#can’t get over “gee guys…I don’t know…murder? seems kind of heavy”

[age-of-moonknight]

“Dead Run!” West Coast Avengers (vol. 2/1985), #29.

Writer: Steve Englehart; Penciler: Al Milgrom; Inker: Mike Machlan; Colorists: Bob Sharen and Gregory Wright; Letterer: Bill Oakley

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

Born Into the Wilds - Chapter 8

Hey guys! I finally finished another chapter. This one was a blast to write. HAve fun! Link to AO3.

In which more fishy things are coming to light.

Featuring: the wonders of bureaucracy, snark, Nyx the reckless idiot, Luche's sense of humour and Drautos' ugly past rearing its head

Warnings: smoking

List of Words:

Galahkar = person of Galahd sinehär gisdrauht = Elder Storyteller makti-oir = war chief, commander-in-chief, warlord; lit.: leading hunter mahir = mother ahtri = spirit; umbrella term for everything from actual nature spirits to the presence of their ancestors kohna = swearword; along the lines of shit cünaniu = a moot, basically a publilc gathering to debate stuff. Held by selected Elders and has to be an odd number

The apartment was a battlefield of loose papers, open folders, half empty plates and cups of tea. Nyx sat on the floor in the middle of it all and inhaled his tea at an astonishing rate. Blue eyes stared sightlessly at the folder in his lap, a pen dangling between his fingers and an open notebook next to him. The paper was stained with brownish rings where he had put his cup down and some of the tea had spilt over.

It was currently shortly after lunchtime and already Nyx felt tired enough to sleep for the rest of the day. He snorted into his cup and focused back onto the profile page of Axis Arra. There was nothing on it Nyx didn't already know or couldn't ask the man directly, but he had figured talking to every single Glaive would take up too much time, so he had asked Luche to get him the basic information of every Glaive currently active. As the Captain's adjunct it would be easier for him than anybody else.

The blond man had looked like he had been ordered to bath in behemoth shit, but only two hours after Nyx had asked, Luche had come back, his expression just as sour, with a stack of heavy folders in his arms. No one had any idea how he had managed to do this so fast, and no one dared to ask. The Lazarus Clan was scarily effective like that.

Axis' profile didn't contain things like medical history, his place of residence or if he had any dependants, but his preferred weapon – a crossbow – allied Clans – Bellum, Lazarus, Dala and Altius – Clans the Arras feuded with – Aliquantus – and his hunting patron – Artemis – among other things. It was not the first time any of this information had been written down, but it was the first time it was all in one place and so comprehensive.

Nyx glanced at the stack of heavy folders balancing next to him and wondered what to do with them all once he had finished his task of restructuring the units within the Kingsglaive into proper hunting groups.

This would be so much easier, if he didn't have to do this within the confines of the already existing structure. Nyx' gaze wandered from the folders towards his own notes that were a mess of names, arrows and question-marks. Captain Drautos had once said he had done what he could within the parameters given, but now that he was actively looking, Nyx could tell just after a few hours that something was off.

Why would he put a Najad within the same Unit as a Pontos when it was known by everybody that those two would sooner murder each other than work together? He could understand placing them within the same Troop since those had been decided upon order of admission and not necessarily skill-set, but the same Unit? That was just asking for a disaster to happen.

A loud curse interrupted his train of thought. Nyx gaze shifted towards Pelna who was sitting at his tiny dining table, typing away at his laptop. He fished out what looked like a list from somewhere within the chaos on the table and crossed something out.

“What's wrong?” asked Nyx and tried to loosen the tense muscles in his neck.

Pelna looked at him, the skin around his eyes tight and his mouth pressed into a thin line. “I've been looking into the current suppliers of the Glaive, like you asked me to. It's a right mess,” he said with a grimace and held up the paper. “I used the Moogle Network to cross-check the list Luche managed to get. There's one company – it's called WEAPON – that supposedly specializes in magic conductive weaponry and something about it is strange.”

“It must be more than strange for you to look like that,” commented Nyx.

His spine cracked uncomfortably as he stood up. Carefully he picked his way towards the table around a census of every Galahkar living in Insomnia, to-do lists and a colourful explosion of post-it notes. Pelna gave a rueful grin.

“WEAPON isn't the only weapons company on the list, but it's the one most of the Glaive's budget goes to, which is strange because they don't supply us with nearly enough weapons to warrant that amount.”

The laptop screen showed a chart full of numbers Nyx couldn't make heads nor tails off. They seemed to be sums of money ordered by company and what they provided. It was scarily detailed.

“And Luche gave you this list?”

Pelna shook his head. “Not exactly that one. He was able to give me a list of what exactly each company provided and how much they were paid in general, but no specifics. He said he couldn't get more because the secretary of the acquisition office came back from her coffee break before he could find the files. I've been looking up each company, looking for prizes and adding them up with the stuff we have in inventory. And before you ask: I got that information from Hephaistos. He still owed me one.”

Hephaistos Gohlann had lost a leg to an MT with a flamethrower during combat. Now he worked a desk-job in the Glaive that Drautos had gotten him as a favour. Mostly the man now managed their logistics.

Nyx hummed thoughtfully. That sounded like a heck of a lot of tedious busy work. “How big is the Kingsglaive's budget anyway?” He was a bit embarrassed that he hadn't thought to look that information up sooner since it was kind of important to what he was doing. He just had never thought he would be in a position to need this information.

“That's the thing,” said Pelna with a frustrated shrug. “I can't find the correct numbers anywhere. They should be easy to find and open to the public – well, mostly – but they aren't. I can find the Yen they put into every other Division but the Kingsglaive. The Captain always said we didn't have enough money, but I can't verify that and with that big chunk of our money that gets pumped into WEAPON...” He shrugged.

This was... concerning, and one more point on Nyx' ever growing list of things that needed to be done. He carded his hands through his hair and sighed. He needed a break.

“Can you work it out?” he asked.

Thoughtfully, Pelna chewed on his lower lip while his fingers drummed out a lively staccato on the edge of the table. “Depends. If I have enough time and Crowe can help me juggle the numbers, most likely. It might take a while though. What do you want to do with this information anyway?”

“That's fine. I'm not sure yet, but it seems prudent to know how much money you have and where it goes, don't you think?”

“That's basic household management,” replied Pelna impressively unimpressed, and held out his own empty tea cup. “Now be a dear and make some fresh tea, while I sacrifice my precious free time for you.”

Nyx huffed an amused laugh and took the cup without further comment. It would do him good to do something else with his hands for a bit anyway.

A comfortable silence fell between the two. A slight breeze came through the open door of the apartment and rustled the papers with a quiet whisper. Nyx had given up on closing it with how many people had come to see him already today. It was kind of ridiculous, if he thought about it. For members of Clans that were traditionally under Ulric protection, Nyx had always had an open door policy, but now it seemed to include every Galahkar within the city.

First it had been sinehär gisdrauht Istoria shortly after daybreak with the census, then Luche, much to Nyx' surprise, and then Pelna had shown up before he had to go to work. After that it had been one person after another, most of them Clan Heads wanting to affirm their loyalty towards the new makti-oir. It was done with very little ceremony, but now he had a growing pile of Clan beads carefully tucked away in his bedside table and no clue what to do with them.

That was something that they didn't have to do, but was generally expected anyway, so Nyx had put up with it. After a while he just hadn't bothered anymore to close his door. Why do it when he had to open it five minutes later again anyway?

He was rooting around his cupboards for one of his tea mixes with a bit more of a kick behind it, when Libertus came in.

“Hey, guys. You still have something to eat? I'm starving. Where do you want me to put these?”

Nyx looked up and stared at the files in his best friend's arms in horror and disbelieve. “Where did you get those from? I can't see my own apartment floor under all this paper, and you bring even more?”

Like the asshole he was, Libertus just shrugged and dumped the files in Nyx' armchair, before he sniffed at a sandwich lying on a plate next to it. Nyx shared an exasperated glance with Crowe who had come in behind him. Pelna glanced up for all of one second before he went back to his work, used to ignoring the antics of the three around him with years of practice.

“This looks like you lost a war,” commented Crowe with a smirk on her face.

“Oh, you're free to help,” grouched Nyx and pulled out a box of tea leaves with a triumphant “aha!”.

Crowe stepped into the apartment, careful to not disturb the chaos on the floor, and took the tea box out of Nyx' hand.

“Hey!” he exclaimed and made a grab for it.

Crowe held it out of his reach and turned her upper body away. She made a shooing motion towards the door with her free hand. “You step out and take a break, Nyx. If you don't get your allotted amount of fresh air, you'll crawl up the walls and drive us all crazy in the process.”

“Gee, thanks,” said Nyx and made a face.

He would never say it out loud, but it was true. Being cooped up for too long made him twitchy and grumpy, the open door not helping in the slightest. So he stepped outside without complaint and went up to the flat roof of the apartment complex. The air wasn't necessarily fresh, it smelled of exhaust fumes and home cooked meals, but there was a nice breeze caressing his face.

The last few days had been such a whirlwind of activity that he hadn't had the time to really process all of it, and now that he was alone with his thoughts, it all came back in a staggering force. Clenching his hands into fists to keep them from trembling, he stared up to the underside of the bridge stretching over his head.

He still felt like he didn't deserve those powers. There were so many other people who could do so much more with them, Crowe most of all. But he didn't regret having them, he realized as he watched a spark playfully dance over his knuckles. With this power he could keep old wrongs from repeating themselves. This time he would protect those most important to him and everybody else.

Maybe I should train a bit more first, he thought as the playful spark turned into a tiny bolt of lighting that fizzled out a metre over his head as he lost control over it. That could have hit somebody.

He could most likely convince Crowe again to spot for him, her ability to just understand magic was priceless. He should probably ask Axis, too. The man wasn't part of a mage unit, but he specialized in augmenting his close combat with magic.

Maybe he should also invest in some blades that could channel magic and lightning better than the two sets he had now. And the best weapon smiths he could think of were... Ariadne and Archyll. Nyx mouth twisted into a bitter grin. Of course it had to be those two. They were distant relatives of his from his mahir's side, twins, that had made it quite clear they didn't want to talk to him again after he had joined the Kingsglaive. That argument was something some people still talked about on occasion. But maybe if he came to them in a professional capacity – as Head of the Ulric Clan and not a relative – he could talk to them?

It was strange, before any of this had happened they had never talked to each other much when they had come from the next settlement over to visit his mother, and even in the short time between her and Selena's death and him joining the Glaive, they hadn't talked much. Too much had been going on back then. But now he missed them dearly. There was family right there, and he couldn't talk to them because they didn't want him to. The weight of that rested heavily in his chest.

“Ah, there you are, Nyx. Libertus said that Crowe practically threw you out of your own apartment.”

Nyx whirled around, a growl rumbling in his throat that morphed into a pleasant purr and a grin as he saw Luche standing near the stairs. He cursed himself for being so inattentive. Luche stepped up next to him; the air around him still carried a touch of caution.

“That's about right,” Nyx muttered and wondered if he would growl and hiss at everything and everybody who startled him. That would be inconvenient.

For a moment they both stood there, side by side, leaning against the railing and watching the people below. It was a hive of activity. There was a liveliness there, that had been lacking only the day before. It was good.

He groaned as his thoughts drifted towards the Lucians. What by ahtrii was he supposed to do?

“You need to present them with some concrete demands and a position you'll not budge from, come scourge or raging fire,” said Luche, a cynical twist to his mouth.

Had Nyx said that out loud?

“I want...”, Nyx stopped to think about it. What did he want? “What I want is for every Galahkar to have a better life here, for us to not have to worry that they'll take our children away because we 'can't give them the appropriate care'. I want for us to be able to walk through these streets without shame, debt or guilt. I want our homes back, to hunt in the jungle and swim in the sea. I want to hit Aldercapt in the face and eat his heart.” I want my mahir and sister back.

Next to him Luche snorted.

“What?”

“I don't know about eating Aldercapt's heart. It must be very much spoiled now, if it was ever edible at all.”

“You're probably right,” conceded Nyx with a grin on his face. “I still want to rip it out of his chest and bury it in never melting snow.”

“Every Galahkar still living, will jump at the chance to help you with that.” Luche shifted his weight until his hip rested against the rail, facing Nyx. “You might be able to make everything else possible. How far along are you with reorganizing the hunting groups?”

“Maybe a third of the way through?” Nyx shrugged. “It's a mess and I keep to need to start over. The Captain said he formed the best units he could under the constraints given, but...”

“There's something off”, finished Luche for him.

“Yes! Everybody knows you don't put a Najad and a Pontos in the same hunting group. That group has the highest rotation count because those two keep trying to kill each other, and we can do nothing about it”, Nyx growled, eyes flashing.

Luche's gaze was guarded and calculating. He was clearly pondering something that had bothered him for some time now. The other Glaive had become strangely distant over the last few months. Nyx would admit that some part of him had worried.

“You should restructure the whole thing from the ground up, no matter what the Captain, the General or any other higher-ups say”, Luche said at last, making Nyx do a double take in surprise.

“That's... wow. Just wow. You think I should do this regardless of the consequences? The one who always goes on about rules and regulations and heeding the chain of command. Are you sure?”

“You're makti-oir, it's your given right to do this. It's your duty to do this. And regardless of what some people might be whispering behind my back, I'm of the Lazarus' and my Clan is as much of Galahd as any other.” Luche's face might as well have been carved from stone as he said this.

Nyx couldn't hide his wince. He had heard those whispers himself and he hated them. The Lazaruses were traditionally jewellers and also a Watcher Clan, a duty they shared with the Drautos Clan with the distinction that the Lazaruses lived partly in Tenebrae and the Drautoses in Lucis. That made them a little different from the other Clans and created spiteful whispers more often than not.

“Will you help me?” he found himself asking.

Luche twitched in surprise. He obviously hadn't been expecting that. “You want me to help? Why?”

“You know the rules”, Nyx shrugged. “Ours and those of the Lucians. You've got practice and experience with coordinating people and making them do what needs to be done. You know how to talk to the Lucians.”

“I know what you're trying to do, Nyx. You're not very subtle”, Luche said with raised eyebrows.

“Is it working?” Nyx wore a cheeky grin.

With a sigh, Luche shook his head. “Damn it, yes it is. Just because I know how I need to phrase things around Lucians so that they don't think me an 'uncultured barbarian', doesn't mean that they're listening to me. I can be your people wrangler, but The King and his ilk are your problem.”

Kohna. A man could hope.

“Thank you, Luche.”

“Hn, you're welcome.”

A companionable silence settled between them. Nyx was relieved. He had known that he wouldn't have to do this all by himself, but now he knew. Luche could help him wrangle the Lucians, while Libertus helped him wrangle the Clans, Pelna dug through the Glaive and Crowe helped him figure out the accounting. For the first time he felt like he could actually do this without failing horribly.

Luche searched through the pockets of his threadbare jeans – those looked very uncharacteristic on the normally very correct man – and pulled out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. Nyx shook his head when he got offered the packet, and with a shrug Luche put one between his lips. Nyx stood upwind of Luche but still he grimaced as the smell of burning tobacco reached his nose.

The blond man took a deep drag of the cigarette and blew out the smoke with a quiet sigh. “It's nice and all that we came to an understanding, but that's not why I was looking for you in the first place. Captain Drautos sent me since you seem to have fried your phone.”

“It was an accident.”

Luche's stare told Nyx what the other man thought of that. It really had been! Kind of. Anyway. Nyx threw the man next to him a petulant look.

“Great, and now I'll be late to whatever the Captain wants from me. Thanks a lot, you idiot. For the record: If he asks, I'm blaming you.”

Luche gave an undignified snort and waved his free hand as if to say like I care. And he cared, more than he should, Nyx knew. Instead of commenting however, he jumped on the railing with all the grace of a lazy cat and grinned.

“Shouldn't you change into something more appropriate before you go?” asked Luche, his lips twitching in amusement.

Nyx' grin grew wide enough to show the barest hint of teeth. “Then he shouldn't have asked for me during my sick leave”, he said and jumped off the railing.

Even from his position two storeys below on a windowsill, he could hear Luche's barked laugh. Who knew the man had a sense of humour.

Drautos stared at him like a man who knew he should have seen this happening from kilometres away. Nyx stood there, utterly unrepentant in an old pair of comfy leather trousers and a loose tunic with colourful patterns showing never ending knots. His bare feet flexed against the ground. He probably should have fetched his shoes before going. Too late now.

“Care to tell me what's going on?” barked Drautos, obviously not happy.

“I'm on sick-leave, Sir.”

The Captain glared. “Cut the crap, Ulric. What went down yesterday?”

Nyx blinked in surprise. “A cünaniu was called and I was invited to speak,” he said slowly and carefully, nearly like he was speaking to a young child. Why were they talking in Lucian again?

“A cünaniu”, he repeated flatly. His mouth had an unpleasant twist to it.

“Yes, Sir.”

Drautos stared at him. Nyx stared right back. They were in a strange stalemate, trying to out-stubborn each other. Too bad for the Captain that no one was as stubborn as an Ulric.

“What was the topic?” he asked at last.

“My last mission and my meeting with King Regis. No one was comfortable with those articles and the press lurking around.”

“And are you...”

“No. Sir”, Nyx interrupted the Captain rather forcefully.

An empathetic nod was his answer. Drautos shifted his weight in his chair, a thoughtful frown on his face. Until now this meeting had gone better than Nyx had expected, but he knew this wouldn't last.

“Sir”, he spoke up after a moment of silence. Better to get this done with. “I was voted makti-oir.”

Drautos froze. It was like someone had slammed the curtains shut. Suddenly the Captain's whole being seemed to be an empty canvas, lacking any expression that could be a clue to his inner musings. It was in all honesty very disconcerting to watch, and set Nyx teeth on edge.

“And what”, Drautos said, his voice nothing more than a tightly controlled whisper, “do you plan to do now, Oirkar?”

Nyx very carefully suppressed the urge to hiss at the man in front of him, but he couldn't quite help the snarl tugging at his lips, his magic sparking in aggravation.

“We're going to overhaul the Kingsglaive. If it stays like it is now, it'll collapse in on itself sooner rather then later. We cannot let members of feuding Clans on the same units. You can clearly see with Rani Unit what a bad idea that is. No other has such a high death count because two people will rather try to murder each other than kill the enemy. Now we finally have the leverage to do something about it.”

The with or without you was clearly heard.

“And you think you can just waltz into the Citadel and make the Lucian Nobility listen to you because you got voted in as a 'barbarian warlord'? Because that is what they will think, Ulric, and they will try to stop you every chance they get. Do not forget that to them, we are nothing more than worthless refugees, living in their great city at their mercy.”

There was a hurt there, old and festering. It was an ugly thing and Nyx had never seen it in the Captain before. It completely took him aback. Not for the first time Nyx wondered what had happened to Drautos on his way from Galahd to here, but as always no answers were forthcoming.

“They will listen, if they want to keep us all here”, he snarled. When he realized which words had left his mouth, he shut it with a click, just as surprised as Drautos was.

“You would make every Galahkar still living, leave the safest place on Eos, because of – what? A temper tantrum because things are not going the way you want them to?”

Nyx' teeth ground painfully together, he was clenching his jaw so tightly. Drautos sighed.

“Be that as it may. I know I cannot stop you. Just know that I warned you.”

Nyx forced his jaw to unclench. The muscles protested rather painfully. “Of course, Sir.”

“Good. Now go, Ulric, and don't let me see you again until the next mission briefing.”

He nodded and stalked out of the room, his field of vision warping in a way he was starting to get increasingly familiar with.

[holidaywishes]

the song part 2

Part II: Melodies

  Summary: Calli is confronted about her Uncle. Scott and Lydia find out more about what Calli can do while trying to figure out how to tell her what she is.

  Fandom: Teen Wolf

  Warning: Angst, talk of sexual abuse, I don’t know what else

  Author’s Note: Alright, I’m sorry about the banner image. I can’t seem to make it not so pixelated no matter what I tried but once I get into the pairing a little more than I’ll use GIFs. Fun fact: this type of imagine isn’t getting a lot of engagement on my dash but I don’t care. I’m gonna keep writing them because I want to. So ha.

  masterlist

  the other masterlist

xx

Calli’s P.O.V

  “So how long as it been going on?” Stiles asked, creeping up behind you as you washed the dishes 

  “I’m sorry?” you scrunched your eyebrows in response

  “Your Uncle. How long has he been a total douchebag?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

  “Everyone else might be oblivious to it but I saw how you froze up when he came over”

  “I didn’t freeze up”

  “You did. Can I get you out of the situation? Are you in trouble?” You turned to him finally and sighed

  “It’s nothing I can’t handle. Trust me, I’ve dealt with this long enough to need any help”

  “Why not tell Lydia?”

  “I haven’t seen or spoken to Lydia in years. The fact that she’s here, and she brought all of you, is baffling to me”

  “She cares, and she thought we could help”

  “Help? Help with what?”

  “Your Uncle?” You were confused. There was no way that Lydia would’ve known what was going on with your Uncle, it’s not like you’d told anyone anyway.

  “I don’t understand… She didn’t even know — it’s not like there’s anything to help with…”

  “Talk to me. I’m a great listener and I’m sure I can help.”

  “It’s complicated and it’s not something I really wanna talk about”

  “That definitely means you should, don’t you think?” You ushered him over to the couch and tried to gather some kind of courage to tell him the truth, even though you just met him

  “I don’t know why I should tell you anything. I just met you…”

  “Would you rather tell someone who didn’t notice anything?”

