest, mourning his lover when a car pulls up. the door swings open and two high heels drop down, and they see breezy. breezy stomps on dallon. the kids are shouting from the backseat about minecraft and fnaf.

breezy throws a grenade into the car, killing the children instantly. it hasnt detonated yet. she leans close to dallon and whispers “i fucking hated your kids anyway” then she gets up and steals a random car and drives away. dallon sobs and looks over at tyler

tyler is convulsing on the ground

before getting very far, breezy crashes into a juice bar and dies, cursing the one thing she ever loved for killing her as she takes her last breath

another car pulls up

dallon whimpers, he just wants help

a greasy kenny appears in the window

dallon sighs. he would rather have anyone else to help. kenny presses his face against the window and dallon can see the glass fogging when he breathes.

“r u ok” kenny shrieks. “is that a toe having a seizure over there”

dallon yells “fuck off kenny”

kenny gets out of the car and slips on his own grease puddle. he breaks his hip. “i am an old man” he cries “i need a hip replacement”

“ya i need one too you fucking grease whore but do u see me complaining no go shove ur dick in a pumpkin” dallon says. kenny cries and begs dallon for help but dallon just crawls over and starts beating the shit out of him. this is all in the hospital parking lot and nobody is helping

“not even my guitars can save me now” kenny says

“u can shove ur guitars up ur greasy butthole” dallon says. “at least u have natural lube"he adds

tyler is still having a seizure on the ground. foam starts to drip down tylers cheek as his body shakes and convulses

"hey tyler do u want some taco bell” josh says

tyler screams. josh is a zombie. rest in pepperoni.

“JOSH UR BACK” tyler starts violently fucking josh in the ass in celebration.

“tyler stop i just want some taco bell ur a bottom anyway please stop” josh says

tyler is out of control at the moment. there is no telling what he can do.

dallon crawls over and tries to join. tylers dick kicks him in the face. josh seems to be okay with a threesome, but tyler punches dallon in the throat. dallon rips joshs hair out in clumps. josh cries.

“my luscious straw locks. what have you done” he laments. josh now looks like tyler.

“tyler can we please get taco bell” josh says. tyler ignores him and keeps going. josh shits himself. tyler moans even louder.

“how did u know my kink” tyler says. josh cries and runs away. tyler screams.

now that josh is gone, there is only one other person to turn to. dolan. dalon. dallon.

tyler pees on dallon. “golden shower” he says. dallon screams.

another car pulls up, crushing tylers legs under its wheels. the door opens and smoke pours out.

josh comes back and beats tyler with a stop sign.

brendon and zack get out and walk over. zack gets lung ccancer suddenly.

brendon starts throwing weed at dallon. clumps of weed hit his face. everyone stares at zack as he dies of lung cancer. rip zack. sarah urie is sitting in the car drinking a smoothie and angrily tweeting fans. “bee kind” she yells from inside the car. brendon ignores her

brendon whips his dick out. its not a snake dick anymore.

“shove a bee up ur asshole!” tyler yells. tyler pulls out his toe thumb and gives them a thumbs up.

jenna joseph crawls up out of the sewers and flashes her wedding ring to everyone. tyler takes the wedding ring and eats it. jennas ugly eyebrows fall off in shock. breezy comes back from the dead to repair jennas fallen eyebrows even though her own are shit

“tyler can we get taco bell now” josh says

breezy spits on dallon and kicks the shit out of him. brendon begins eating zacks corpse.

there is still a peg leg in dallons ass.

tyler and josh come back with taco bell holding hands. sarah and breezy scream

“UNHEALTHY!!” they both run away and probably fuck in some grass

dallons ass gets an infection and he speed shits out the peg leg and all the splinters onto tyler. tyler spits his chewed up taco on dallon.

tyler moans as the peg leg pierces his nipple

jenna sees tyler nutting then cries and makes a noose with her shirt. breezy makes a green vegan gluten free extra protein smoothie shake. josh sees jenna and pushes her back into the sewer. shes gone

breezy makes some minecraft snacks and brings them to the squad. they eat the ugly torch pretzels and vomit everywhere. kenny gets up, broken hip forgotten, and roundhouse kicks her in the face. dallon swallows a pretzel stick torch whole then proceeds to drop dead

dallon says “werent the pretzels for knox and our failed abortion child amelie”

kenny drops dead

breezy says “ya but i killed ur dumbass children”

dallon puts on socks because hes cold. he cries and chews on the peg leg that was in his rectum. he has a flashback to the incident and screams. dallon stares down at the socks, the whole world slowing down around him. breezy shoves an icing pretzel torch up his butt. he cries.

brendon starts singing bohemian rhapsody in the background, demanding attention. nobody cares.

dallon lifts his foot into his lap, peeling the sock back slowly exposing the hair on his toe knuckles. he presses the warm sock against his cheek, taking a long whiff. he starts to eat the sock. he closes his eyes in bliss, remembering the moments he had with socks. he moans. his prosthetic dick has never been this hard

brendons eyes turn black as he notices, scales covering his limps. his dick starts wiggling. it elongates, until it is a wriggling tentacle.

he crawls over to dallon, head spinning around and limbs cracking.

someone drinks a diet pepsi. it is not known who.

the tentacle pokes dallons ear. brendon shoves it in dallons ear, literally fucking his brains out. dallon, still nutting to the sock, is dazed and confused. dallon nuts twice at the same time.

his brains spill onto the pavement. the pavement cracks open and ground beneath them splits, opening the underworld. tyler jumps in eagerly.

zack crawls back from the dead and mutes dallon on twitter. “you are muted. idiot” zack says then jumps into the abyss. the underworld sucks everyone in. it sucks in a mild sauce packet from taco bell, and josh cries and jumps in after it. the underworld is filled with socks and mountain dew

dallon floats up off the ground. brendon grabs onto him, afraid he will float away like a balloon. a dalloon. but brendon played himself, as dallon does not stop floating. they float until they reach space. brendon feels the gravitational pull of uranus

screeching, brendon pulls dallon into the core of uranus, where they are vaporized instantly

the end