  “Fair enough. If I tell you, you can’t say anything. TO ANYONE. It’s my ‘cross to bear’ or whatever”

  “Are you gonna tell me he’s like a drug lord and your his mule?”

  “No. but it’s just as bad…”

  “I promise”

  “It started when I was 10. My parents had separated and my Dad took off to be with his secretary or assistant or something in Jamaica while my Mom was on a spiritual quest in Bali. So, Uncle Ron took me in. At first it was nothing, a couple of uncomfortable movie scenes and that would be the end of it. But the longer I was here, the more everything progressed…” Once you began detailing the moments that made you so uncomfortable around your Uncle to a complete stranger, you realized just how messed up all of it was, “by the time I could understand what was happening to me, too much had already happened. But I had nowhere to go. So, I just didn’t say anything and now I’m kinda stuck”

  “Shit” was all he said before you raised your eyes in his direction

  “Shit? That’s all you have to say?”

  “I just.. I’m sorry I wasn’t expecting that. That’s heavy, you really should tell Lydia.”

  “Come on dude. I told you no one was going to know about this. I’ve gone my life without anyone knowing and I sure as hell am not just gonna blab it to everyone now. And neither will you.” He seemed to drop it after that but then he started asking some really strange questions which you had no answers to. When the rest of the group came into the room, you scanned their faces and they all seemed like they had something to say as well

  “What’s going on?” you asked, standing up from the couch

  “Nothing. I just wanted to ask if you’ve ever.. felt anything” Lydia asked and you furrowed your brow before looking back at Stiles quickly

  “Felt anything?” you repeated

  “Yeah you know. Like gotten a vibe that something bad is gonna happen?” She continued and you looked at everybody in the room, letting out an uncomfortable scoff

  “Do you think I’m psychic or something?”

  “Or something…”

  “Why would you think that?” 

  “We have our reasons, believe us” Peter said

  “I’m not psychic. I don’t get feelings or vibes that something is going to happen. So I don’t know what your reasons are but they’re wrong. Sorry…” You snarked before turning to leave

  “Calli wait,” Theo grabbed your arm to stop you and you gently tore it away, “what if we could show you what we mean?” Your eyes searched for some kind of assurance on his face but when you couldn’t find anything you scrunched your eyebrows at him

  “What does that even mean?” You noticed Scott take a small step forward when Theo tilted his head

  “Let’s just show her, Scott,” Theo insisted but Scott shook his head, “she deserves to know at least what Lydia is…”

  “What Lydia is?” you questioned

  “Thanks a lot, Theo” was all Lydia muttered before taking you aside

  “Look, I don’t really know how to explain it but, yeah, I should probably say.. something...” 

  “You’re freaking me out…”

  “Trust me, there’s a lot more to be freaked out by”

  “Lyds.. just tell me”

  “I’m a Banshee” she blurted out and you scoffed before letting out a ‘yeah, right’ 

  “Okay, you had your chance. I’m done tip-toeing around,” Peter pushed through and was in front of you in a flash, “it’s my turn.” You were sure you blacked out after he approached you, his eyes glowing a bright blue and his face contorted into a monstrous appearance; what the hell was wrong with him?

  “Calli?” you heard someone calling to you but you couldn’t distinguish who it was, “Calli?” the voice called again and you jumped up from the ground, screaming as you backed yourself into a corner.

  “Hey hey, calm down,” Lydia said as Derek, Liam and Mason appeared seemingly out of nowhere, “Calli it’s okay, calm down”

  “You guys really couldn’t wait for a more natural way to tell her?” Derek snarled

  “It wasn’t us, not how we would’ve liked anyway,” Stiles said, gesturing to Peter, “he wanted things done his way”

  “What the hell is going on?!” you shouted, bringing the attention back to you. You could feel your eyes growing wide and everyone was staring at you, not saying anything but you could tell they were trying to figure out what to say, “SERIOUSLY WHAT THE FUCK?! What is wrong with his face? What is happening?”

  “Jesus, relax” Malia yelled and your stepped back

  “Calli, I think you should sit down,” Scott said and you obliged, solely because you were starting to get dizzy, “Peter is… we’re…”

  “Yeah?” you questioned

  “Werewolves..”

  “Well except me,” Stiles interjected, “I’m not anything. Just human…”

  “And me,” Malia added, “I’m a werecoyote”

  “Yeah and I’m a Chimera..” Theo said, “part werewolf, part werecoyote”

  “And I’m…” Lydia hesitated, “a Banshee. And Jordan, he’s a hellhound...”

  “Seriously you guys?” you scoffed, “you think I’m stupid? You think I’m supposed to believe that you’re all… what? Supernatural?”

  “We are” Liam spoke up from the back

  “Fine. Let’s say I believe you,” you huffed, “what the hell does any of this have to do with me?”

  “Well,” Scott started and you whipped your head to him, “...Peter?”

  “Christ…” you looked over at Peter warily and noticed him roll his eyes in exasperation, “sweetheart, you’re a siren.” Your face contorted into a mixture of confusion and rage; you squinted your eyes at him before letting out a sigh

  “Gee, thanks…” you muttered

  “Excuse me?” Peter replied

  “I’m supposed to be a siren in this weird, messed up story? A murderous, cannibalistic, half human, half bird like creature? That’s what you’re telling me I am?” you rolled your eyes, “why? because you found me singing at a café lounge?”

  “It makes sense, Cal,” Lydia said finally, “Banshee’s predict death and they use their voices, their screams, to… find it.”

  “And Sirens cause death.” You stated plainly before letting out a sigh, watching the groups eyes fall on you, “if I am what you say I am, then that means I’m the reason that people die. Why would I want that?”

  “I know how you feel,” she argued, “I felt the same way but whether you want it or not, it’s what you are. We’re here to help you.. navigate what you can do”

  “I don’t need your help, Lydia,” you said softly, “I never have. I’ll be fine. Go back to Beacon Hills. Go home…” She tried to stop you from leaving but you pulled your arm away from her grasp

  “Please, Cal, let us help you.” You shook your head and started toward the door when Theo called out to you

  “I was like you once,” he started, “believed that I couldn’t be good, that I was only meant for bad things to happen to me or to cause bad things. But I realized that it didn’t have to be that way, I didn’t have to be defined by the shitty things I did”

  “Except you kind of do…” Stiles said just as you turned to Theo and Scott hit his shoulder, “ow. What am I wrong? Jee-sus”

  “Stiles, shut up!” Scott insisted and Theo rolled his eyes

  “I’ve done some really bad things but that doesn’t mean I’m still a bad person. I’m not meant to cause bad things to happen and neither are you.” You slowly stepped closer to him, your breath hitching in your throat when you were as close as you could be without touching him, and searched his face; letting out a laugh at his stoic expression

  “I’m not you” you whispered, a small smile on your face. You dropped your head to the ground, shaking it as you tried to distance yourself from the situation; looking at Theo’s now-concerned expression and headed out the door.

[kob131]

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/175385877264/savior-mom-raven

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/176137740129/savior-mom-raven-2-continuation-of-the-first

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/176568358797/savior-mom-raven-3

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/176882491272/savior-mom-raven-4

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/177623054713/savior-mom-raven-5

One of my friends notified me that there’s FIVE entries of this shit now.

So since my original posts on this have been lost to the ether-

Let’s do this shit.

“Ozpin’s stable at least.” Qrow said as he exited the school infirmary, “I don’t know what my sister was thinking, but she’s going to pay when I see her again.”

“count me in on that action.” Glynda muttered, “I haven’t forgiven her for what she pulled at the dance.”

“You hold a major grudge.” Qrow replied, “Anyways, we have to figure out where Raven went.”

*Buzz*

“What’s up Tai?” Qrow asked as he answered his scroll.

“Qrow! The Kids! They’re gone!”

“WHAT?” Qrow couldn’t believe his ears. First Ozpin had gotten hospitalized, and now Yang and Ruby had disappeared.

“I just got back from the meeting, and they were gone!”Taiyang cried, “i don’t see anything suggesting a struggle, no points of entry were forced. Some of their stuff is missing, Qrow! What the hell happened?”

“Raven…” Qrow realized, “But how did she convince Yang and Ruby to…”

Yeah, how the fuck did Raven convince Yang and Ruby to leave their house with some rando?

After the meeting…

Yang and Ruby were quietly napping in their beds. The memory of finding out that their mom had died was still fresh, and they were trying to feel better about it.

*ZWOOM*

A red portal opened up, waking Yang up as a woman clad in red stepped through.

“It’s okay Yang. I’m here.” She soothed.

Yang had no idea why, but this woman telling her that everything was okay made her feel… comfortable.

“Who… Who are you?”

“Figures your father never told you…” The woman sadly trailed off, “I’m Raven. I’m…” She took a deep breath, “I’m your biological mother. Do you know what that means, Yang?”

A. How is Yang feeling comfortable around Raven? The bitch left before Yang could even remember her and this CLEARLY takes before Taiyang told her so for all she knows, Yang should be yelling for an adult.

And B. Gee, I wonder why Taiyang didn’t tell his young daughter that she wasn’t relate to the woman she called mom but rather some random douche who ditched her?

Yang shook her head.

“I’ll try to explain it later.” Raven replied, “But for now, I’m here to get you to safety.”

“Are we in trouble?” Yang asked as she moved to shield her sister from a threat she didn’t know the location of.

Am I really to think Yang is stupid enough to believe some random woman that appeared out of nowhere at face value with no questions asked? Even as a child, I would have known better.

“No… But, I’m here to keep you safe. You’re going to have to come with me. Can you carry your sister?” Raven asked, “It’s okay if you can’t, but I want to know.”

Lady, if you’re so strong pick her up yourself, especially if you think it’s urgent.

“I… I can carry Ruby.” Yang replied.

“Okay. You make sure you have everything. I’ll get her stuff, then we have to get going.”

“You’re not staying here to protect us?”

“I…” Raven looked solemnly to Ruby’s sleeping form, “I can’t keep you safe here. People will want to use you. For their own gain.” Raven tried to figure out a good analogy to help explain to a toddler but Yang managed to beat her to it.

“Like how the Mad King used Mogar on X-Ray and Vav?” Yang asked.

Raven looked away for a moment, “Okay, one: You’re a bit too young to be watching that, and two;” Raven trailed off, “Yes? It’s close enough.” She found a travel bag. Big enough to carry Ruby’s clothes in it (not that there was much to pack), and a diaper box or two. Raven made a mental note to potty train Ruby as soon as she could speak and walk.

And we’re suppose to believe Qrow and Taiyang would allow this...how again? You know, aside from ‘shut up, it’s my headcanon’?

Also where the fuck is Raven getting off on kidnapping Ruby? With Yang, there’s the bare bones excuse that Raven pushed her out but she has no right to take Ruby. This is inexcusable no matter what. Especially since Ruby only exist because Raven ditched Yang and her dad in the first place. Oh and since Ruby is effectively a baby here, she won’t even remember her own father. Imagine a father losing both of his kids right after losing his second wife where he already had a depressive spell from the first time round.

Fuck, Raven might just have Taiyang’s blood on her hands.

Also: X-Ray and Vav is a comic in the RWBY universe, not a show.

“What about my clothes?” Yang asked.

“I’ll find another bag.” Raven answered as she went off to do so, “You grab anything that you and your sister want to hang onto. Stuffed animals, toys, books, or anything that you want to hang onto.”

“Is there anything you want?” Yang asked as she set Ruby down gently.

Raven looked at an old picture of team STRQ together. Back before everything hit the fan. She carefully slipped the photo out of the frame and tucked it into her pocket. “I have everything now.” She said in a sad tone, “Now hurry up. I don’t know how long we have.”

And now she’s stealing Taiyang’s memento of his old team, probably the most valuable thing he has. Fuck, is she trying to get him to commit suicide?

And if she actually cared about Team STRQ: why doesn’t she have her own damn picture? Either she’s stealing for fun or she never cared about STRQ in the first place.

Have until what?”Raven didn’t answer. Instead she simply replied, “When you’re ready, come back here. You can drop off anything if it gets too big or heavy for you to carry. Call for me if there’s something too high up for you to reach.” Raven replied as she sat on the bed and started to think.

What the hell was she getting into? Yes, she wanted to get Yang and Ruby away from Ozpin, but she felt like she was getting in over her head. She had the Spring maiden to think about, and now she was going to take on two kids? - One of them wasn’t even old enough to talk.

She looked over at Ruby and saw her squirming. She looked like she was having a bad dream. She hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on her head. Affectionately rubbing Ruby’s cheek until the smaller girl calmed down.

Yang walked back in with a few books and a small stuffed cat and a plush parrot. “There’s a book at the top shelf of the kitchen, and a storybook in Ruby’s room that I want to take with me.”

“We can get the storybook on the way out.” Raven said, “Show me what book in the kitchen was please?”

Yang led the way, and Raven estimated that it would be about an hour until Tai got back to check on the kids. When they arrived to the kitchen, Yang pointed to the book that she was talking about and Raven raised an eyebrow.

“Sweetie, that’s a cookbook.”

“I know. I just want to learn how to cook yummy stuff like mommy did so that Ruby can feel better.”

Raven’s heart felt a sting when Yang said the word ‘mommy.’ She knew that it was selfish, but she also know that she shouldn’t replace Summer. She’d have to remember to instruct Yang to not go any further than ‘mother.’ She didn’t deserve anything more affectionate beyond that.

Bitch if you cared about Yang you wouldn’t have left her in the first place!

“Okay, Yang.” She ruffled Yang’s hair a bit, “I’ll see if I can’t find someone who can give you a hand.”

“Can we go then?” Yang asked.

Raven took one last look around to take in the surroundings.

“Let’s move. Say goodbye to your house Yang. I gotta keep you safe from Ozpin.”

“Why?” Yang asked as she hurried along to catch up to Raven, “What did he do?”

Raven looked down at her eyes. No. She decided. She wouldn’t put the desire for vengeance into someone so young.”I’ll tell you when you’re older sweetie.” She said softly, “But just know that him and everyone who works for him can’t be trusted.”

The two found Ruby still sleeping where Raven had left her.

Raven put her mask back on as she pulled her sword out and made a portal with it. She took one last look at the house before shifting the bags that were on her and gesturing to Yang and Ruby to follow her.

They stepped through.

And the portal closed.

And Raven just committed kidnapping. All because, in her own words, ‘vengeance’. And she’s suppose to be the good guy here.

Great.

Raven looked at the small bed to see Yang with her small parrot plush. She chuckled to herself a bit. A small colorful bird was something sentimental to her, and now this old blackbird was taking care of her.

No doubt Summer made the parrot for her. She could tell by the patchwork. Summer always seemed like the kind of mother that would make her kids the stuffed animals she wanted rather than buy them.

Yeah, because Summer gave a shit about her kids. She didn’t ditch Ruby the instant she got scared and then come back and steal her and her sister from their home to live among murderers and thieves because of her own hang ups.

Raven sighed again. It had been about four months since she had taken the kids, and she was well-aware about that Qrow and Tai had placed a bounty on her. She’d like to see them try to take Ruby and Yang away.

Me too since you don’t have Maiden abilities and Qrow is stated equal and your camp could barely handle V5 Yang and Weiss, let alone two fully trained Huntsmen.

Changing the tribe’s goal of finding a permanent place to live helped, but there was not many places that they could go. Vale was out of the question, Mistral was too obvious, Atlas was… Atlas, and Vacuo would have too many possibilities for someone to rush in and try to attack them. The only other option was Menagerie, but she knew that she and her tribe wouldn’t be welcome there due to them being human.

And her tribe of mass murdering thieves would give two shits about the lives of two kids because..why again?

If Summer were here, she’d have reasoned that it would have been because they would stick out like a sore thumb. She had more faith in other people than she did, that’s for sure.

She’d also wouldn’t be a self centered egotistical asshole ad would give the kids back to their family.

Shaking her head to try to keep the tears she shed for her partner away, Raven was well-aware that Menagerie’s desserts were the best bet, despite everything. It wouldn’t be easy, but there wouldn’t be any potential ambushes to worry about, they could find an oasis and build a small villa around it, and if they needed to, they could try to find some animals or other wildlife to make clothes and other supplies they’d need.

Meangrie’s deserts are stated to be hospitable and the wildlife incredibly deadly. So at least Raven’s lack of actual intelligence is intact.

The big problem would be the discomfort and getting there. There weren’t many ways to get to Menagerie without going through the main port, and a group of humans traversing the dessert of a faunus-populated area would raise several alarms.

She looked at the moon. They weren’t that far away from a relatively small village. Maybe they could stock up on supplies while there.

Time for Ruby and Yang’s first mass murder.

Damn, reading those storybooks to Ruby and Yang made her soft. She actually went in and defended them… Though, she had to admit: When she started slicing through the grimm to keep the villagers safe, she felt… good. It almost felt like Summer was right there. By her side.

Then why did Raven leave in the first place and if so, why didn’t she reform the tribe BEFORE this? Also ‘Grimm’ is a proper noun.

The village had thanked her and her tribe by giving them food, ammunition, and other supplies that they needed.

Needless to say, it had been a bit of a shock to Raven. She had forgotten how actually being a huntress could benefit a person… And how nice it felt protecting others.

This sounds more like Summer than Raven Branwen,

... You just tore out Raven’s character and shoved Summer’s into Raven’s body didn’t you Dudeblade?

Some of the other tribe members found it refreshing, and some saw it as going against their original code. A divide was made, and half of the group became defenders, while the other half continued to raid villages. Raven held some sympathy for them, but she made it clear that if they crossed her path while she was defending a village, that there would be no mercy.

How is this character Raven Branwen again?

“Mmm!” Some whimpering caught her ear, as she turned and went back inside the tent to see Ruby squirming in her sleep again. This was a regular occurrence. Ruby had trouble sleeping, even with her plush cat, Ruby would have the occasional bad dream at best, or a full-on nightmare at worst. It was those nights that Raven crawled into the cot with her, and held her tight while stroking her hair.

Probably because you took her from her home to be surrounded by strangers in the middle of nowhere.

‘Yang was a bit stronger. A bit too independent for Raven’s liking, but she knew that it was selfish to want to take Summer’s place.

Yang spent most of her time with the Spring Maiden- Robin. That was her name. The two had formed a bond that let Yang have an older sister figure in her life, and gave Robin motivation to become stronger to protect her surrogate sister.

Raven smiled at the memory. Sure, it was just a few days ago, but she could never forget the smile on Yang’s face when Robin had used her powers to make a small statuette of a recent exploit together. Two days prior, Robin had reported that Yang had beaten her first grimm without any weapons.

At first, Raven nearly had a heart attack, and was ready to draw her blade at the girl for letting Yang do something so dangerous.

But then Robin explained herself. She and Yang had been out gathering some firewood when a beowolf pack had appeared. Robin managed to beat back most of them, but got caught off-guard by the alpha. S

he had shut her eyes, thinking about Yang’s safety, and how she failed her when she heard it.

A scream of rage.

Yang had launched herself at the beowolf and started punching and riding it like it was a bull. Robin couldn’t believe her eyes. Within a minute or two, Yang had managed to defeat the beast, and Robin was simply stunned. 

A. And yet you stole Taiyang’s place.

B. Sure sounds like Yang got over the whole ‘Never going to see he father and uncle ever again’ thing pretty quickly. Very quickly. Unrealistically quickly.

And C.Great. A fucking toddler killed an Alpha Beowolf. So Yang’s gonna be a Mary Sue.

Oh and D. So Taiyang leaving his kids alone for an hour is bad but Raven letting her daughter go out into openly Grimm infested woods is a okay huh Dudeblade?

After having to do some harsh chores as punishment for allowing Yang to be put in danger and not doing anything, Raven had to admit that she was slightly ashamed and a bit jealous that she wasn’t there to see it herself.

Robin said that it was almost as if she was on fire, and that if she were to die, that she would want Yang to have her powers.

There was a small debate of burdening Yang with the powers of the Spring Maiden, but Raven had conceded. Robin trusted Yang with everything, and if there was anyone that she felt was deserving of the power, the two agreed (albeit, begrudgingly on Raven’s part) that Yang was the best candidate. Yang had seen Robin in action enough times that she knew what the maiden was capable of.

Raven couldn’t wait until the day when Yang would surpass her.

Raven looked down to see Ruby nuzzling her chest. “It’ll be alright, Ruby. I won’t let anyone hurt you or your sister. I promise.”

In her soul, however, Ruby heard the voice of both Raven, and of Summer. Whom she felt embracing her aura.

Raven paused for a moment. In that instant, she had thought she had felt Summer’s embrace for herself.

She should sleep.

Perhaps then she wouldn’t hallucinate her partner’s warm hugs.

Yep, Mary Sue route confirmed.

And great, Raven is fucking delusional too now.. Because I’m pretty sure Summer wouldn’t be embracing anything regarding what Raven’s done.

“This has gotten harder.”

“Agreed. Ever since Raven changed tactics, people are less willing to out her. She’s really changed. I’m pretty sure that Ruby should be about four by now. Not that Raven would know when her birthday is.”

“You’re not suggesting that we actually let Raven keep Ruby and Yang, are you Qrow?”

“Tai, relax. There’s bound to be some people willing to tell us her location.”

“As much as I hate to agree with Qrow here, he has a point.” Glynda added, “The reports we’ve gotten keep talking about a smaller group than before. There’s no doubt that some members likely didn’t like where they were heading, and bailed out.”

“The few we captured seem to be more afraid about displeasing her though.” Ozpin agreed. He was using his cane more often as an actual cane ever since he was discharged, “In addition, some of them mentioned that Raven has the Spring Maiden. We cannot allow someone so powerful to be with Raven of all people.”

“That is also a big problem. Raven could be putting dangerous thoughts into her head.”

“Not to mention Yang and Ruby’s heads.” Tai said, “What if she’s teaching them that it’s okay to steal?”

“Tai, stop.” Qrow tried, “You’re just being paranoid.”

“What if she’s putting them through some kind of dangerous training?” Taiyang cried out.

A. Still don’t buy that Raven would change.

And B. Pretty fucking understandable reasons considering Qrow OUTRIGHT DESCRIBED HIS TRIBE AS ‘MURDERERS AND THIEVES!’

“Now where has Ruby gone?” Raven looked in her large tent. There was a bit of giggling coming from her cot, “Is she under this rock?”

There was more giggling coming from her cot.

“Maybe she’s… under this table!” She looked under it, while keeping her ears trained on her cot.

“She’s not under here either. Maybe she’s turned invisible?” She asked as she made her way to her cot.

“Huh, my cot seems to be pretty lumpy today, I wonder-”

“BLARH!” Ruby jumped out of the cot and put on her best ‘scary face.’ Had she not been three, it would have been considered more intimidating than adorable.

“Oh my!” Raven feigned surprise rather well, “there you are! You nearly gave me a heart attack, little rose.” She picked up and nuzzled her surrogate niece.

“Did I really auntie Raven?” She asked. Raven smiled fondly as she nodded.

There was that small voice in the back of her head that kept telling her that Summer would be fine if she took up the role of mother in Yang and Ruby’s lives, but she kept up her efforts of keeping that voice quiet.

That voice was selfish. It wanted her to replace Summer.

She say as she replaces not just Summer but Qrow and Tayang as well.

“Auntie Raven?”

Ruby’s voice snapped the Mercenary leader out of her thoughts.

“Yeah?”

“Can we watch Yang and Robin train?”

Raven smiled softly as she readjusted the toddler in her arms, “Alright. Have you used the bathroom yet?- We don’t want you wetting yourself.”

“That was one time!” Ruby replied. She was pretty smart for a four-year old. Or so Raven assumed. She wasn’t around kids enough to know what was going on. She remembered having a small party for Ruby’s birthday not too long ago. A village let them have a small celebration.

Yang had went out and found some flowers, and Robin had made a small stone statute of a rose. Yang would be turning six in a few months. Maybe the two of them could start talking about weapons. Robin has been teaching Yang a little hand-to-hand.

Raven felt a presence when she and Ruby arrived at the place where Yang and Robin were training. It almost felt… familiar. She looked at Ruby, and felt that her aura was warmer.

After a long while, Ruby started dozing off, and Raven decided that it was enough excitement for the day, and started heading back to her tent.

Tucking Ruby in, she felt that warm aura again. She knew that it felt familiar. She knew whose aura it was. And maybe… Maybe now it was time to accept it.

Summer was- is with her. Watching over her. Her and the kids.

At least, that was what she felt she had to accept.

Perhaps she was hallucinating.

Again.

Yes, yes Raven is hallucnating.

She isn’t some misunderstood, tortured loner. The moment Ruby reminder her of Summer, Raven nuked her in the face. She gaslighted Yang and tried to manipulate her into turning against her own sister and uncle. She ditched Yang FOR A THIRD TIME to save her own hide.

She;s a selfish bitch.

“It’s not your fault auntie…”

Raven didn’t try to respond to Ruby at this point. It was a hard day for all of them. Despite it being her blade, Ruby didn’t blame her. Raven felt that she should be blamed though.

Robin was dead.

It was a hard decision to make. Raven had brought Yang with her on the hunt, and Yang was busy keeping an eye on Ruby. That’s when they attacked.

A group sent by Ozpin had came in and tried to not only take away the girls, but also tried to take away Robin.

Since there was nobody that Raven trusted to help heal her, Raven had tried to rush back to the camp, or a village.

But Robin’s wounds were too great. Too severe. If she went to Tai, the girls would be in danger of being taken away from her, and brainwashed into being Ozpin’s puppets. Qrow was the same story.

So she cared so little about this person that instead of sucking up her pride and getting some help since it might result her crime being undone, she lets her die in agony.

Wonderful.

She had been an idiot. She should have left Yang and Ruby at the camp so that she could have portaled over to them.

Robin had asked- begged for Raven to end the pain. She had reached for the blade, and before Raven could stop her…

Robin was gone.

Yang was the Spring Maiden now.

And despite all of it…  Ruby didn’t blamed her for not being able to stop Robin.

Raven needed time. And she knew that she couldn’t take long. It was only a year ago when Yang and Ruby had lost Summer, and now…

Raven needed time. She had said so. She had a person that would take care of them.

Yang and Ruby had gone to their tent. It wasn’t too extravagant. But it was nice. It was close to Raven’s.

“Summer… What am I supposed to do now?”

Raven had long given up fighting the hallucination of Summer that had haunted her. It wasn’t going away, and Raven had come to accept it. There were times when she almost believed that it wasn’t a hallucination. But her rationale wouldn’t let her believe that her partner’s spirit was actually there with her.

Why? Why couldn’t she save those she cared about?- She could only do it one time. Every time she tried, it only worked the first time.

It was too much. Maybe she was only capable of saving people once, and that was it.

How about,you know, acting in the interest of others and not yourself?

Also: Raven is officially mentally ill. She outright admits it.

“No it isn’t.”

“What took you so long?” Raven looked at the hallucination. Summer was still as beautiful as she remembered. A little transparent, but she could still see her.

“I wanted to make sure you wanted me.” Summer replied.

“Robin’s dead, Sum…” Raven muttered, “She… I… I couldn’t save her.”

“How is Yang taking it?”

“She’s with another member. I’m not sure how she’s handling it, but…”

“-Raven?” Another tribe member started, “May I come in?”

Raven looked to her side and noticed that Summer had disappeared. Sighing, she looked back, “Yes. What is it?”

“It’s… It’s Yang. It’s her eyes… They’re-”

“Let me see for myself.” Raven got up, “I should be able to handle it, and she could probably use someone to help her get through this.”

Yeah, this is just another reason why Raven shouldn’t be allowed to raise kids.

Raven had found Yang on the edge of a cliff nearby the camp. The girl was staring off into the distance.

“Yang?”

“What do you want?”

Raven had expected this. She knew about how much Yang looked up to Robin, and how much the two cared for each other. She didn’t know how to handle a situation like this. First Summer, then her home on patch, and now Robin. Raven didn’t want to know how Yang would react if she lost anything else.

“I wanted to check up on you.”

“So you do it now, huh?” Yang replied.

Raven sighed, “Yang… You’re strong. A lot stronger than me. I guess… I guess I thought that you didn’t need me as often as your sister. I was wrong. I want you to know that. And I know how much Robin meant to you. If you’re angry at me, then-”

“I’m not angry at you for not saving her.” Yang cut off.

Raven was surprised. She had understood why Ruby had forgiven her, but Yang?- She was a bag of emotions, nobody knew what they were getting when they grabbed one.

“You aren’t?”

“I’m mad at you for not killing those huntsmen that killed her.” Yang ground out, “Why?! Why couldn’t you just make them suffer? Just a little bit…” She started crying.

So under Taiyang’s care Yang was an altruistic woman with abig heart and tried her best to be a good person.

Under Raven’s she’s now a sadist. At age 6.

Fucking wonderful.

Raven was stunned. She had done her absolute best to make sure that Yang wouldn’t fall to the talons of vengeance, and now she had failed. She reached over, and embraced Yang, who had stopped crying for a moment only to start crying harder.

“Yang… revenge is hardly worth it.” Raven explained, “Don’t make the mistakes I did.”

“I don’t care.” Yang choked through, “They took her away from us… from me. She was like a sister to me, and now…” Yang shook her head.

“I want them to suffer.”

“Yang, there’s an old saying,” Raven started, “Before setting out for revenge, you should dig two graves-”

“We already dug one. It was Robin’s.” Yang snarled, “What’s one more?”

“Yang. One grave is for the person you want to kill. The other is for you. Revenge is a never-ending cycle.” Raven chastised, “What you really need is justice.”

“You never felt vengeful?” Yang accused.

Raven looked on to see Summer’s ‘ghost’ trying to comfort Yang. It was a sweet gesture, even if it was just a hallucination of her doing so.

“Every day.”

And look at the result.

If Raven actually cared about Yang not being vengeful, she wouldn’t have STOLEN her and Ruby in the first place as her revenge.

When Ozpin had gotten the report, he was dissatisfied. The goal was to rescue Ruby and her sister and get the Spring Maiden on their side. It wasn’t to mortally wound said maiden.

The war against the grimm was a difficult one, and what he needed to end his curse was a Silver Eyed Warrior to defeat Salem.

But Raven had been selfish. She had taken them away. Not only was his best chance of defeating Salem gone, but Tai and Qrow were constantly pushing themselves to their very limits to try to find the girls.

It was likely that the Spring Maiden had been trained to think of a certain person when in near-death situations, so the Maiden had to still be in the tribe.

Ozpin wanted out. He wanted to be free from this plane of existence.

Pretty sure Ozpin would care more about the innocent children being kidnapped from their family than his own bullshit.

“Professor Ozpin,” Glynda’s voice came over the intercom, “It’s Taiyang and Qrow. They wish to speak with you on the progress on finding the girls.”

Ozpin sighed, “Let them in.” he said, as he sat back down in his chair.

After a few seconds of waiting, the T and Q of team STRQ finally wandered into the room.

“I understand that you two are aware why you’re here?”

“I just want to see my girls again.”

“And we will do that. But first, there’s another matter to deal with. The Spring Maiden died when we sent the Huntsman Team out there to find and retrieve her as well as find Yang and Ruby.”

“And?”

“The Maiden was with the tribe. While it’s likely that she had a bond with someone there, that tribe wasn’t as close to each other, so the Maiden might be out there somewhere. We can’t dismiss the idea that the Maiden might be among them.”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with getting my girls back.” Tai pointed out, “I want to find them now!”

“Qrow, do you have any contact with your sister?”

“I don’t have a sister. Not anymore. Not after she took the kids.”

“Qrow.”

“Yeah yeah. I’ll see if there’s some way to contact her.”

“Try to get the kids back.”

“I doubt Raven would be so willing to give them up so easily. She gets some bargaining chips with them.”

“At least try.”

Not even gonna try to show Ozpin calming and reassuring Taiyang like he’s ALWAYS done? Or Qrow giving any kind of shits about his brother in law’s emotional state? Yay...

And here’s a man whose hysterical at the loss of kids who were taken from him after losing his second wife and I’m suppose to side with the kidnapper?

“You wanted to see me?” Raven asked as she settled into the bar that Qrow had requested they meet at.

“Yep.” The place was pretty sparse. Raven had insisted that Qrow come alone, and Qrow had requested the same.

Both of them had their weapons on them as well. No matter what, Raven and Qrow both wanted to keep the battle limited to a one-on-one fight.

“I’m not giving them up.”

“Then I guess visitation rights are off the table then?” Qrow snarked.

“I’m not against it.”

This took Qrow by surprise, “Really?- I thought that-”

“You thought what, Qrow?- That I was using Yang and Ruby as living weapons?- That I didn’t care about their safety?”

Considering you took them back to your bandit camp which regularly attracts Grimm, let Yang wander around in Grimm infested woods and stole them which SHOULD leave Yang with psychological an emotional scarring-

Yes.

“If you did, then you wouldn’t have taken them!” Qrow accused.

“I did that to make sure that they wouldn’t be turned into living weapons!” Raven snarled.

Bull fucking shit. This is the same woman who tried gaslighting Yang in Volume 5.

“Oh here we go! Just because Ozpin was the one who gave Summer the mission, doesn’t mean he treats everyone like a living weapon!”

“No. He treats them like pawns.“ Raven clarified, “Like pieces on a chess board. Some pieces more valuable and useful than others. And I won’t let you, or Ozpin make Ruby and Yang into pieces in his deranged chess game against the goddamned Grimm Queen. I’m giving them the chance to avoid being placed on the board, a thing none of us got. Not you, not Tai, not me, and… not her…”

Except if that were true-

Why doesn’t he just declare open war on Salem? I mean, a person who sees people as pawns doesn’t care if a few thousand pawns get killed. And he’s always shown to respect the autonomy of other people. So I call bullshit.

Especially coming from someone whose a mass murderer AND a gaslighting emotionally abusive parent.

Raven barely whispered that last part, but Qrow knew who she was talking about.

“You don’t get to use that excuse. What if Yang and Ruby want to become huntresses?- Are you just going to stomp out their dreams like that?”

“As far as I’m aware, Yang would likely rush Ozpin, and start beating him while demanding the names and addresses of the hunter team that killed Robin.” Raven replied, “I’m doing that old bastard a favor by making sure that he doesn’t start assimilating a new body in the near future. As for Ruby… She can attend any school that isn’t Beacon. I hear Shade’s a good academy.”

Yeah because you’re brainwashing her. Great job, proving Qrow right. Also, apparent RUby can do whatever she wants...so long as you approve. Nice freedom. What’s wrong, scared Ruby would learn that you’ve been lying to her and stole her and her sister from their family?

Also he doesn’t assimilate jackshit, you manipulate bitch.

“You would say that. And who’s Robin?”

“Of course you wouldn’t treat her as a person. You work for Ozpin.” Raven muttered, “Robin was the Spring Maiden, a dear ally, and the closest person Yang had to an older sister. And the team Ozpin sent got her killed. It took me a month to find the paperwork proving that it was him and not you or Tai.”

You killed that ‘dear ally’ for power in canon. I don’t believe that for a second.

“I take it that that Robin chick didn’t like Yang so much, so the power didn’t go to her?”

Raven glared. She knew that if Yang had heard that, Qrow’s feet would be encased in ice while he would be taking a beating.

Funny how Yang’s anger issues have only gotten worse compared to her canon counterpart. Almost like you’re a shit mom.

But she couldn’t reveal that.

“Did I touch a nerve, Rae?” Qrow taunted.

“Once we get to our intended destination, I’ll portal over to Tai for discussions on visitations.”

Raven looked behind her brother. She saw ‘Summer’ motioning for her to go in for the metaphorical kill.

“And now, I’d say that you go back to your feather-crested journal. I’m sure you’d complain all about your murder in it.”

Qrow paused for a moment. Summer had given that to him as a gift, and he had never shared it with anyone outside of her.

“How did you…”

It was too late.

Raven had portaled away.

“Dammit, Branwen! You were supposed to give us the signal for when she was going to use her semblance! What happened?”

“Sorry.” Qrow said into his communications device, “It looks like Raven went through my stuff, and caught me off-guard or something.”

“Great. Y’know Ozpin is still on our case about not getting that girl back alive. Dunno why he wanted that specific girl, but now we have no idea what to do now.”

“Cool your ass, Avel. I’m sure you and team APLE are on edge as much as the next. But you killing her means that we don’t know where a… certain asset is. Oz is just worried.”

“He sounded more angry and enraged than he did worried.”

“Then you probably weren’t good enough.”

Funny because between the two of them, Raven’s the immature whiny bitch.

Also Raven is still delusional as fuck.

“Radon, how is Yang holding up?”

“She’s been training with a variety of weaponsss. I’m rather scared of what kind of weapon she’ll ultimately end up making.”

“Any favorites so far?”

“She seems to favor a lot of swords and blades, but she also practices with gauntlets.” The beaver faunus rubbed his side, “She managed to knock me around with those gauntlets of hers.”

“Just the gauntlets?”

Radon nodded.

“Where is she now?”

“She said she wanted to do some exercises in her tent. Are you sure about this Raven?- You said that you wanted to keep her off the path of revenge, but right now-”

“I’m trying to keep her from getting killed. I can’t do that if she’s not prepared. I tried so hard to stop her from this, but now…”

Raven shook her head, “I’ll take a look. Where’s Ruby?”

“She’s off gathering berries with the other kids. This tribe is becoming more and more like an orphanage.“

“Is that a problem, Radon?”

“Not at all. After all, I heard from some of the elders that that was how you came in.”

“Hmm.” Raven went off to find Yang. Hopefully, she could keep her off the path just a little bit.

Hopefully.

So great, Raven brainwashing MORE kids. At least it sounds like she didn’t kidnap those kids...

And so that’s the story of Kidnapping Not-Mom Fake Summer if we were to give this an accurate title. Because in honesty, Raven kidnapped RUby and Yang, she isn’t a mother and this isn’t even Raven but rather Summer Rose transplanted in Raven. 

And this is why I hate Raven Stans.

[sickofyourfandombullshit]

Heathers 2018

So when I saw @princess-has-a-pen​ post about the new Heathers remake I had to look it up for two reasons:

1. I’m a huge fan of the Movie and Musical and 2. I had to see the fucking horror show that Spike TV was no doubt going to turn it into.

Now Princess asked in their tags the exact same thing I asked myself when I saw the post:

“Why?”

Well friends, strap yourselves in cuz I’m about to take you for a fucking ride.

Why remake Heathers? A movie that has solidified itself as a cult classic for it’s gritty, fucked up story and characters that took pretty much every kid who went to high school in the 80′s (or any time really) life and amped it up to 11?

Cuz the original Heathers is full of 'problematic' things and they can now remake it to be more 'progressive' while snagging a new audiance of younglings who know about Heathers because of the musical.

Now my friends, as I stated before, I love both the movie and the Musical, but as a mature, rational fan over the age of 30, I can look at something I love and point out it’s flaws and believe me, when it comes to the source material, Heathers the Musical is stuffed full of flaws and that creates some problems.

I am pretty sure all the Tumblrinas who idolize ‘Heathers’ have only seen the musical because honestly, the ‘date’ scene where Heather McNamara gets raped in the background would be enough to make them REEEEEE all the way to the fucking bank.

Like legit, she is literally struggling under her date (and not in a fun way) to make him stop and Veronica just fucking leaves her there. We don’t see her get away or anything, so you can only assume that that whole thing didn’t end well, especially given how miserable McNamara is in the movie to begin with.

The Muscial made light of a lot of the grim parts the movie worked to highlight, specifically bullying and suicide and the dangers of giving into pressure and just  being a fucking terrible human being. Not to mention it twisted things in a way that actually reinforced some harmful tropes. Specifically with the two main characters JD and Heather.

JD in the movie is a completely sociopath who physically and mentally abuses Veronica for almost the entire thing and in the Musical they gave him the stereotypical ‘troubled boy who wanted to make the world better but it just got out of hand’ treatment. Like “Oh yeah, he murders three people and tries to blow up a school but his dad’s a jerk and his mommy committed suicide so you can’t blame him! Deep down he’s just a tortured soul who really loves Veronica!”. Spoilers! He doesn’t love Veronica, at least not in any way that should be even entertained as any sort of ‘love’. He and Veronica’s relationship coupled with his ‘sacrifice’ at the end of the play made me cringe extra hard because it felt like it was romanticizing abusive relationships and in all honesty it was. A specific scene from the Musical where I thought they were actually going to address the toxicity of their ‘relationship’ (at the end of the ‘Our Love is God’ musical number where Veronica seems to have a mental break down as she screams ‘Our Love is God’ over and over again as if to drown out the fact that she just assisted in the murder of two people), was brushed under the rug the next scene and seemingly forgotten about till something ELSE big happens and then it’s fucking Ground Hogs Day apparently.

Veronica in the movie joined the Heathers before the movie even began because she wanted to be popular and due to her skill in forgery is pretty much made their pet project. She’s not as much of a cunt as Chandler or Duke but she's still pretty fucking bad. She kills Kurt herself, blows off her actual best friend in exchange for shallow popularity, laughs over Heather Chandler dying and only turns on JD when the suicide note she writes for Heather Chandler backfires and causes people to glorify Chandler as a saint. This as well leads her to realize that it’s pointless to kill people because someone else just takes their place as “The Mythic Bitch” ala Heather Duke’s transformation (also because JD straight up slaps her in the face for trying to back out on him). She only ever does anything semi sweet at the VERY end after JD gets blown up. In the Musical she is portrayed as a sweet innocent little buttercup who is super besties with Martha and sticks up for the little guy and never meant to hurt anyone and was just dragged into everything bad by bad people. She feels constantly guilty for it and seems unable to make any actual choices herself outside of breaking into JD’s house to fuck him. She’s totally innocent guys. Totes.

And before you say “C’moooon it’s a fuckin’ Muscial!” you need to go watch you some Dear Evan Hansen or Les Miserables because those two Musicals are heavy as fuck and had no problem in showing how fucked up serious shit like war and suicide was through flawed characters.

Now with this new series coming out it seems destined to fail. It has only been releasing Instagram videos to promote the show and already it’s hitting all the same old PC points while being SO EDGY at the same time. It’s Riverdale all fucking over again.

“The terrible trio is more like a set of outcasts who have taken over Westerberg High School.” -EW article

Like really? Fuckin’ really? The Heathers were all popular girls due to their wealth (McNamara), beauty (Duke) and over all exuding of confidence and attitude backed up by all of the previously stated assets (Chandler). They weren’t a bunch of outcasts. They took pride in how they looked and how people saw them. I don’t understand this fucking need to make every kid nowadays an ‘outcast’ in an effort to make them ‘relatable’. They did it to every kid in the Power Rangers remake and MJ in Spider-Man: Homecoming and it’s starting to  get fucking annoying. Oh well, gotta get them kids with all that EDGE!

So let’s look at the ‘Heathers’ (I can’t bring myself to not put that in quotation marks when talking about these piles of hot garbage):

Heather Chandler is a plus-sized, Skrillex haired edge lord who looks like every Tumblr Feminist/Suicide Girls reject and literally gives off no aura of power or fear at all. She just comes off as some fat bitch who found the HAAS RadFem movement on Twitter and used it to fill herself with enough undeserved self importance to justify being a cunt to everyone. Yes, where the original Heather Chandler got her power and reputation through sheer intimidation and personality, this Heather Chandler looks like the type of girl who will physically assault you in the bathroom and threaten to sit on you till you die.

Gee golly, I see Heather Duke is a sassy gay male now (and a white one at that). Wow, it’s not like that hasn’t been done a billion fucking times. Funny that he’s a white dude whose character in the movie and play turns out to capitalize on Heather Chandler’s death to raise their own status to the ‘queen bitch’ of the school. That’ll do GREAT for gay stereotypes I’m sure.

Aaaaand Heather McNamara, our possibly Asian possibly Latinx butprobably just party bag of mixed race token character who is the literal punching bag of the group. At least that seems to have not changed but I am sure it’ll help add shallow sympathy since now it’s not a bunch of white kids beating up on a little white girl, it’s a bunch of white kids beating up on a little minority girl. Goodie goodie.

The rest:

JD literally gets nothing to show from his video except one speaking line where he is telling Veronica that she’s “Not like Heather Chandler” she’s “better” while quick cutting a bunch of random shots from the show that mostly seem pointless and just confusing with one flash of him apparently running the flat of a knife on his palm behind his back? So we get nothing from our poor, tortured sociopath. I can just hear the producers of this show now: “We can’t show him being too soft or the old fans might not watch it and can’t show him being a psychotic asshole or the Musical fans won’t watch it, so make it just as cluster fucking and confusing as possible so no one will ask questions and just be drawn in with all the cheap visual click bait!”

For Veronica we again get nothing. One line of “Dear Diary, I hate my friends but that doesn’t mean I want them DEAD!” followed by more random cuts of shots from the show, many of bloody scenes and hints of violence but a lot more of just weird confusing scenes that make no sense. It’s kind of funny for the sheer reason that they seem to be banking on people just already knowing who these characters are ala the original movie but at the same time are trying to pull in new audience members with all the vague quick cutting which they seem to have mistaken for ‘mystery’.

And last  but not least, we have Betty Finn. What’s that? “Who if Betty Finn?” all you fans of the Musical ask? Well you wouldn’t know who Betty is unless you watched the MOVIE cuz Betty is who Martha Dump Truck replaced in the Musical because Betty wasn’t fucking sad sacky enough and they didn’t want to clutter the script with such a minor character. Betty was smart and an actual good person, the only good person in the movie honestly, who was Veronica’s friend since they were in diapers. She didn’t have a huge part in the movie outside of providing some blackmail material for JD to use against Heather Duke and trying to get Veronica to stop being such a moron (which failed). Now she’s appears to be the stereotypical side character that will be prominent in the show, probably as a comic relief character or plot device to be used against Veronica at some point.

Now, there is a huge question you have to ask:

Where is Martha? Will Martha even be in the series? Alright, it’s two questions but you get the point.

I have two guesses;

1. Possibly

but more than likely

2. No. Absolutely not.

Why do you ask? Because Martha’s character served as a plot device in both the Movie and the Musical to show how awful the Heathers really were and how their bullying was actually dangerous. Martha was a fat, slow, ugly dump of a girl. Problem is, you can’t make fun of that anymore. It’s not ‘progressive’ to make fun of people with those flaws. As well it wouldn’t make sense, Heather Chandler is fat in this remake. Unless they’re going to go full retard with some kind of ‘internalized fatphobia’ shit it wouldn’t make sense to make fun of Martha for that. Heather McNamara is the stereotypical ditzy airhead which doesn’t seem to have changed in this remake so to make fun of someone being ‘slow’ while laughing at an Air-Head-of-Color would just be super duper mean!

If they DO put Martha in, she will either have to still be dumpy, slow and fat and end up being the most popular character in the end for ‘not giving into societies beauty standards’ or some shit, OR she will have to actually flat out die from her suicide attempt to push the EDGE and drive plot.

Either way this whole thing is going to be a train wreck that will either take off at the idiotic rate in which Teen Wolf and Riverdale did or be an utter failure.

I seriously hope for the latter. Sorry this is so long and there are probably some spelling and grammar errors. It’s literally 2:30 in the morning and the Monster I drank is starting to ware off so I’m running on fumes.

[obsessedauthorchan-blog]

Shakespearean - Chapter 6

AO3 | Wattpad | FanFiction

Summary:

The two dorks meet at the IT department so Timbers can fix Jay-Jay's lappy-toppy. Yay.

Also, cuteness.

Also, Tim being a super genius that doesn't like costumer service jobs. Because he hates people.

I feel you Timmers...

Story:

After hours of being bored at a Library, something that was an entirely new experience for Jason, he finally got off work. He hurried back to his dorm and changed out of his work clothes. Part of him considered dressing to impress, but the logical side hushed those thoughts. There was no reason to get ahead of himself. Jason didn't know Tim well enough to get this excited over him, nor did he have any reason to think that Tim did, would, or could like him in that way in the first place.

He decided that a pair of jeans and another band shirt would suffice. He didn't bother with his unruly hair either. Jason quickly shoved his combat boots on his feet, packed up his laptop, and headed out the door.

When he reached the building where IT Support was located, he checked his watch. 5:05. Between walking home, changing clothes, and walking to the IT building, an hour was pretty good. He took a deep breath and headed into the overly air conditioned building.

It took him a few minutes to navigate through the building to the area where the Support team worked. When he got there, it only took him a second to find Tim. Mostly because Tim was talking on the phone in the most monotone voice Jason had ever heard him use.

"Yes, ma'am, you should see a window pop up. Just follow the instructions as written and it should be fine." He paused for a moment to listen to whatever the woman was saying. "No, ma'am, it shouldn't require any kind of payment. The update for this program is free- It should only take a few minu- Ma'am, if you'd only- I understand that ma'am, but-" Tim stopped talking, letting the woman drone on for a while. He removed the phone from his ear and sighed heavily, before putting it back. "Yes, ma'am," he continued.

Jason felt kind of bad, but he couldn't help but snicker quietly. He'd never seen Tim like this and it was quite hilarious. Watching the man get so frustrated was much funnier than it should have been, and Jason decided that, however bad of a person it made him, he could watch this for literal hours without getting bored.

Luckily for Tim, the conversation only lasted a few more minutes before the woman figured out what she was doing. Jason had to give the guy props: Jason himself would not have been that patient. Not even close. He was actually kind of impressed by how well Tim had kept his cool.

When the woman hung up, Tim leaned forward in his chair, leaning his elbows on his knees and letting his head fall into his hands. He rubbed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, sighing heavily. Jason tiptoed over to stand in front of his desk and, after making sure he wouldn't laugh, cleared his throat.

Tim jerked his head up, eyes wide and wild. His whole body had spasmed with his surprise, and Jason was immensely proud of himself for having managed to startle Tim so easily. When Tim realized it was Jason, he exhaled a heavy sigh of relief. He relaxed back into his chair and leaned his head back with his eyes closed.

The younger man shook his head slightly. "Should have none it'd be you." He slowly sat back up, fighting a small smile. "How long have you been here?"

Jason gave him a wide grin. "I arrived at precisely 5:05." When Tim rose an eyebrow, Jason's smile only widened. "I'm very punctual, you know."

"Hmm," Tim hummed, still not allowing himself to smile. He gestured toward the laptop case Jason had slung over his shoulder. "Let me see the patient."

Jason snorted but handed over the laptop. "Be gentle, Doc. She's in a terrible amount of pain."

Tim gave him a pointed look, though there was a light of humor in his eyes. "Gee, I wonder why that would be."

Jason shook his head sadly. "She's infected, Doc. A virus, and a terrible one at that."

Tim plugged in the power cord and booted up the computer. "What a shame. Let me just give her a checkup and I'll see what I can do."

Jason nodded solemnly. "Thank you, Doc. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Tim finally allowed himself a smirk. "Probably kill your poor laptop from watching too much porn."

Jason's jaw dropped, and he struggled to find a reply. Tim snickered. The mirth in Tim's eyes didn't help Jason find words, but he managed to force out, "It wasn't porn, Timmy." Tim didn't appear to believe Jason, so he rolled his eyes. "It was anime. I was downloading anime."

Tim immediately gave him a look of understanding. He turned the laptop towards Jason so he could put in his password. "Yeah, that happens. You don't have much protection software, do you?"

Jason shook his head. He hadn't had the time or money to upgrade his laptop like he wanted. He was lucky he even had the dang thing in the first place. He cleared his throat and moved on. "So, what's the diagnosis, Doc?"

Tim gave him a strange look, but he didn't mention it. He looked back down at the laptop in front of him, typing and clicking for a couple minutes. "Dang, Jason."

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. "What's that?"

The corner of Tim's mouth quirked upwards. "There are two things you have a ton of: anime and viruses. Honestly, who needs 500 gig of downloaded anime?"

Jason shrugged. "How many viruses do I have?"

Tim grimaced. "Fifty, at least. Maybe more." Jason whistled in appreciation of his mad virus-gathering skills, and Tim nodded in acknowledgement. "I've never seen this many on one computer before. This would take any other guy in here days to figure out without completely wiping your computer and starting over from the beginning." Jason almost groaned out loud in frustration when Tim looked up at him with the cockiest (and sexiest) smirk he had ever seen in his life. "Luckily for you, Jay, I'm a genius. I can fix this in a few hours and you even get to keep your ridiculous cache of anime."

A smile slowly grew on Jason's face. "You don't say."

"I do."

"Is that wedding bells I here?" Neither Jason nor Tim had said that. They both looked up and over to where one of Tim's apparent coworkers was standing, looking like he felt more awkward by the second when neither of them laughed. "Okay... I guess not."

Tim rolled his eyes. "What's up, Luke?"

The guy, whose name was apparently Luke, swallowed saliva before speaking. "Well, the thing is, Tim, um, there's this one client who, um, happens to be having a certain problem and I, uh, I'm-"

"Luke, get to the point. This is a sprint, not a meander." Tim didn't look happy. In fact, Jason thought he looked irritated enough to smash the guy's hard drive or something.

Luke got real sheepish, but he managed to rush out, "A lady is having a problem with her laptop and I don't know what to do to fix it."

Tim sighed. He muttered, "Figures," and stood up. He turned to Jason and shook his head. "Sorry, Jason. This will probably only take a minute or so, judging by the kinds of problems Luke usually can't figure out on his own," he shot a scathing look towards Luke, who looked ready to pee his pants. "I promise I'll get right to work as soon as I finish doing his job for him." Then he stomped off to Luke's desk, Luke following behind him like a kicked puppy.

Damn. Tim was hot when he was mad.

From where Jason was sitting in the client's chair in front of Tim's desk, he could hear everything Tim and Luke said if he paid attention, and if he strained his neck he could see them. Luke was making very large, complicated hand gestures as he floundered about for words to explain the problem to Tim. Halfway through his explanation though, Tim just held up a hand to silence him and went to work. It only took him a couple minutes to figure out and solve the problem the computer was having, and he was muttering darkly the whole time. When he finished, he stood up, gave the client a tight smile, gave Luke a murderous glare, and strode back over to his own desk. He plopped down in his chair with a sigh.

At Jason's half-amused, half-concerned look, Tim ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Sorry about that. I'm usually better at keeping my cool, but Luke has been working here for a couple months now and he barely knows a thing about computers in the first place. I'm pretty sure the only reason he still has a job is because I keep doing his for him. He keeps making rookie mistakes, like the amateur he is, and I keep covering for him and fixing whatever problem he probably just made worse." When his little rant was over, Tim sank back into the cushion of his chair and looked down at the laptop. "On to the interesting stuff."

"Interesting?" Jason figured Tim probably didn't want Jason to comment on the frustration that was Luke's lack of IT prowess, so he helped Tim change the subject.

"Yeah. Very interesting. It will actually be a bit of a challenge to fix your computer without wiping it. I haven't had a real challenge in a while."

"That's right. You're a computer genius." Jason was smiling quietly to himself, observing the younger man. Tim was obviously in his element with the computers, but he also seemed to be out of his element when it came to people. Coworkers and customers didn't seem to be his thing. Apparently, Tim wasn't one of those people who lived for the customer service type jobs.

Tim nodded. "Hacked into NASA when I was 9, hacked into the Pentagon when I was 12, and a whole bunch of other stuff in between. Everybody here knows I'm the best one here, and at some point they all end up asking me for help." He tossed a pointed glare over his shoulder. "Nobody's quite as bad as Luke, though."

Jason considered what Tim had said, trying not to look too impressed. "So what's a rich computer genius doing working for IT Support?"

Tim snorted. "I ask myself that all the time..." He shook his head. "I was bored, and I wanted something to do."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "Really?" When Tim nodded, Jason shook his head. "Not buying it. If you were just bored, you'd hack into some other top secret organization or solve cold cases in your spare time or something. Working at IT isn't any less boring than not working."

Tim gave him a considering look before he seemed to relent. "Fine." He hesitated for a moment. "Everything I have either came from Bruce's money or my parent's money. I wanted to be able to do something for myself. Not to prove that I can or something, because I know I'm capable. I'm just tired of living off of somebody else's work. I wasn't doing anything for myself. I'm in college. It's time to start acting like an adult. I'm going to be one soon enough anyway."

Jason contemplated Tim's words. They made sense, and Jason could see where he was coming from, even if he couldn't relate. "I guess that's a pretty darn good reason there, Timbo."

Tim just nodded and went back to working on the laptop. In a few minutes, he looked back up at Jason. "This is going to take at least three hours. Do you want to stay or do you have stuff you need to do?"

He thought about it for a moment, but Jason knew staying there would be more enjoyable than anything he could do somewhere else. He enjoyed Tim's company, and he wanted to remain in it for a little while longer if he could. "I think I'll stay." He gave Tim a teasing look. "Have to make sure you won't spill coffee all over my laptop."

Tim rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Jason."

They lapsed into silence. Jason had had the forethought to bring a book with him, so he got comfortable and dove into a new story. He had pretty much lost himself in the words when Tim spoke about 30 minutes into Jason's visit. "Hey, Jason?"

"What's up, Timbo?"

Tim gave him a funny look, probably because of the random nicknames Jason kept giving him. "Remember when you offered to help me with my Shakespeare?" Jason nodded. "Well, I have another class on Friday, and I know you said you're off tomorrow, so I was wondering if that might be an okay time to get together?" When Jason didn't respond immediately, Tim said, "I know it's last minute and-"

"Timmy."

"You probably have something to do, or you just might not want to spend your day off tutoring someone-"

"Timmers."

"So it's totally okay if you can't or don't want to or-"

"Tim!"

Tim finally stopped talking and looked up at him from the keyboard he'd been focusing on. "Tim, tomorrow is perfect. I've got nothing to do, I never have a problem with talking about Shakespeare, and," Jason gave him a grin, "even if I did, it would be totally worth it to hang with you."

Jason wasn't certain, but he was pretty sure Tim's ears were redder than tomatoes.

"Oh, okay. Cool. Where works best for you? The library, your place, my place, a place to eat-"

"Tim." When he stopped talking, Jason started. "Your place probably works best. Roy will be at my place all day, which does not make for an environment conducive to studying, at this point I have no desire to be in the library when I don't have to be, and a place to eat would probably be too loud and I don't want to risk getting the books dirty or something."

Tim opened his mouth, closed it back, hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah, okay. Wayne Manor it is, then. Does 4:00 work for you?"

Jason nodded. "Four is perfect. One problem, though."

"What's that?"

"I don't know where Wayne Manor is, and I don't have a car. Can I get there via public transportation?"

Tim snorted. "No. No, you cannot. I have a class at 2:30, so I'll be on campus around then anyway. I'll just pick you up, and I can bring you back later."

Jason's first thought was a refusal, but he reconsidered. While he didn't like the idea of relying on somebody for a ride and therefore being effectively stranded, it would be kind of nice to ride in a car with Tim. And it would be cheaper. And he really wanted to hang out with him. "Okay, if you're sure."

Tim nodded. "I'm sure."

"Well, okay then." They smiled at each other. Then Tim returned to the computer and Jason to his book.

Only a small amount of time passed before Tim stopped messing with the computer and leaned back in his chair. Jason glanced up at him. "Done already?"

Tim snorted. "Nope." He raised his arms over his head and arched his back, stretching his muscles like a cat. "The program that will remove the viruses is running. At this point, there isn't anything I can do to speed up with process short of writing my own version." He paused, tilting his head and squinting his eyes into the space above Jason’s head. "Huh. Maybe I should do that." He shrugged and relaxed back into his chair.

His eyebrows wrinkling, Jason put his book down at gave Tim a once-over. "You're weird."

Tim smiled. "Thanks, bro. Why am I weird?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know; you're sitting here cleaning my laptop’s figurative intenstines and contemplating writing some computer program." He shot him a reading grin. "Most rich kids don't get a job in IT."

Tim returned the smile. "Mostly street kids don't memorize Shakespeare. What's your excuse?"

"Before I learned how to protect myself, I used to hideout in libraries when I was a kid. A librarian took pity on me and taught me how to read. I've been doing it ever since. I started reading Shakespeare so I could trick other people into thinking I was educated." Jason cracked his knuckles lazily as he spoke. "Didn't expect to like it so much." He ignored Tim's expression, mostly because he couldn't read it. "What's your excuse?"

Tim broke eye contact and stared down at his hands. "Bruce taught me a lot of stuff about computers when he was helping me catch the guy who killed my parents. We wouldn't have gotten half as far as we did without some of those programs we used. I liked learning about it and I was good at it, so I kept it up. Somewhere along the line, I decided I wanted to help create more programs to catch criminals faster, and to make sure nobody innocent gets locked up in their place. That's why I'm majoring in Computer Science and Forensics." He looked up at Jason, making eye contact again. The sad look in his eyes changed to a mask of indifference. "I already know pretty much everything they'll try to teach me, but if I don't have the credentials to back up my genius, then nobody will take me seriously."

Jason took in everything Tim told him, nodding solemnly. "I changed my mind, Timmy. That's not weird at all."

Tim smiled at him. "And your reasons for reading Shakespeare are completely understandable. Liking it though..." Tim's grin turned sharp. "That's still pretty weird."

Jason couldn't help the wide smile that stretched his lips. "Whatever you say, Timmers."

AO3 | Wattpad | FanFiction

[aion-rsa]

Exclusive Excerpt: The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen

https://ift.tt/2yb7sjp

Check out this exclusive sneak peek from Lauren Shippen's The Infinite Noise, a queer superhero coming-of-age story.

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Mainstream superhero storytelling tends to do better when depicting physical powers than emotional/mental ones, which is one of the many reasons why the premise of Lauren Shippen's upcoming young adult novel, The Infinite Noise, so intrigues me...

Based on Shippen's award-winning podcast, The Bright Sessions, The Infinite Noise follows 16-year-old running back Caleb Michaels who has the supernatural ability to feel other people's emotions. High school is a hard place to have the power of extreme empathy, and classmate Adam is an emotional calm in the storm. Told from both boys points-of-view, The Infinite Noise is a coming-of-age story with a supernatural twist (not to mention a queer love story!), and I can't wait to read it.

Check out this exclusive excerpt from The Infinite Noise...

5

CALEB

“School starts tomorrow, correct?” Dr. Bright asks after a few moments of silence.             “Yep,” I say.             More silence. I’m getting used to these standoffs. I just wish I was better at winning them. But Dr. Bright pins me with a stare and I eventually give in, every time.             “I don’t wanna go back,” I mumble, face heating. “Why not?” she asks, like the answer isn’t obvious.             “Because being in high school when you can feel everyone’s feelings is a complete nightmare?” I answer dryly.             “You’ve made some good strides since November, Caleb,” she soothes. I sense it more in her emotions than her voice, and it grates. I don’t want to be soothed right now.             “Yeah, whatever,” I bite.             “Caleb”—there’s that stare again and the soothing hardens— “what have we talked about?”             “Don’t deflect emotion with being an asshole,” I recite, and there’s a small, quick glow within the perfectly even Therapist Mode that Dr. Bright’s emotions operate in.             “I don’t remember putting it quite that way,” she smirks, “but yes. When you’re overwhelmed or refusing the input from your ability, you respond with anger. And we don’t want a repeat of what happened with Tyler.”             “Yeah, I know,” I sigh. “It’s just easier, you know?” “What’s easier?”             “Feeling annoyed or mad at stuff,” I say.             “It might be an easy way to push away the other feelings,” she tells me, “but it won’t help you process them.”             We sit in silence again but this time Dr. Bright is the one to break it.             “How was it being with your family the past few weeks?” she asks.             “Um, it was good, I guess,” I say. “I mean, I feel like I’ve gotten used to their feelings, you know? So, like, I’m able to balance them a bit. But it’s not like that in school.”             “What helps you balance your family’s emotions?”             “Well, there’s only three of them, so that helps. And even when their feelings are annoying or whatever, I can kinda tell who they belong to. They’re familiar.”             “Has the color system proved useful?” she asks.             “Yeah, I guess so,” I say, thinking about how Dr. Bright feels warm and yellow right now. “Like, it doesn’t always make things easier, but it’s definitely something.”             “Do you think that could help at school?”             “I don’t know,” I admit. “There’s just so much. There’s too much, you know . . .”             “Input?” she suggests.             “Yeah, exactly. And so I can’t process, like, any of it, and that’s when I get overwhelmed.”             She purses her lips and I feel the itchiness that I’ve come to know as Dr. Bright working through stuff in her head. It feels like I’m trying to solve a math problem I don’t understand.             “The familiarity of your family’s emotions makes it easier for you to balance your ability,” she repeats. “Is there anyone at school who could do the same thing?”             “What?”             “Is there someone—a teammate or friend—who you feel comfortable around? Someone whose emotions you could focus on when you get overwhelmed?” The itchiness settles as she says this, like this is really a solution to my Problem.             “Um, no, not really,” I admit. “I have friends and stuff but no one . . .”             I find myself thinking of the last day of school, going into the library and knowing, just knowing, that Adam Hayes was there. And then he was so startled and his feelings were all over the place, but there was something—             “No one . . . ?” Dr. Bright prompts.             “No one whose feelings fit,” I finish. “I don’t know that focusing on anybody at school is actually going to help.”             “Well,” she says, “something to think about?” “Yeah.” I nod. “Something to think about.”

            But I don’t have time to think about it, because the first few days of school are lost in a haze of other people’s bullshit. I got to English early today so that I’d have time to settle in before the onslaught of emotions, and it’s not exactly working. I have to close my eyes as the other students start coming into the room. I try to sift through the feelings; focus on the colors and try to figure out what I’m going to be up against for the next hour.             Red. Anger. That one’s pretty obvious. And it’s an emotion that I’m super familiar with. Black sludge. I think that one is disappointment. But this is worse—this is dripping sludge. Hot and cold all at once. Ugh, I hate this one. I feel it all the time but I can’t figure out what’s different about it. And it makes me want to jump off a bridge.             Soft blue. It settles behind my eyes and makes my head heavy. Exhaustion. Dr. Bright tells me that being tired isn’t a real emo- tion, but I don’t buy it. There’s a certain kind of tired—a bone-deep weariness—that definitely qualifies as an emotion. Off-white. Soft. Suffocating. Sadness.             Red again.             Black sludge.             Black sludge.             Black sludge.             God, it’s literally the first week of the semester, can’t people just chill? Pins and needles under my skin. My breathing picks up. Traffic- cone orange. Stress. Oof, a lot of stress. And then. Quiet. Blue-green. Not sharp like red and orange, but deep. Endless. It fills me up, empties me out. Clears out the sludge, the pins and needles, but makes me tense. Restless.             I open my eyes. Find his.             Adam.

6

ADAM

  Caleb.             

            Why is it that, for the past week, every time I walk into a room, he’s staring at me? It’s like he has some sort of radar—he catches my eye wherever I go. If I didn’t know any better, I’d assume that some dark, omniscient power was out to make my life miserable. Not that I am particularly bereft in the misery department. But this just seems especially cruel.             His eyes. His fucking eyes. Sad and curious and beautiful and angry; like he’s angry that I’m there. Like he resents my existence. Part of me wonders if he’s still upset about the stupid library encounter last semester—the staring started just after that—but Caleb doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge. And yet here we are, a new semester, and his eyes are always on me.             So who’s going to turn away first? Every time I want it to be him—I want to stare him down until he gets scared and has to look away. There’s something about him that makes me want to fight. But every time his eyes find mine, they look straight into me and make mincemeat of my insides. So I don’t fight; I cave. I’m always the one to look away first.             Even if I wanted to fight, I couldn’t hold my own against Caleb Michaels. Not many people could. Tyler has been significantly subdued since the fight, and that’s Tyler—I thought the guy was fearless. I take one more quick glance at Caleb and try, for the thousandth time, to imagine him breaking a guy’s nose. I know it happened, but there’s something about it that just doesn’t compute. I don’t feel threatened when I catch him looking at me. I feel . . .             Never mind. Not a productive train of thought.             I walk toward the back of the room to my desk—conveniently and purposefully located behind Caleb so I don’t have to look at his face. The back of his neck is still visible and provides its own unique brand of torture, but it’s an easy battle compared to his eyes.             Enough about him. What are we doing today? I squint at the board. We’re still on Macbeth. Good. No romance in that, not really. Just murder and politics, the best distractions.             “I can’t believe he said yes! That’s amazing.”             “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Caitlin.”             Perfect. Jessica and Caitlin have settled into the desks behind me and seem particularly excited about the day’s gossip. Yay, hooray.             “Sorry, you know what I mean,” Caitlin says, trying to soothe her. “It’s just that taking the quarterback to Sadie Hawkins is kind of a big deal.”             “I know!” I can hear the smile on Jessica’s face. I guess she asked Ryan to the dance, then. Even I have to admit that they’ll make a nice-looking couple—with their shiny hair, tan skin, and perfect Colgate smiles. It’s exhausting.             “Now it’s your turn,” Jessica says. “You need to grow a pair and ask him!”             “Ugh, I know,” Caitlin says, “and I will. I promise. Just . . . let me get through this week. I need to nail this Macbeth project and then I’ll ask him. Seriously.”             “Okay, okay,” Jessica concedes, “but you need to stop stressing about this paper. You already have an A.”             “And I’d like to keep it that way, thank you very much.” I can’t see her, but I just know Caitlin is preening while she says this. I find her early-morning chatter irritating beyond belief, but the girl is smart. And she never lets you forget it.             “Fair enough. Just don’t wait too long.” Jessica’s voice drops to a whisper. “Caleb’s one of the cutest guys in our class. Someone is gonna snatch. Him. Up.”             I freeze. Mr. Collins has turned to us and started speaking, but all I hear is blood rushing in my ears. I should have expected this—I know I should have—but it still catches me by surprise.             Caleb is the cutest guy in our class, even if I would be the last person to admit it (though the first one to think it). But he’s never dated anyone. I’ve never seen him so much as check out a cheerleader. For a while, I thought maybe I’d gotten crazy lucky, maybe Caleb didn’t want to chase girls like the rest of the football team, but now I’m not sure. He doesn’t check out anyone. Since the beginning of the school year, he’s gotten quiet and kept to himself and goddammit if that doesn’t make him even more appealing.

Used with Permission from Tor Teen, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates. Copyright (c) 2019 Lauren Shippen.

The Infinite Noise will hit bookshelves on September 24th. You can read another excerpt from the book on the Tor Teen Blog. The book is available for preorder now.

Read and download the Den of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Feature Kayti Burt

Jul 25, 2019

Tor Teen

from Books https://ift.tt/2MdqXQp

[jillmckenzie1]

Headspace

7500 is streaming on Amazon Prime

Americans are not good at empathy. We like to think we are, but the hard truth is, we suck at it. Why? Because empathy is a skill. It takes a great deal of time, effort, and imagination to try to put yourself into the place of someone different than yourself. Some people are better at it than others. Some people don’t see the value of attempting empathy in the first place.

For example, since the murder of George Floyd, a great deal of white people have taken a hard look at their biases and privilege. They have had to reckon with the concept of systemic racism, and ask themselves if America was truly founded on a bedrock built from white supremacy.* An equally great deal of white people have engaged in a breathtaking degree of whataboutism. They mentioned that Floyd had a criminal record, that he was a drug addict, and did everything rhetorically possible to destroy an empathic connection before one could be made.

Roger Ebert believed that movies are machines that generate empathy. He was absolutely right, and he recognized that they are the perfect vehicle for showing us a “different” point of view, one that’s likely close to one we recognize. There’s value when a piece of popular entertainment can do that, and I was impressed that the new film 7500, a thriller about a hijacking, took the time to show us the world through two perspectives instead of one.

First Officer Tobias Ellis (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has a job to do. He’s an airline pilot preparing for a flight from Berlin to Paris. Ellis has been flying for a while now, and we get the sense that, not too long ago, his quiet professionalism has overcome gee-whiz enthusiasm. You can’t blame him for having other things on his mind, since his girlfriend Gokce (Aylin Tezel) is a flight attendant on the same plane, and they’re trying to keep their relationship on the down low and deal with schooling for their young son.

Vedat (Omid Memar) also has a job to do. He’s a young man who looks to be a hair over eighteen, if that. He’s part of a squad of four hijackers who have targeted this plane. We get the sense that Vedat is not over encumbered with brains,** and it likely never occurred to him until now just what exactly he was being asked to do.

The flight lifts off without incident; at least it appears so to Tobias and Captain Michael Lutzmann (Carlo Kitzinger). Things go swiftly to hell shortly afterwards when the terrorists storm the cabin. One makes it in, stabbing Lutzmann repeatedly with a makeshift dagger. Tobias manages to close and lock the cabin door, and just barely knocks out the hijacker.

Fortunately for Tobias, cockpit doors these days are built to be virtually impregnable. The remaining hijackers on the other side, including Vedat, fruitlessly bang on the door.*** This gives him time to speak with air traffic control and try to devise a plan. Unfortunately for Tobias, the hijackers decide that the best way to convince him to open up is to start murdering passengers. He’ll need to find a way to hold out from the stress, land the plane safely, and in the process, he and Vedat will forge an unexpected connection.

7500 is not an action movie in which Joseph Gordon-Levitt slaughters legions of snarling terrorists while Old Glory patriotically flaps in the background. Director Patrick Vollrath was committed to a feeling of hyper-realism. An advisor was brought in to ensure the production had an accurate set. An extremely accurate set, as it turned out, since Vollrath spent part of his $5 million budget on a real plane. With a couple of exceptions, he made the decision to keep the majority of the action in the cockpit with Gordon-Levitt, reasoning that if Tobias doesn’t directly experience something, then neither will the audience.

This turned out to be a canny move, as Vollrath’s film nearly takes place in real time. There’s a great deal of jangly suspense, particularly the initial sequence when the cockpit is stormed. Everything feels fairly realistic, and there were no overtly ridiculous moments that strained credulity. You can’t get around the fact that some wheel-spinning exists. A few times I thought, “Hurry up and get on with it,” and, like magic, the film would hurry up and get on with it.

With a couple of exceptions, there aren’t really characters, and I was kind of okay with that. Screenwriters Vollrath and Senad Halilbasic made the decision to stick mostly with Tobias, and we learn almost nothing about anybody else. There’s a quick conversation in which Tobias and Gokce discuss their child, providing us the only overt information about the personal life of our protagonist. Everything else feels inferred for speed’s sake. That mostly works, since the majority of the plot features Tobias sitting in the cockpit trying not to freak out. Where things get interesting is the back third, when it turns into a two-hander between Tobias and Vedat. You have two men stuck in an extremely bad situation, neither of which is sure how to get out of it. They learn a little about each other, and I appreciated that the screenplay portrayed Vedat as, frankly, a stupid kid in over his head as opposed to a fanatic frothing at the mouth.

It seems to me that if you’re an actor with a Middle Eastern background, your agent is going to send you a lot of parts in which you play terrorists — and only terrorists. That sucks, and I’m looking forward to seeing movies where a guy named Abdul can play an action hero, a romantic lead, a bumbling clown, or an obsessed investigator. Until then, I’m at least thankful for actors like Omid Memar, who delivers a nuanced performance as the junior hijacker Vedat. Memar plays Vedat as a wide-eyed naif, a guy who seems to be just now realizing he’s on a suicide mission and isn’t really into it after all. He also seems to be a little surprised to be connecting with Tobias, and it almost feels like he has to remind himself to threaten his hostage periodically.

The role of Tobias was originally cast with Paul Dano, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a last minute replacement. They traded up, I think. Gordon-Levitt is a chameleonic performer who’s quietly created a reputation for being able to handle any role thrown his way. His Tobias is professional to his bones, a man who will do his job well or die trying. While that’s not the most novel approach, Gordon-Levitt knows that this film doesn’t need a wild-ass Johnny Depp kind of take on the material. He’s a sturdy center for the film, which is necessary.

There will likely be those who come away from 7500 disappointed it’s not more action heavy or special effects heavy. I get that, but the film Patrick Vollrath and his cast and crew set out to make is a story about reasonably intelligent people dealing with a very unreasonable situation. You’ll likely be attracted by the film’s dedication to realism, but at times the dedication to a quiet empathy is what really makes it soar.

    *The answer is both easy and obvious. It’s yes.

**The black comedy Four Lions taught me that terrorists love to recruit young men who are poorly educated and gullible. You could say the same for QAnon followers and the heavily religious.

**Oh my Lord, is there A LOT of banging on the door.

from Blog https://ondenver.com/headspace/

[elliotthezubat]

DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 116

 Joker: "Good morning!" *grabs a thermos of coffee* "Well, I'm heading out~"

nana: whatever.

sasori: *yaaawn*

scarlet: how was the first night for you?

sasori: i slept well, all things considered...

Joker: *looks outside* "..." *taps a security device on the door before climbing up an indoor stairway*

sasori: so, what am i supposed to be doing?

scarlet: for starters, getting a decent meal.

Joker: *calls back* "And keep an eye on Nana--she bites!"

nana: SCREW YOU!

sasori: .___.;

Joker: "..." *shuts the door, looks up the stairs...then flashes away*

-elsewhere-

Inka: *walking through streets with a hoodie on* "...You didn't need to follow me for this."

ritsu: *in gothic lolita attire with a parasol* but it's important to keep you safe, besides, i enjoy a little people watching~

Inka: "...Uh huuuuuuh..." *looking around* "The fire trail is faint...but I think I see where a fight will happen soon enough..."

-elsewhere-

Tsukiyo: *shivers* "Ugh, they said a giant laser hit the Moon. Is Haijima working on blowing it up now or something?"

Konro: *looking at his medicine* "Gee, what if the medicine comes from aliens?"

Tsukiyo: "WHAT?!"

Konro: ^^; "I'm just making a little joke..."

fang-hua: ^^; still, pretty scary stuff.....

Tsukiyo: -3- "Anything that hurts the Moon is an offense to me."

Benimaru: "Look who's got a high opinion of herself."

Tsukiyo: >3<

-elsewhere-

eibon: nngh.... *opening his eyes*

Blair: "Hello, sir...Feeling better?"

eibon: i suppose so...*looking around*

Blair: "We had you moved to Gallows Manor. But your children told us what you may like us to bring over."

eibon: ah, i see. are they around?

Blair: *nods* "They were making some soup for you..."

eibon: ah. *tries to get up*

Blair: "Wow--rest up! You need to recuperate..."

eibon: yes, right....

Blair: "I'll call your kids in~" ^w^

-elsewhere-

Lucy: "Feeling better this morning?"

atsushi: yeah, i guess so...

Lucy: "...But...?"

atsushi: but what?

Lucy: >3< "But you just said 'guess so,' so there must be something else still bothering you!"

atsushi: well, i guess im still kind of tired. ^^;

Lucy: "..." *sets down some tea* "Did you sleep at all?"

atsushi: i dont remember falling asleep.

Lucy: "?! Then no wonder you're tired. So, you didn't sleep at all, or you fell asleep but didn't feel like you slept?"

Atsushi: yeah pretty much.

Lucy: "That's no good. We're asking Kunikida to give you today off."

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: "Nice wheels, Hibana..."'

Hibana: "Only the best. Also, why are you here?"

Vulcan: "I want to have a word with Haijima, too! After the shit they did with my family's work!"

Viktor: *rubbing his hands*

shinra: *fiddling with his tie*

Akitaru: "Feel alright? Too tight?"

shinra: i dunno, im not used to formal wear.

Akitaru: "You've had to wear your formal uniform before. Just think of this as workplace training."

shinra: yep, my palms are sweating already.

Viktor: "Yeah, facing your eminent demise does that." Q_Q

-elsewhere-

Saria: "I spy with my little eye...something that starts with 'S'!"

genny: *sigh* is it sand?

Saria: "Correct!"

lei-lei: *balancing a pencil on her nose*

Asher: =_= *squinting eyes*

Monica: *has stolen a soda from the cooler*

stephanie: oooh are those piercings real?

Kau'i: "Yes, they are real. Like 'em?"

stephanie: super shiny!

Kau'i: "Um, thanks? What, never seen piercings?"

stephanie: of course i have! i've had piercings since i was a baby!

Kau'i: "Huh--your parents were the type to pierce your ears as a baby?"

stephanie: my mommy's a beauty queen in california, and she has lots of friends!

Kau'i: "Like beauty pageants and stuff?"

stephanie: yep! but most of her friends are guys. she invites them over a lot. ^^

bully 2:.....bruh...

Monica: *waves* "Just drop it."

stephanie: ok!

Kau'i: -_-; "Odd group..."

Derek: "Maybe don't talk so friendly to the lower grades."

-elsewhere-

Haijima Secretary: "Right this way."

shinra: *sweating*

Secretary: *opens the doors to a corporate office...that has shelves of video game systems along the wall*

shinra: ??

*The President is seated at a desk, playing a Game Boy*

shinra: *takes a seat, smiling nervously*

Viktor: *sweating, as he takes his seat*

Hibana: *sits, crosses her arms*

Akitaru: "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us..."

kahono: *enters with some coffee and a slice of toast*

President: *staring at the Game Boy*

Viktor: Q_Q

Hibana: -_-;

shinra: *AHEM*

President: "Shhhhh. I'm fighting Tatanga."

Akitaru: "Um...Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice?"

Hibana: *facepalm*

kahono: sir, please focus.

President: "Hmm? Oh, it's you. Well, it's good you're here--if you want to continue to function as Fire Force Companies, you can't afford to make enemies with Haijima Heavy Industries."

Hibana: -___-; "I'm already on the Board of Directors, so I'm fine. But these fools are screwed."

shinra: *GULP*

Akitaru: "...Is that a threat?"

President: *sets down the Game Boy, stares at them* "I won't waste your time today, so let's get to the point: I want to form an alliance against the Preacher."

shinra: so you arent working with them then?

President: "Why would Haijima work with someone trying to destroy the world? There's no profit in that--trust me, we've looked into it: you can't make money if the world comes to an end. Did you know that? I didn't."

shinra: .....

President: "We extend this offer not lightly: we want something in exchange from you, Shinra Kusakabe."

shinra: and what is that?

President: "The Adora Burst--we want to see how it works."

shinra: for the record, i dont know how all it works 100% either.

President: "Which is why you will be residing here."

shinra: ??!!

kahono: sir-

President: "If Kusakabe agrees, I will suspend all testing on the children."

shinra: !!!!!

Hibana: "..."

President: "Not a bad deal, right?"

kahono: sir, if i may interject, i feel mr kusakabe has a right to live a normal life. he seems content with being in the 8th. i feel it wouldnt be fair to him to take that away from him...

President: "I am thinking about the good of this company and our shared desires to stop the Preacher: letting him have a 'normal' life compromises how quickly we can solve this problem, which costs us time and money."

shinra: hey, im not an object, you know.

President: "So you decline this deal?"

shinra: i....i need time to think about it.

President: "Ah, I get it--you're driving a hard bargain. Very well--if you join, I will cancel the assassination order I put out on Viktor Licht."

Viktor: "WHAT?!!"

shinra: .....

Akitaru: "This is insane--you are admitting that you were trying to murder one of my men? That does not convince me you are not in league with the Preacher. My investigations already point the finger at your organization having some relationship to the Preacher and the secret of Amaterasu."

kahono: commander oubi-

Akitaru: "Viktor, tell them."

Viktor: "We know there is something--someone--inside Amaterasu. We discovered that some inhuman is the real founder of the Holy Sol Temple. And it's not unreasonable you have some connection to the Preacher after your work with Giovanni and..." *glances at Hibana*

Hibana: *frowns*

kahono: .....

President: "So, because the Holy Sol Temple is founded by some inhuman, and because Haijima worked with the Temple to make Amaterasu, you suspect us?"

Viktor: "It's a reasonable assumption..."

President: "I will not ignore that Haijima breaks multiple laws to further our research. As you said, it is public knowledge we condoned--hell, we _approved_, Hibana's research with the Witch Shaula. Did you know that?"

shinra: !!!

Hibana: "..." *nods*

Viktor: "...Then the human inside Amaterasu--"

President: "Yes. We put a human inside Amaterasu to power it."

shinra:....*shakes and covers his mouth*

Akitaru: *puts a hand on his shoulder*

shinra:....i dont feel well.....

President: "It is thanks to her sacrifice that Death City enjoys an independent power source regardless of the multiple disasters that are visited upon this city--"

Akitaru: "You...monsters..."

President: "..." *goes back to his Game Boy* "Tell me, Commander. If you could've substituted yourself for your wife and daughter, would you?"

Akitaru: "..." *tosses the chair back, reaching across the desk--*

kahono: commander oubi-

Akitaru: *grabs the President by the tie--*

Secretary: *pulls out a gun, aims it at Akitaru's head* "Let go."

shinra: !!!!!!!!

kahono: !!!!!

Hibana: *has a fan to the Secretary's neck* "You first, bitch."

Viktor: *hiding under his chair*

kahono: ok everyone, take a deep breath and think happy thoughts.

President: "..." *nods to the Secretary*

Secretary: "..." *lowers the gun*

Hibana: "I'm not putting the fan down, so keep talking, _sir_."

Akitaru: *glaring at the President*

President: "As I was saying, we want to keep Amaterasu running. That is why we need someone else with the Adora Burst..."

shinra: ........

President: "Mr. Kusakabe...With your Burst, we could save the lives of millions depending on energy..."

secretary: why him and not the kurai girl. doesnt she also possess the burst?

shinra: !!!!!

President: "Good question--too many lawyers, too much money."

shinra:......

President: "But you don't have that problem, Mr. Kusakabe. And we know you have a hero complex--a desire to save others. I would think you would be willing to give up your own life as a firefighter to save someone else, yes?"

shinra: ....if it came down to it, yeah....

Akitaru: "No."

shinra: commander?

Akitaru: "You undervalue your own life to think you have to throw it away...when you know your survival means you can save more lives."

kahono: he's right. you have so much potential, it'd be a waste to throw it all away.

Akitaru: *pats Shinra's shoulder* "So let's do more than just sacrifice ourselves...Let's save lives."

???: sir, you arent allowed in there!

*the door is knocked down--along with a security guard*

kahono: oh goodness.

Vulcan: "I HEARD EVERYTHING--AND I CAN BUILD A NEW AMATERASU THAT WON'T NEED ANY HUMAN SACRIFICES!"

kahono: how ambitious, that's a joseph for you.

President: "??? Joseph? Oh, let him speak."

Vulcan: "I DON'T NEED YOUR PERMISSION TO SPEAK! WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU, ANYWAY?!"

shinra: there's a name tag right there.

-the name plate on the desk reads 'Gureo Haijima'-

Vulcan: "...Wait, this guy's the president?" *looks around* "...The hell is with all the video game systems?"

Gureo: "You say you can build Amaterasu without sacrificing one person?"

Vulcan: "Huh? Oh, yeah--I can do that! I've seen enough creatures die off for 'progress,' and I won't let you bastards kill more people!"

Akitaru: "I think you should pursue this plan, _sir_. It'd be less illegal and not get Shinra killed."

Gureo: "...Would it cost much?"

Vulcan: "I just need the equipment and parts!"

Gureo: "No pay?"

Vulcan: "I don't need your blood money!"

Gureo: "Okay, it's a deal. We won't sacrifice Kusakabe to Amaterasu."

shinra: and the kids and viktor?

Gureo: "Like I said, we'll cancel the assassination order on Licht."

Viktor: *passes out* XwX

shinra: just like that?

Gureo: "Just like that..." *sets down the Game Boy, showing a microphone on it*

shinra:....what's the catch?

Gureo: "The catch is we will not suspend child testing."

kahono: rest assured, the kids are being taken well care of. i've made sure of that, sir.

Akitaru: "..."

Gureo: "It would be a waste not to learn as much as we can about their abilities."

shinra:....as long as you arent hurting anyone, im alright with this.

kahono: shall i show them out, sir?

Gureo: *nods* "Yes, please. I have other meetings to attend to..." *pulls out a 3DS* "...Oh, darn--I missed my house visit with Hambo..."

-as they walk outside, shinra spots tatsu, who waves to him-

shinra: *waves back*

Kurono: *watching* "..."

kahono: that reminds me, i wanted to give you something, shinra. *hands him a paper* i photocopied this drawing that tatsu did last night.

-the drawing is of him, shinra, kahono, kurono, puppet girl, and the other kids-

shinra:.....*smiles*

Akitaru: "Shinra? Hibana is going to drive us to the hospital..."

shinra: !! r-right...

kahono: let's all meet up for coffee sometime. ^^

Hibana: "Hmm."

-elsewhere-

lisa: *looking around*

Arthur: "Always be on the look-out for interlopers..."

maki: how're you holding up?

lisa: the coat's a bit heavier than i was expecting.

Arthur: "It is modified for different people depending on ability. For example, I need to be able to swing my arms, so the fabric there is lighter."

lisa: ah. so i guess im just using a standard issue coat right now?

maki: pretty much. but we can always have something custom made for you.

Arthur: *nods* "Sister Iris modifies some of the coats, so you can ask her later."

lisa: i see.

maki: i helped shinra with his pants....that sounds weird saying it out loud.

lisa: ^^; come to think of it, you and iris helped vul with tamaki's new uniform, right?

maki: yep!

Arthur: "..." *looks down*

lisa:...hey, you alright arthur?

Arthur: "...I should have considered more what she was feeling."

lisa: ??

Arthur: "...Since leaving the First, she has never completely gotten over what happened..."

lisa:.....

maki:.....

Arthur: "Perhaps we should have asked her to sit out that mission..."

lisa:...maybe i could talk to her? i dont know what all happened, but maybe i could help?

Arthur: "...Right, I forgot--you too have experiences with betraying someone's trust--you're perfect for this task!"

lisa: *GLARES* you get a 2 minute head start.

Arthur: "??? Then what happens?"

maki: *GASP* look! the new wan-wan-nyan mascot keychains are out!

lisa: !! *looks*

maki: *kicks arthur aside* so cuuuute! they're in little summer outfits!

lisa: hnng! i need to get one of each!

Arthur: "?!" *falls on his face--then keeps rolling down the road like a ball*

-elsewhere-

izumi: *looking out the window*

*the desert stretches out...there's a dune up ahead...*

Sid: *pulls the bus over*

preston: have we arrived already?

Sid: "Exit the bus and stand by the road--we'll be walking to the campsite."

genny: we're gonna die.

Derek: "You're not going to die--we got cloaks for everyone who didn't bring one, so put them on to shield against the sun."

lei-lei: woohoo! this is gonna be so fun!

Asher + Monica: "No, it won't."

Asher: "..."

Monica: "..."

Kau'i: *passing out cloaks...* *looks at Lukas* "Here's your cloak."

lukas: thank you.

Saria: "I'm glad you brought the sunglasses."

lukas: best to be cautious.

Saria: *smiles*

Sid: "Hurry up--we want to get to the campsite before the sun gets any higher."

-elsewhere-

Relan: ^^; "I'm fine, really...You can let go now."

shinra: im just....happy you're alive...

Relan: "Y-Yeah?"

shinra: *holding relan's good hand* if you need anything at all, let us know, ok?

Relan: *nods* "I will. I just wish I was back in the field...Not that I am as much use as Lieutenant Hinawa..."

shinra: ...

iris: ....well, nozomi did bring over some audio books for you.

Relan: "Oh, great! Please tell her thanks..."

-elsewhere-

Inka: *sniffs* "..." *points down a road in the slums*

ritsu: *follows*

Inka: "...You may want to step back. Given what I'm sensing, we'll have an explosive fight happening..." *she follows a line towards a building*

sasori: *in a hoodie, walking along*

Inka: *follows the line...smiles* "Bingo."

sasori: *looks at a list*

Inka: *following 10 steps behind...the line is circling around Sasori...Inka's finger twitches, but she's not lifting her hand* "..."

ritsu: ??

Inka: "C-Could you not look at this? It's making me nervous..." *the line has circled around*

ritsu: *looking away*

Inka: *traces her finger towards Sasori...then the line continues until it reaches Ritsu's head, where Inka zaps her brain*

ritsu: *collapses*

Inka: *catches her* "..." ("The hell with these lines wanting me to knock Ritsu out but not Sasori?!") *looks where Sasori was heading*

-she's gone-

Inka: "Shit!"

-elsewhere-

Crona: *unconscious*

mami: ........

Ragnarok: *growling, shaking*

mami:....*trying not to cry* please....stop....

Ragnarok: *twisting under constraints, melting and solidifying as he screams* "LET ME OUT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS!"

*knock knock*

Spirit: *peeks in*

mami:.......

Spirit: "Hey..."

mami:...*nods*

Spirit: "How's Crona?"

mami:...*bites her lip*

Spirit: "..." *pats her shoulder*

mami: im scared....

Spirit: "I know. Lord Death is doing everything he can..."

mami: i-if something happens to them i-....i dont know what i'll do....

Spirit: "Hey, don't think like that. Crona is going to be fine."

mami:......

Spirit: "What they need right now is for you to be strong--so when they wake up..."

mami:...r-right....

Spirit: "Have you gotten any sleep?"

-elsewhere-

Harris: "Hello, Nataku. Ready to begin?"

tatsu: *steady breaths* ok. im ready.

Kurono: *walks into the room*

-elsewhere-

Axel: =n= "It's too hot...Why couldn't we have done this by the beach?"

Yafeu: "I'VE ALREADY RE-APPLIED SUNSCREEN TWICE SINCE WE GOT OUT HERE! STUPID SMALL NUMBER OF SPF!"

genny: *being carried by lei-lei*

Sid: "Imagine the challenges for someone like me. I once had to dig through the desert here looking for something a witch buried..."

Kanin: *looking out at the distance* "???" *squints his eyes* "Um, Miss Naigus? What's that on the horizon?"

amelia:....!!!

*it's a sandstorm!*

nygus: everyone, take cover!

Asher: "Shit..." *grabs Izumi, pulling her to the ground*

Axel: *grabs onto Zeke*

hibiki: *hiding behind a rock*

Kau'i: "Shit...Dagon, transform!"

*the storm...seems to be just circling around them?*

izumi: ??? (the heck?)

fuyuka: EEP!

lukas: !! saria!

Saria: "On it!" *transforms into her whip form*

-GRAB-

lukas: *yanks back*

fuyuka: *lands*

Sid: "Hang on just a little longer, everyone!"

Duncan: "This is crazy!"

Kazue: "..." *looks up* "?!"

*a giant shadow is forming over the group*

hibiki: !!! zeke, axel! transform!

zeke: right!

Axel: "On it!" *does so*

Yafeu: "WHAT IS THAT?!"

*in the shadow...eyes open*

hibiki: *throwing zeke at it's eye*

zeke: HYAAH!

*a giant hand forms, grabbing Zeke*

Axel: "?!!! BRO!"

Yafeu: "CRUDE! FIRE AT THAT THING!"

preston: *takes aim and shoots*

???: "..." *bricks form around the exterior of the giant--and start falling onto the students*

Kazue: "?!!!" *flash steps, grabbing NOTers to get them out of the way*

lumina: *shooting with a revolver arm*

*then out of the giant appears...a statue of two people kissing?*

genny: W-WHAT THE HECK!???! O//////o

*a giant laser beam is charging up from the giant*

izumi: !!!!

Sid: *calls into a walkie talkie* "Okay, you two--that's enough."

*the sandstorm fades, while the giant is revealed as a genie-esque creature*

zeke: *changes back and falls onto the ground* ow!

Sid: "That concludes your first test. Say hello to your guest lecturers..."

*The genie shrinks down*

Jinn: "..."

zubaidah: i see some of you need work on your reflexes

genny: 7////7;;;

Jinn: "And tossing a projectile weapon at an enemy before ascertaining its powers put your weapon at risk." *offers a hand to Zeke*

zeke: ehehe. ^^;;

Sid: "Good work, Lukas, Saria."

lukas: thank you, sir!

Saria: "Fuyuka, you okay?"

fuyuka: Q_Q im sorry i got swept up...

Sid: "That is why we had this crash course--so that you all take more seriously the dangers you will face as meisters and weapons."

hibiki:....

Axel: TnT

Duncan: "...I knew this was a test all along."

amelia: you arent fooling anyone.

Duncan: >3<

Jinn: "Ha. Now, hurry up--you still got some distance to go."

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: *setting out blueprints*

Viktor: *unpacking*

nozomi: oh, you're back!

karin: how did it go?

Viktor: "I'm not dead!"

Vulcan: "I'm building a new Amaterasu."

karin: wow! that's amazing, vulcan!

Vulcan: "Thanks...This is going to be a challenge..."

shinra: *looking down at his lunch*

Petra: "??? Something wrong with your meal?"

shinra: it's really good....*wipes his eyes*

Petra: "...I haven't seen my cooking bring tears. Did something happen at Haijima, or the hospital?"

shinra: im just...really emotional about everything, i guess.

Petra: "Hmph. 'Emotional,' or responding in an expected way?"

shinra i-i dunno....

Petra: "...I'm sorry what happened to Relan. Is he going to be okay?"

shinra: h-he should be better by november...

Petra: *nods* "That's something at least."

-elsewhere-

Kid: "..."

liz: everything ok?

Kid: "...Something is wrong again."

liz: *listening*

Kid: *rubs his hands* "It's not taking me over. But I can sense madness."

liz: hmmm...

Kid: "It-It's too coincidental with everything going on."

liz: well, patti and i are here for you. ok?

Kid: *nods* "I-I don't feel like I've lost control, not like before...but this is here. And I can't find it."

-elsewhere-

Asher: *panting*

nygus: should we take a break here?

Sid: "It has been an hour--but they do need to push beyond their limits..."

Axel: *holding onto his brother* T~T "I was so worried I was gonna lose you, bro!"

zeke: *pat pat*

amelia: should we be drinking from our canteens?

Sid: "On average, you'll lose 900 ML of sweat every hour--so I suggest you drink that much..."

genny: how do we even estimate that? -~-;;;

Kanin: "That's about 30 oz, so make sure you're drinking about 4 of those water bottles every hour."

genny: .. .///. r-right...

Yafeu: "HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP?"

preston: permission to take off my shirt? ^w^;;;;

stephanie: eeeew he's all sweaty!

Monica: "Gross--can't believe they let someone like that here. He'd probably be the first one caught..."

lukas: do those girls ever shut up? -_-#

Bully 2: "The fuck you say?" *shoves Lukas*

lukas: WOAH! *trips over a rock....and somehow falls out of his pants and shirt* GYA! >///~///<;;;

Saria: >\\\\< "You jerks! What is wrong with you?!" *picks up Lukas's clothes*

Jinn: "..."

Monica: "Ha! Nice ass, bitch!"

hibiki: can you just stop?

Kau'i: "... ... ..."

nygus: alright, settle down everyone.

Monica: "He can't even keep his clothes on--how is this shit-for-brains going to handle a real fight?"

Derek: "Miss Nygus, I think breaking up that group may be best--to keep an eye on them."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Keep security around my residence while we're out."

higuchi: right. i'll be around.

Chuuya: "Thanks...No sign of the Rats?"

higuchi: nothing thus far. we've had a raid on zverkov mining, but nothing...

Chuuya: "...This may sound crazy...but you've heard the stories of Infernals underground?"

higuchi: ....i've heard rumors, but those are j-just ghost stories, right? ^^;

Chuuya: "Best be careful. Hell, at this point, roping in an expert wouldn't be the worst--"

Motojiro: *pops up behind Higuchi*

higuchi: FBSHKUIYVGJSKHVOLSL>KVHLI>L!??!?!?

-KICK TO THE FACE-

Motojiro: "..." *collapses*

Chuuya: "...Well, technically an expert."

higuchi: DAMMIT KAJII YOU CANT JUST SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE LIKE THAT!!

Motojiro: *has a fist imprint in his face* "I just get excited about new discoveries--like making sure your surveillance teams don't get burnt to a crisp by pyrokinetic level 5 horned Infernals with the capacity of incinerating human flesh, bone, and muscle at 1381 degrees Celsius!"

higuchi:............ .______.;;;;;

Chuuya: "Kajii, maybe accompany one of the teams--and bring a fire extinguisher."

-elsewhere-

Joker: *looking around* "..." *walks back down the stairs* "I'm home~"

sasori: hey, i got that thing you asked me to get.

Joker: "Super!" *holds out his hand*

sasori: *hands him the bag*

Joker: *opens the bag--and inhales deeply* "Ah, good stuff..."

sasori: *looks*

Joker: *pulls out some leaves*

sasori: -____- getting that for you was _not_ fun.

Joker: "Oh, for real? Did they overcharge?"

sasori: the smell wasnt too great. and i felt like all eyes were on me on the way home.

Joker: "...Huh. Maybe you're sensitive to this stuff."

sasori: =_=# well for starters i'm 16...

Joker: "Eh, that's not too young--I was a few years older than you...Want a hit?"

sasori: pass.

Joker: " 'Kay. I'm going to nod off for a bit..."

sasori: im just gonna check on nana.

Joker: "Good plan..." *walks to his room*

sasori:.......

-elsewhere-

Sid: "Start by laying down your blanket. We're going to need to weight them down against desert winds."

hibiki: using rocks, right?

Sid: "Right. But check the rocks for crevices--you don't want something full of wildlife. You also can bring weighted items with you to put on the blankets, like Derek did."

stephanie: >~<;;

Monica: *shakes a rock at Stephanie* "Beware--we have scorpions in these rocks."

stephanie: just no tarantulas, they're so creepy!!

???: "You got a problem with spiders, kid?"

stephanie: OwO eh?

Sid: "Oh, look who finally showed up."

???: -~- "It's hot as balls here...and I got lost." *pulls down his hoodie, revealing Giriko*

izumi: oh, arent you that guy from the other day?

Giriko: "??? Oh, you're that girl who--" *remembers knocking out one of the kids* O____O;

{*flashbacks to Giriko talking to Lord Death*}

{Giriko: *curled up against the mirror* "I SAID I WAS SORRY!"}

{lord death: now, you'll be on your best behavior for this trip, wont you?}

{Giriko: "YES, YES, A THOUSAND TIMES YES! JUST FUCKING CUT IT OUT ALREADY! THIS IS TORTURE!"}

{Yumi: *holding up My Little Pony fanfiction* "I can read more."}

Giriko: Q___Q "...I think I need sleep. Which one of you brats is going to make my tent?"

Monica: *staring*

Giriko: *turns, spots Monica* "...SHIT! A ZOMBIE!" *falls back*

Sid: -_-####

nygus: rude.

Monica: -\\\-# "Asshole."

Saria: "Zeke, I need another rock here."

zeke: got it. YO! this rock looks like australia!

Kanin: "Oh, hey, it kind of does!"

Duncan: "No, the bottom isn't curved enough..."

zeke: it almost does tho. WHO WANTS THE AUSTRALIA ROCK?

Axel: "Dude, a rock this awesome needs to be held by the person most deserving of it. I suggest Rock Paper Scissors."

zeke: hehe good one.

Saria: "I'm game! We keep going in groups until only 2 are left?"

-elsewhere-

Child: *crying* "My cat is stuck up the tree..."

lisa: alright, we'll get the kitty down. *lifts herself with her tentacles and picks the cat up*

Cat: "Nya?" *sniffs at Lisa*

Child: *sniffle* "Thank you, ma'am!"

lisa: no problem. ^^

Arthur: *looking around* "..." *spots an alley*

maki: ?? you ok arthur?

Arthur: "..."

{Arthur: *tied to a chair* "Let me out..."}

Arthur: "N-Nothing..."

maki:......

Arthur: "...Um, are there any more feeds to do for the serfs, or should we retire?" *avoiding eye contact*

-elsewhere-

Hibana: *changing her bandage*

gabriella: mikami and ryuuko offered to take hanako out today.

Hibana: "..." *nods* *applies the bandage...hand shakes*

gabriella:.....*holds her hand*

Hibana: "..." *squeeze*

gabriella: do you want to talk about it?

Hibana: "...I wanted, so badly, to find out who did that to the sisters...and how it could be replicated..."

gabriella: *listening*

Hibana: "Then I unlocked it, creating pyrokinetics...or whatever they are. I still don't know--the implementation of that witch's magic made these...things that aren't quite like Infernals. And I just got roped up in wanting to learn more and more..."

gabriella:.....

Hibana: "I just told myself, like when we experimented on that serial killer Infernal, 'Maybe they can finally be useful with their lives'... ...The hell is wrong with me."

gabriella: *hugs her* you just wanted answers. we couldnt have known....

Hibana: "I didn't even see them as humans. Just specimens."

gabriella:....*rubs her back*

Hibana: "..." *hug*

-elsewhere-

Mephisto: "This is a surprise to have you visit."

lord death: well, there's a little, erm.....incident, with one of our students. so....do you think we can have a certain little...husk? ^^;;;;;

Mephisto: "...What kind of 'husk' *air quotes* are you looking for? A tall 'husk,' or a husky 'husk'?"

lord death: well. *holds up a sketch* something like this perhaps?

Mephisto: "Oooo~ Excellent sketch! Hmm...I'll have my team find one that matches most of these qualities."

lord death: thank you.

Mephisto: "May I inquire who will occupy this 'husk'?"

-lord death explains-

Mephisto: "Oh my. And what will Crona do? Isn't Ragnarok their blood?"

lord death: we'll likely give them a transfusion, worst case scenario.

Mephisto: "What blood type is Black Blood?"

lord death:......a legit good question.

-elsewhere-

Medusa: *looking through a crystal ball* "Let's map this out..."

*dark splotches appear on a global map...*

Medusa: *taps along some spots* "Hmm...Madness has intensified in those locations...which means some witches around them would notice..."

neian: baba?

Medusa: *nods* "Here. Want to see a new spot?"

neian: *babble*

Medusa: *picks her up* *spins the globe on the crystal ball* "Okay, tap a spot, Neian."

neian: *poke*

*the globe stops on a spot with a bright handprint*

Medusa: "Okay, destination determined."

-elsewhere-

Spirit: *sets out plates* "...Oh, right..." *puts one plate away*

sachiko: empty nest syndrome?

Spirit: ^^; "Guess so...Been a while since having a kid on an overnight trip."

sachiko: yeah, but at least we have the night to ourselves~

Spirit: "Oh, yeah?" *slides a hand along her arm*

sachiko: 7w7~

-elsewhere-

izumi: does anyone else feel embarrassed for some reason?

Asher: "Yeah, Axel is still trying to find a spot to use the toilet."

Axel: *looking behind a boulder* "AM I FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM CAMP YET?"

Sid: "Go further!"

lukas: so what now?

Kau'i: *sneers* "We're having a ghost story contest tonight..."

genny: sounds fun.

Duncan: "What's the prize?"

Kau'i: "We don't tie you out in the desert to get eaten by scorpions."

hibiki: scorpions dont typically eat people. -_-;

Kau'i: "Then vultures--whatever!"

Vulture: *eyeing Duncan* O^O

Duncan: Q_Q;

zubaidah: so who wants to start?

Kanin: "I think Genny may have us beat..."

genny: eh?

Kanin: "I just mean, you write stories, so you probably got a ton of scary tales..." ^^;

genny: .////. i-i guess, b-but i mostly write comedy stories, so-

Jinn: "I like comedy."

Sid: "..." ("Hard to tell with the mask...")

-elsewhere-

eibon: *observing the coffee machine*

Gopher: "..." *looks around Eibon*

eibon: fascinating, simply fascinating....

Gopher: "It's...percolating?"

-elsewhere-

Akitaru: *counting* "40 spears, 12 arm blades..."

rita: *silently counting and taking notes*

Akitaru: "Okay--this'll be a lot. Usually--"

Petra: *signing for Rita*

Akitaru: "--we'd walk these over. But even with Iris having more of you here to help move them, I'm not sure this is a simple walk."

rita: *signing* <understood>

Akitaru: *nods* "And could you take Tamaki with you?"

-elsewhere-

hibiki: so i guess we're going to be reviewed on the test now?

Sid: "You had your fun with ghost stories--"

Duncan: Q_Q *shivering in place*

Sid: "--so now it's time for a discussion about Zubaidah and Jinn's test on you."

Giriko: *sitting away from the fire, back turned to the others* "..." *sips his drink*

Kanin: *glances at Amelia* "..."

amelia: .....

Sid: "Some of you already heard it. For example, Hibiki, tossing Zeke at the opponent put his safety at risk."

hibiki: *wince* yeah....sorry.

zeke: ^^;

Sid: "Your weapons are not what we classify as returnable weapons, like boomerangs. If you're going to use Axel and Zeke effectively, then your weapons need to think up a way to be recoverable."

Axel: "..."

zeke:....

hibiki:....understood, sir.

Sid: *nods* "I've set up some lessons tomorrow with Giriko for you. Let's see..." *reviewing notes* "Izumi and Asher."

izumi: yes sir?

Sid: "The first rule when facing a threat is survival: if you die out there, you're not going to be able to save anyone else. Asher had the right idea to make sure you didn't both go flying up in the storm."

izumi: t-thanks for that, asher.

Asher: "Um...you're welcome...sure."

Sid: "Where I see a flaw is what to do next--because Asher is a close-range weapon, and against Jinn, you'd be dead."

izumi: *gulp* ._.;;;

Sid: "You were acting in your meister-weapon teams, like Lukas and Saria rescuing a classmate..."

lukas: *nod*

Sid: "What you're all lacking now is to stop acting like individuals and instead work as a team..." *looks at Monica, Stephanie...and Kazue, Kanin, Duncan...*

Monica: *grunts*

amelia: understood.

Sid: "That's why we have to expedite your training. Some of you have already had combat experience, like that plant monster attack some time ago. Now we're moving on with chain resonance."

hibiki: that's a resonance between multiple teams, right?

Sid: "Correct. More specifically, the meisters need to get their souls in sync with each other."

lukas: ah...

Sid: "I'll put you into your 3-meister teams tomorrow, and we'll have you working with me, Naigus, Giriko...So you'll need to really focus on teamwork and not just running around willy-nilly."

Kazue: -_-;

amelia: understood.

Jinn: "Zubaidah and I also will be assisting meisters and weapons with improving their resonance."

Derek: *tightening his jaw*

lumina:...

Kau'i: "Tch. How are we supposed to do 'chain resonance' with such weak newbie meisters here?"

izumi:....

Monica: "Could ask you the same--how many years you been here without graduating?"

Kau'i: "?!"

nisha: zzzzz.....

Giriko: "Jeez...Got our work cut out for us with this lot."

Jinn: "Indeed."

-elsewhere-

-in a forest of black thorns....-

-footsteps running-

???: waaAaIit....coOme..BaaacCkk....

Crona: *panting, running* "N-No! Get away!"

chrona?: *chasing after them, bloody wings sprouting out of their back and holding a sword*

Crona: "I'm not you! Stay away from me!" *trips* "AH!" *falls onto the dirt of the forest* *panting, clawing themselves away*

chRona?: wheRe arE You gOing?

Crona: *sobbing* "I don't know! Just anywhere but here!"

KroNa??: but i am you, where do you think your power comes from? without me, without This MadNess, you aRe NOTHING.

Crona: "Shut up..." *sniffling* "I know what I am..." *holding their head in pain*

????:....na....pl...se.......ke up....

Crona: *shaking under sheets, screaming*

mami: *holding their hand*

Crona: *pants...looks at Mami* "..."

mami: chrona! are you alright?

Crona: *whimpering*

mami:...*hugs them*

Crona: *shaking* *shaking their head* "No..."

mami: *rubs their back* im here chrona....im here....*trying not to cry*

Crona: *sobbing, clutching their stomach*

-elsewhere-

stocking: ooh! look at this, kiddo!

Kid: "???" *looks*

-it's a pamphlet for a cooking contest-

Kid: "Ah, that looks fun."

stocking: im thinking about entering.

Kid: *smiles* "I think you should."

stocking: ^^

Kid: "Do they have categories?"

stocking: 'create an imaginative meal with full appetizer, main course, dessert, and beverage to match the given theme'

Kid: "Hmm...I wonder what kind of themes they are imagining."

stocking: perhaps an ocean theme, or maybe a june bridal theme?

Kid: "Both sound delightful. It sounds like you may have a meal or two in mind?"

stocking: i've got some ideas cooking~ hehe~

Kid: "Ha...And for visual design?"

-morning-

Axel: *snoring*

Sid: *heating up food over the fire...it's still dark out*

amelia: *sniff* *opens her eyes* ??

Kanin: *yawns, stretches*

Giriko: *sipping coffee* "Ugh--no one brought milk for this?"

zubaidah: i see we have some early risers.

Sid: "Need to be--before the noon heat wipes us out."

amelia: what are you making?

Sid: "Just some instant hot cereal and pancakes."

amelia: ah.

Monica: *groans...sniffs...finds Stephanie's foot next to her face* "?!" *tugs at her foot*

stephanie: hehehe~

Monica: "Fucking move over!" *shoves her*

stephanie: *rolls onto the dirt* *PATOOIE* *ACHOO* huh? what happened? where's jared?

Monica: "In your dreams!" *kicks her in the butt*

stephanie: where are we? oh shit did i get hella stoned again?

Sid: "Stephanie! Monica! Stop goofing around! We have training in an hour--and you're going to need the energy."

genny: *already up* yeah, jeez.

Asher: *snoring*

Axel: *sniffs* "..." *sleep walks to the pancakes*

Yafeu: *grumbling* "Darn tired of..." *yawns, as he trips over Preston and Lukas* "...OW!"

zeke: spoopy....*snore* scary...skeletons...zzzz.....

preston: zzzzzzz

Saria: *yawns, stretches, smiles* "Good morning, everyone!"

Duncan: =A= "Shut the hell up and go back to sleep..."

lei-lei: *sleep kick*

Duncan: "OW!"

Jinn: "... ... ..." *summons a trumpet--and blows loudly into it*

izumi: ?!?!?!

preston: hnn?

bully 4: OI WHAT THE FUCK?!

Jinn: "Oh, good--you're awake. Get dressed and eat your breakfast, then we will commence your exercises in 50 minutes."

nisha: *sits up, still asleep*

izumi: ogh...what time is it?

Derek: =_= *checks his watch* "...5:04 in the morning..."

izumi: that early?

Giriko: "Hey, you'd rather wait until the desert Sun is out and burns your skin to a fried crisp?"

izumi: .____.

Asher: =~= "This sucks..."

Dagon: "Your pancake, sir."

Kau'i: "Ah, sweet--thanks..." *nom* "?! Where's the freaking pancake syrup?!"

Dagon: "On its way, sir."

amelia: do we have eggs?

Derek: *eyeroll, grabs cereal*

Sid: *shakes a carton labeled 'eggs'*

zeke:....bro.

stephanie: what kind of bird laid that?

Monica: "One whose ovaries died on them."

izumi: ._.

Sid: "It's called packing smart: low-weight, high-protein--"

Yafeu: *tugging on some food* "RUBBERY AS PENCIL ERASERS!"

Kanin: "Beggars can't be choosers..." *examining the packaging* "Is this vegetarian granola?"

Duncan: "...What other kind of granola would there be? Stupid."

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *picks up Miyuri's suitcase* "Hmm...What's in here?"

miyuri: miyuri packed her clothes and swimsuit!

Chuuya: "Feels a little light."

miyuri: is that bad?

Chuuya: "Just wanted to make sure you packed enough--we won't be doing laundry while we're there."

-elsewhere-

iris: *asleep* ...

{-in a dark place, a woman can be heard screaming-}

{???: hurry up and push already!}

{????: AHHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!!}

{-soon, a baby's cry is heard-}

{????: oh go- oh god! my baby! my baby!}

{???: so you've had a girl...}

{????: please, let me hold her.}

{???:....take it away.}

{????: please! i need to hold her! just let me hold her for a moment!}

{???: you know we cannot allow that. we've prolonged the ritual for long enough, and now that the child is here, we can continue as planned}

{???: no please! let me see my baby! please! NO!!}

iris: *jolts awake* AH!!....*panting, shaking*

*knock knock*

iris: !!!!

Akitaru: *calling from outside* "You okay in there?"

iris: ...y-yeah....im fine....(what...what was that....?)

Akitaru: "Okay. Breakfast is on the table."

iris: ok...thank you...

Akitaru: "..." *walks away*

iris:.....*shaking, pulling the covers around herself*

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *snores*

sonia: papa?

Chuuya: "Nnng!" *wakes up* "H-Huh?"

sonia: arent we gonna head out soon?

Chuuya: *wipes his mouth* "Wh-What time is it?"

sonia: *holds up the alarm clock*

Chuuya: O_o "?!!! Shit! The cab is coming in 10 minutes!"

sonia: !!! let's go!

Chuuya: *grabs his suitcase* "Right! Get the carrier for Mito!" *he's still in his pajamas*

-elsewhere-

Harvar: *grabs a duffle bag* "Ready."

ox: ok.

Thunder: ^o^ "Ready!"

kim: we're here!

Jacqueline: "Hello, everyone." *waves at Fire and Thunder*

fire: hiya!

Harvar: "...Where's the ride?"

-elsewhere-

Asher: *in weapon form* "...I'm not sensing anything."

Kanin: *eyes closed* "Yeah, Mr. Barrett is really hiding himself..."

Duncan: -_-# *in weapon form* "Just dig through the dirt until you find him."

*they are in a wide stretch of desert sand*

izumi: .....

Kau'i: "SCREW THIS!" *stabs the trident into the sand* "GET OUT OF HERE, SID! I KNOW YOU'RE SOMEWHERE IN HERE!" *running back and forth, stabbing into the sand*

izumi: um. a-are you sure you should be doing that?

Kau'i: "THE WORST THAT'LL HAPPEN IS I STAB HIM!"

Dagon: -____- "Sir..."

Duncan: "...He does have a point. Sid is already technically dead."

-elsewhere-

Giriko: *pats a tall golem* "And this big guy here is Gruk."

Gruk: O_______O

Axel: *in weapon form* "Wooooooooo! He is huge!"

Saria: *also in weapon form* Q__Q *she and Lukas are surrounded by a bunch of golem*

lukas: ok, we can handle this. i hope.

nisha: zzzzzz =u=

fuyuka: Q~Q oh jeeeeez...

hibiki: stay close, guys.

zeke: right.

Giriko: *rotates his neck* "Well, we'll see about that. See, this is about some long-range fighting. And poor little ole' me is at a disadvantage..." *transforms, flying into a sky, and landing in Gruk's hands as a chainsaw* "NOW I'M ALL REVVED UP!!!"

hibiki: (ok hibiki, think. how do we handle this?)

nisha: *deflecting some of the smaller golems, still sleeping?*

Axel: "...Hibiki, how fast can you run?"

Gruk: *running up to Hibiki, swinging Giriko*

Giriko: "HA HA HA HA HA!"

hibiki: !!!! *running* you two got a plan?

zeke: yeah; not getting killed!

Axel: "But we're supposed to learn how not to get captured! And we can't sail back into Hibiki's hands--" *spots something* "...I GOT AN IDEA!"

zeke: yeah bro?

Gruk: *swings a fist, just missing Hibiki*

hibiki: SHIT!

Axel: "Aim for the cactus!"

*there is a cactus behind Gruk*

hibiki: what?

Axel: "Trust us!"

hibiki:....alright. *KUNAI TOSS*

*Axel and Zeke fly around Gruk*

Giriko: "BAD MOVE, KIDDO!"

hibiki: !!!

Gruk: *lifts up Giriko--before bringing the chainsaw down onto Hibiki*

hibiki: *flinches*

*PIERCED!*

*a motor freezes*

Giriko: "...Huh?"

*a bunch of cactus needles have stabbed into Giriko's motor*

Axel: *stuck in the wet remains of a demolished cactus* "WOOT!"

hibiki: huh?

*when tossed, Axel and Zeke increased their speed so that, rather than merely getting stuck inside the cactus, the force of impact blew it up*

Axel: "I DIDN'T EVEN THINK THAT WOULD WORK!"

Giriko: "Damn it!" *trying to start up the engine* "Aw, nuts! Golems, handle the other ones while I get this out--" *turns back into a human...then realizes he has needles stuck in his face, arms, and butt* "... ... ..."

hibiki:....ouch.

-elsewhere

coyote: *wandering the desert, sniffing at a black rock?*

Black Rock: "..." *rattles*

coyote: *growls*

???: {Hooooooot...Not cold...What is this...}

coyote: *snarls*

*the rock stops rattling*

coyote: *bats its paw at it*

???: {Tactile stimulus...Processing...Inferior shape...Solution--}

*the rock cracks open--and black tendrils choke the coyote*

coyote: *whines and yelps, trying to get away*

*the blackness forms a mouth, letting out something that sounds like a cross between a whine, a scream--and a giggle, as it crunches its 'teeth' down onto the coyote's snout*

-elsewhere-

Takehisa: "Careful how you set those in there--" *shifts, pointing--then cringes, clutching his bandaged shoulder*

Petra: -_- *ignoring him, as she deposits weapons in the back of the Matchbox*

iris: are you alright, captain?

Takehisa: "I'm fine. Healing my shoulder is taking longer than optimal."

iris: try to get some rest.

Takehisa: "I will. ...You look like you could use more sleep, too."

shinra: want me to go with you gals?

tamaki: why?

shinra: guess im curious how you do this blessing thing? ^^;

Petra: "We can explain it to you later--nuns have actual work to do--"

Takehisa: *grabs Shinra's head from the top with his good arm* "Go with them. Keep an eye on them."

Petra: -_-###

shinra: ok.

Vulcan: "Who's driving?" *holds up the keys*

-elsewhere-

Yotsuba: "Yay! This'll be fun!"

Foein: ^^; "Don't get your hopes up--the church has been kind of deserted..."

ruby: maaan it's been too long since we were here last. i wonder if sister maple's still here or if she's in a brigade now?

Yotsuba: "Yay! This'll be fun!"

Foein: ^^; "Don't get your hopes up--the church has been kind of deserted..."

ruby: maaan it's been too long since we were here last. i wonder if sister maple's still here or if she's in a brigade now?

Yotsuba: OwO; "I'm not quite sure I've met her--but I'm sure she's super-duper lovely~!" ^w^

Foein: "We'll see soon enough. I hope Sister Evergreen is hanging in there--baptizing all these weapons is exhausting."

pearl: *looks around*

*the church...has seen better days...the fountain is not running...*

ruby: jeez, looks like a ghost town!

pearl: ruby!

ruby: just sayin'

Yotsuba: "..." *whispers* "Hello?"

*Echo*: "Helloooooooo?"

Foein: -_-; "I'll...go let Father Cypress know we're here."

-elsewhere-

Jinn: -_-; "The point is to work together--"

Monica: "FUCKING RETARD! AIM FOR THE HEAD!"

Yafeu: "STOP TALKING LIKE THAT, YOU AWFUL, MEAN-SPIRITED PERSON!"

Zarya (Bully 4): *inaudible loud grunt*

Jinn: "... ... ...Meisters, get your weapons under control."

preston: my my, they're spirited, arent they? =u=

Yafeu:"THEY'RE MEAN, CRABBY, AND VERY NOT NICE! I SAY SHOOT THEM!"

Monica: "SHOOT ME?! WITH WHAT?! YOUR TINY POOR EXCUSE FOR A DICK WEAPON?!!"

zubaidah:....*siiiigh*

Zarya: *LOUD GRUNTS, nails off her weapon form poking out*

Jinn: "... ... ...Permission to knock them out?"

zubaidah: *snaps fingers*

Jinn: *out of the lamp comes an aromatic mist...that passes by the weapons*

Yafeu: "AND ANOTHER THING--A MACHETE--REALLY?! THIS AIN'T THE JUNGLE! THIS IS...the... *yawn* desert..."

Monica: "FUCK YOU UP YOUR RECTUM WITH HIS DICK, YOU SANCTIMONIOUS...Who...what is that smell--" *ZZZZ*

Zarya: "..." *LOUD YAWN, before turning back into human--and collapsing onto Stephanie*

stephanie: URK- >3<

Jinn: *sighs* "Meisters...you have your work cut out for you with these 3."

Zarya: *snore*

-elsewhere-

lord death: *knocks on the door*

Crona: *shivers* "E-Enter?"

lord death: *enters the room* hello chrona. how're you holding up?

Crona: ._. "...Well--"

Ragnarok: *locked in a giant glass tube sticking out of Crona's back, shaking with rage*

lord death: would you like some tea?

Crona: "S-Sure?"

lord death: *pours some* it's decaf.

Crona: ^^; "Good...I haven't slept..."

lord death:....i was wanting to make an offer for you to help with your...current situation.

Crona: "Wh-What kind of offer?" *hugging a pillow*

lord death: well, some arrangements have been made, and we were considering giving you a transfusion, and putting ragnarok into a separate body.

Crona: "A new body? ...But if Ragnarok is my blood, what will happen to me?"

lord death: you'll recieve new blood. how it will affect you, im not certain, but hopefully it will be an improvement to you, in a manner of speaking.

Crona: "...What if the body rejects Ragnarok? What will happen to him?"

lord death: it's an uninhabited body, so im sure he'll adapt just fine.

Crona: "..." *shakes* "S-So, it's a surgery?"

lord death: ultimately, it's up to you if you want to do this.

Crona: "...I want to think about this...Can I answer tomorrow?"

lord death: of course. this is a big thing to consider, so take as much time as you need.

Crona: "Th-Thank you..."

lord death: *exits*

Crona: "..." *glances*

Ragnarok: *shaking with rage*

Crona: *hugs the pillow tighter*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *passed out...in the front yard?*

naho: *poke poke with a stick*

tsubaki: what on earth...?

Black Star: "Nggggh..." *he's still in his boxers and sleep shirt*

Shamrock: "I found him like this upon waking. Also, your window is smashed."

*there's broken glass on the front lawn*

tsubaki: black*star?....*moves him away from the glass, then turns the hose on*

Black Star: *eyes snap open* *high-pitched scream--as he rolls along the grass* "WHAT THE HELL?!"

tsubaki: are you alright? what happened to you?

Black Star: "I-I don't know! Why the hell am I wet on the front lawn?!"

Paperboy: *rides by on a bike--tosses the paper at Black Star's head*

Black Star: "... ... ..."

otogiri: i wasnt aware such deliveries were still available...

Belkia: "This is an old-fashion kind of town..."

Black Star: -_-# "I probably just sleepwalked..."

tsubaki: hmmm....

Shamrock: "I'll call a window repairperson..."

Belkia: *tosses a towel over Black Star's head*

-elsewhere-

Petra: *looking out the Matchbox window*

iris:....

shinra: we there yet?

Vulcan: "Not sure--I haven't driven here before. Usually Sister Iris grabs a muscle-load of weapons and hauls ass over to the church."

Petra: *glare*

Vulcan: "...'Hauls butt'?"

iris: it's not far now.

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *collapses in the airplane seat* -~-

miyuri: *face pressed to the window* woooooow!!

Flight Attendant: *spots the family* "First time on a plane, kiddos?"

sonia: yes ma'am.

miyuri: what's that thing?

Flight Attendant: "???" *looks*

-she's pointing to the engine-

Flight Attendant: "Oh! That's the engine. It's what gives the plane the push up and forward to fly."

miyuri: oooooh! and what's that?

Flight Attendant: *looks*

-she's pointing to the wing this time-

Flight Attendant: ._. "...The wing of the plane? It...lets the plane stay parallel to the Earth and fly over?"

miyuri: wooooow!

-elsewhere-

Damon: *puts a blanket over a napping Soul*

soul: ......

becky: *puts a cool compress on his head*

Damon: "What happened to him?"

becky: i dont know....im gonna call aunt blair.

Damon: "Good idea."

{???: "Well, look at you--all grown up, huh?"}

{soul:...what the hell do _you_ want?}

{*music slightly off-tempo plays on a record...Soul is in a pinstripe suit*}

{Little Demon: *turns in a chair* "I think it was about time to explore our partnership once again." *toothy grin* "Or has playing daddy taken up too much of your busy schedule?"}

{soul: you leave them out of this.}

{Little Demon: *holds up his hands* "I'm not involving them. Just think of this as my come-back, given the new...atmosphere around here."}

{soul:......}

{Little Demon: "Haven't you and your old friends felt it? Or do you not speak to them? I haven't notice much interaction between you and your old teammates. You should check on them, after their last encounters with Madness."}

{soul:........if it gets you to shut your trap, fine.}

{*an old-fashion phone slides on a table to Soul*}

{soul:...i think i'll do it in the real world, thank you very much.}

{Little Demon: "Then wake your ass up and stop being a frail sickly boy."}

soul: *opens his eyes*

becky: morning dad.

soul: hey kiddos....you have breakfast yet?

Damon: "We left out some cereal for you..."

soul: thanks....dad's gonna make a few calls.

-elsewhere-

Sid: "So, how did your training go?" *covered in bandages*

*his students from training earlier are under the tent*

Kau'i: *has a black eye* -_-#

zubaidah: honestly, could have gone better.

Jinn: "They are so difficult--like children."

Giriko: "Ugh, some are smarter than they let on...I'm still pulling needles out of my ass."

Monica: *still asleep*

Yafeu: *LOUD SNORING*

Gruk: *playing with Stephanie*

stephanie: pattycake pattycake~ ^w^

Axel: "So, where you all from?" *looks at Fuyuka*

fuyuka: j-japan...

nisha: im from india.

Axel: "Oh, neat! You been back recently?"

izumi:....

Asher: *passes a drink pouch to her* "Here."

izumi: thanks...

Kanin: ^^; "Quite the work-out, huh? You two held up really well."

Asher: >_>;

amelia: *staring out into the distance*

Kanin: "??? Amelia? You okay?"

amelia: alright....but a bit uneasy...

Kanin: "..." *looks around* "It is pretty hot. Mr. Barett and Nurse Naigus said to stay under the tent until late afternoon..."

amelia: i dont think it's that, exactly......

Kanin: "...But you feel something else?"

amelia: *nods* something beyond the horizon....

Kanin: "???" *looks at the horizon*

-a breeze blows past-

Duncan: *shivers* "Stupid desert wind." *huddles under his cloak*

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: "Now landing can be a bit bumpy..."

sonia: *asleep*

Chuuya: "..." *looks at Miyuri*

miyuri: *she has gotten her nausea bag to pop out* oh! hehe! ^w^

Chuuya: ^^; "Just make sure you'll buckled in...We're descending."

miyuri: ok!

*the wheels fall out on the plane...the wings alter shape...*

miyuri: oh! *presses face to the window* woooow!

*the plane descends--hitting the runway with a jerk and rolling down, decreasing speed*

sonia: hnn...? *yawn*

Chuuya: "We've landed."

-elsewhere-

soul: *holds up his soda* cheers.

Kid: "Cheers!"

Black Star: "Um, yeah..." *sips*

soul: you ok black*star? you're a bit quiet.

Black Star: =_= "I couldn't freaking sleep well..."

soul: ah. trouble sleeping?

Black Star: "I jumped out the window."

soul: ??

Kid: "That's unusual--why would you do that?"

Black Star: "I don't know! I just remember a lot of running, some inky black stuff--then, bam, I wake up wet in my boxers on the front lawn."

Kid: "..."

Black Star: "...Tsubaki turned the hose on me."

soul: wait, what was that part in the middle?

Black Star: "Inky black stuff?"

soul: yeah, that. i had a nightmare about it too....i also met the little demon again...

Kid: "...A little too coincidental...I had felt anxious, not dissimilar to..." *gestures to his chin* "...before."

soul:....do you think it has to do with what happened with the moon?

Kid: *sighs* "That is what we are looking into. The madness you have felt before, Soul, and that I have experienced makes sense. Not sure why Black Star would be affected so strongly."

Black Star: " 'CAUSE I'M SUPER POWERFUL!"

Kid: *forehead flick* "Not very attuned to perception, though."

Black Star: -n-#

soul: hmmm....is eibon still at your house, kid?

Kid: *nods*

soul: maybe he might know something?

Kid: "I could ask...He is still recovering."

-elsewhere-

eibon: what a curious contraption. *flushing the toilet* fascinating...

Gopher: ._. "Sir, please shut the door before...whatever you were just doing."

liz: ugh, you do know what those are used for, right?

eibon: do tell.

liz: *whispers*

eibon:........................................................far more advanced than a chamber pot.

liz: TMI!!

-elsewhere-

Cyprus: *walking through the garden*

evergreen: *watering plants*

Cyprus: "Coming along nicely, Sister?"

evergreen: *nods*

Cyprus: *looks around...aside from some bees on the flowers, it's rather deserted* *sighs*

evergreen: is everything alright?

Cyprus: "Hmm? Oh, it's nothing. I just suppose I'm not used to a freer schedule." ^^;

-elsewhere-

Asher: *napping in the tent*

Saria: "Good work out there--" *hands water bottle* ""Cheers!"

izumi: thanks.

Saria: "What do you think we'll do next? I don't know how to top trying to sense Mr. Barett's soul or fighting Golems..."

izumi: not sure...

Derek: "After the intense workout, it'll be breathing exercises, then a lecture."

lukas: ah.

Dagon: "At this rate, I'll fall asleep...like certain people."

-elsewhere-

Crona: "So that's what he offered..."

mami:....so what are you going to do?

Crona: "I don't know! I can't keep going on like this!" *shaking*

mami: *hugs*

Crona: *holds onto her* *crying*

mami: *trying to hold back tears*

Crona: *hic* "I-I can't take this..."

Ragnarok: *shaking in the container, growling*

mami: if i could take you out of this situation, i would without a second thought.

Crona: "R-Really?"

mami: *nods* even if that meant bearing the burden myself.

Crona: "...Sh-Should I?"

mami:....i hate to say it, but it seems the best option right now...but it's ultimately up to you.

Crona: "..." *nods*

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *walking home--and a baseball rolls by his feet* "???"

child: hey, can ya throw that back?

Black Star: "Sure thing!" *picks it up, tosses it underhanded--and it goes flying up into the sky* ._______.;

child:......

child 2: woah....

Black Star: "...What the flying crap is going on with me?!!"

*something bright shines in the sky...*

child 3: !!!

*the baseball crashes back down--blowing up someone’s car*

*in a cafe, someone inside can be seen looking out--*

Endeavor: "MY CAR! AGAIN?!"

child: bail, BAIL!

Black Star: *running with the kids* "GAAAAAAH, that was so awesome but so not what I was trying to do!!!"

Endeavor: *running outside, trying to contain the fire* "Damn it!"

-elsewhere-

Kid: *checking himself in the mirror*

eibon: feeling alright?

Kid: "!!! Oh-Oh, yes. Sorry. Just...worried about a repeat."

eibon: would you like something to eat to calm your nerves? i have some old recipies from my mother that i've memorized.

Kid: "..." *smiles* "I would like that. Thank you."

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: *opens the back of the Matchbox* "Okay, let's see..." *pulls out a bag of hand grenade* "Sister Iris."

iris: thank you.

Vulcan: "Okay, who wants the giant spears?"

shinra: *looks around* .....(man, this place has seen better days...)

*dust and sand blow along the stone steps*

Petra: *picking up items* "Come now--don't dawdle. Tamaki, the handcuffs."

tamaki: yes ma'am!

*the courtyard looks empty...*

Vulcan: "..." *carrying another box* "Not used to the Church after my family built Amaterasu..."

shinra: *looking around*

*the doors are open...a few nuns can be seen inside, milling about and kneeling in prayer...*

-one sister looks up-

???: oh, you're the 8th, yes?

Petra: "Yes. Hello, Sister. We have items to have baptized."

nun: yes, right this way.

Petra: "We will bring these in. Outsiders will have to stay outside." *looks at Iris* "...Iris? Come along."

iris: oh. yes.

Vulcan: "..." *sits on a bench*

shinra:.....soooo....

Vulcan: "...Yeah..." *brushes dust off the bench*

shinra:....*tapping his foot*

???: *humming* "Oh! Look what the 8th brought in!"

shinra: *looks*

Foien: *waves*

shinra: ah, father Li. how are you?

Foien: *rubbing his artificial arm* "Hanging in there. I haven't seen you lately."

shinra: yeah. are the other members of the 1st around?

Foien: "A few of us, yes...Just not Karim."

-meanwhile-

iris:......(the preacher....they're the ones who created this church.....so...why am i still praying?)

Petra: *in prayer*

iris:......

rita:......(sister iris looks so sad.....) *signing* <are you alright?>

iris: hmm? *signing* oh, yes, im ok.

???: "Oh, so many here!"

iris: *glances*

*A nun looks at them...not smiling* *looks at their number badges*

iris: um, hello.

Nun: "The Eighth really has so many?" *stares at Tamaki's outfit*

tamaki: what?

Nun: "What kind of a nun's habit is that?"

tamaki: it's a combat uniform. =n= it's got shorts.

Nun: "I see...I haven't seen many combat nuns--I'm mostly around here..."

tamaki: you'd be surprised. *does some kung-fu moves....and ends up stumbling into a pew* OW! *BLEEEEEEEP*

iris: !!!! O_____O

Petra: *facepalm*

Nun: D8 "The pew!"

rita: ._.;;

tamaki: ...hehe...IM IN PAIN BUT AT LEAST I WASNT EMBARRASSED!! >8D

iris: *sweatdrop* (_that's_ your concern...?) .....

Nun: "...I think it's best if you step outside."

tamaki:...that's fair. *exits*

-outside-

shinra:.....do you think iris is ok?

Foien: "Is it about those rumors about the Preacher?"

shinra: i dont know, she wasnt really herself this morning, and im worried.

Foien: "That's...been going around. Ever since the conspiracy theory that the Hoods are the real founders of the Holy Sun Temple..."

shinra: ......

Foien: "I am less afraid of such a story, as it doesn't shake my faith...But it does those of others...and there is something worse to think about."

shinra: ??

Foien: "Even though I know this Preacher is a fraud, the followers they have amassed...That's a devotion to what they consider to be a god."

shinra:.....*shakes slightly, but tries to keep cool*

Vulcan: "..."

Foien: "As long as the Preacher hides in the shadows, whether in the Nether or elsewhere, it is obvious they want to destroy this world. And our faith."

shinra:....so what do we do?

Foien: "...Keep up our faith--in God and in each other."

shinra:...

Foien: *smiles* "Well, I better check on the others..."

-elsewhere-

Blair: *floats a doll by Becky*

becky: *observing*

Damon: "That's so cool..."

Blair: ^^ "Just a little trick I learned~"

becky: is learning magic hard?

Blair: "At first it was. I had to work to make sure I could contain it all."

becky: ...

Damon: "And if you couldn't?"

Blair: OwO;;; "...Well...I learned I'm mostly fire-proof."

becky: .____.;;;

Blair: "And that's been useful for me! Like the time the weirdo shoved me into a stove. Or the time I cooked for your father and his meister--and burnt the fish."

becky:............................................................

Damon: "Is that why Dad doesn't like you cooking?!"

Blair: ^^; "How about I just order take-out?"

-elsewhere-

Hajiki: *fist-bumps Takeru's chest*

takeru: ??

Hajiki: "Huh--sturdy! Your balance has gotten better."

takeru: um t-thanks?

hito: you're surprisingly timid, noto.

takeru: WAH! h-hito! you startled me!

Hajiki: -_-; "Need more courage there, Juggernaut."

hito: out of curiosity, why did you join the 2nd?

takeru: well, i was kind of encouraged to do it, to try to be a bit braver, i guess.

Hajiki: "Encouraged? You were recruited?"

takeru: y-yeah.

Hajiki: "I guess the 2nd saw your size and thought 'Scoop him up before someone else gets him!' But coming in from China is a long trip."

takeru: ^^;

hito: and how about you, hajiki?

Hajiki: "Death City seemed like my kind of place--somewhere to show my mettle! Way better than...than...Wait, where did I come from?"

hito: *sweatdrop*

Hajiki: "...Anyway, the Commander recruited me after seeing me in a training exercise. How about you?"

hito: well, my dad was in the 2nd brigade, and i wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Hajiki: "D'aw! I'm sure you can! But we'll need to bulk you up."

hito: -_-;

-elsewhere-

Kanin: *scratching behind his ear...with his back leg* "..."

amelia: kanin?

Kanin: "Y-Yeah?"

amelia: are you alright?

Kanin: "Just the desert sand--itches like the dickens." ^^;

amelia:......

Kanin: *pants slightly* "..." *covers his mouth* "I-I think I better drink something..."

-at camp-

Axel: *slurping out of a juice pack*

hibiki: *listening to music*

Sid: *securing the tents against the wind*

zubaidah: *keeping watch*

Jinn: *showing off different transformations to students*

stephanie: oooh!

Asher: "Huh. Being a Death Scythe lets you take on multiple forms?"

Jinn: *changing forms again* "Or depending on the weapon type--you may have one with multiple properties."

hibiki: yeah, take harudori for instance. she's officially classified as a halberd, but she's a tri-blader.

Saria: "Neat! I'm not sure we have many multi-formers here, though. I can only go into whip form, not, like whip and...something not whip. Um...Nunchucks?"

lukas: sure, let's go with that. ^^

Saria: ^^; *nervous laugh*

Jinn: "The goal, however, is to be powerful even in the simplest form..." *turns back into a lamp, just sits there*

Duncan: "... ... ..."

Asher: "...What exactly can a lamp do--"

*the lamp leaps, just missing Asher's head*

Asher: *hood blown back off their head* .______.

preston: owo;

Yafeu: "AMAZING! CAN YOU DO IMPRESSIONS, TOO--"

Jinn: *reverts to human form, his eye through his clothing glaring at Yafeu*

Yafeu: "...SO, NO?"

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: *examining water fountain* "You know, I could probably soup this thing up. Water seems to be blocked by sediment..."

shinra: hmm....

Evergreen: *studying the two* "I would advise against that." *sees the 8 on Shinra's uniform*

shinra: hello ma'am.

Evergreen: "Hmm. I wasn't expecting firefighters here...This is a holy site."

shinra: well, we're waiting on our friends inside. blessing the items and all that.

Evergreen: "I see...Sorry. It's been some time since we've had visitors blessing items. I haven't seen you around before. I am Sister Evergreen."

shinra: *nods* Shinra Kusakabe, 8th brigade.

Vulcan: "Vulcan Joseph, engineer at the 8th."

Evergreen: "Hello. ...How is your day going?"

iris: *exits*

Petra: *carrying a satchel of daggers*

Vulcan: "Doing alright. Looks like the sisters handled the first blessing of weapons."

*a bee flies by, landing on one of the flowers*

iris: *nods* shinra, could you...follow me for a moment?

shinra: um. sure.

Vulcan: *takes the satchel* "Go ahead--we'll load up." *looks at Tamaki* "...The hell happened to your face?"

Evergreen: "?!"

tamaki: YuY

-at a cemetery...-

iris:.......

Shinra: *holding a broom* *looks over at the sunflowers* "...It's nice of them to plant those."

iris: *nods*....they're planted to guide the lost souls of the sol church to the sun....

Shinra: "I didn't know their significance..." *looks at one tomb*

-revolution, rest in peace, new future-

Shinra: O_O; "Th-That's one super-bright tomb..."

iris: oh dear...

Shinra: "All these flowers and--is that a disco ball?!"

iris: ^^; i get the feeling sister hibana might have been behind this.

-elsewhere-

Hibana: *sleep sneeze* "...Zzzz..."

-back at the cemetery-

Shinra: "Do we leave it up?"

iris: ^^;;; *praying* hello everyone, sorry i havent been here a while. clematis, please dont overeat, sakura, dont oversleep, rose, keep a watchful eye on everyone, ok?

Shinra: "..." *looks at the flowers outside...spots a watering can*

-and so-

iris: thank you, for watering the flowers...

Shinra: "Happy to help! ...Can I ask you something?"

iris: what is it?

Shinra: "You've seemed worried...Is it about the Preacher?"

iris:....i guess im not very good at hiding things, am i?

Shinra: ^^; "I wouldn't expect a nun to lie."

iris: .....

Shinra: "S-Sorry! It was just a little...humor. S-Sorry...I like that about you...You're open and honest."

iris: t-thanks... *wipes her eyes*

Shinra: "Iris...We don't know everything about the Preacher or this story."

iris: i-i know....i just....i had a hard time focusing on the baptism today.......shinra, what do you think of the sol church? be honest, please....

Shinra: "..." *looks down* "What do I think? I--"

???: *SCREAM*

iris: ?!?!?

Evergreen: *clutching her head--as her body explodes in flames*

iris: !!!!!!!!!!!

*the other nuns back up*

Petra: *running back--bumping into Iris* "It happened instantly!"

iris: *shaking*

tamaki: *battle stance*

Vulcan: "Shit!" *looking through the satchel* "I know I left an extinguisher bomb here--where is it?!"

rita: >~<;;;

Juniper: *bumps into Iris* "Why is this happening?! Sister Evergreen was so devout! Why would God do this to her?!"

iris: *speechless*

Evergreen: *roars at Iris, Juniper, and Petra*

shinra: *battle stance* alright, let's finish this, tamaki!

tamaki: right!

Evergreen: GRAUAAAAAA!"

Petra: *holds her hands* "Begin the prayer..."

tamaki: *charges* the flame is the soul's breath...

rita: *silently praying*

Petra: "The black is the soul's release..."

iris: ashes to ashes.....

Evergreen: *collapses to her knees*

shinra: return to the great flame!

tamaki: *dropkick* RATOMU!

Evergreen: *lets out an inhuman cry of pain...before her body collapses into ashes*

Juniper: *staring...falls to her knees in front of the ashes, sobbing*

iris:.....*rubs her back*

tamaki:........

rita: *sniffle*

*footsteps are heard coming*

Cypress: "What's going on?!"

Foien: *spots the remains* "...Oh no. Sister Evergreen..."

nun: i cant! i cant do this anymore!

maple: who's going to take her place?

Cypress: "...We have priorities first. Let's lay our sister to rest."

-elsewhere-

Assault: *bandaged, arm in a sling from having been stepped on by the Giant Infernal* "Giovanni will be displeased you are playing with his experiments."

guruna: >XP who caaaaares~@

Jonah: "Besides, Giovanni is going through...changes."

Inka: "??? Puberty?"

guruna: EEEEEW he's like, way too old for that!~@

Haumea: "Besides, you're thinking of Sho-chan."

arrow: im sure it's antics like this that are partially the reason he's confined himself to his room...

ritsu: perhaps i could....persuade him to come out~?

orochi: please dont.

Inka: "God no."

Jonah: "Even that disturbs me."

Haumea: "...Yeah, let's not."

ritsu: perhaps you're right. poor boy might be traumatized if i showed him what lies underneath, fufu~

Jonah: "...Ha! Because 'Nether'!"

Assault: -__________-

orochi: she means it, once she flashed these two perverts, and they took of running in horror. take my word for it, you _dont_ want to know.

ritsu: OROCHI! that's private info!

Inka: "... ... ..." *slight nosebleed*

Jonah: "I once turned into an Eldritch abomination. I've seen it all. Including Giovanni changing."

arrow:......im surrounded by freaks. -_-;

Haumea: *puts an arm around Arrow* "What was that, fresh meat?"

arrow: not today, please, im exhausted enough as it is.

ritsu: best leave her be for now, wouldnt want to wear her out.

Haumea: -n- *holds a finger to her head* "Need help falling asleep?"

-elsewhere-

Gruk: *motionless*

Sid: *seated with students around the campfire* "We still need to improve the chain resonance for some of you."

izumi: *yaaaaawn*

Sid: "...Perhaps this may be a better conversation in the morning--you'll be up early before the sun rises."

hibiki: what time even is it?

Duncan: *pulls out his calculator watch* "9:14 and 32 seconds."

lei-lei: wow!

genny: so tired.....

Kanin: *looking up at the Moon* "..."

Sid: "Okay, you're dismissed. See you at 5 AM."

amelia:.....

Monica: "Thank God--what a waste of a day..." *rubs her shoulder*

-elsewhere-

Black Star:*sitting up in bed, looking at his hand* "..." *makes a fist--and sees something around it* "?!"

tsubaki: *asleep*

Black Star: *blinks* ("...Must be my imagination. Not like I see souls or anything...") *lies down, still looking up at the ceiling* "..." *tosses*

tsubaki: nnh...black*star?

Black Star: "...Hey. Sorry. Can't sleep."

tsubaki: .....want some tea?

Black Star: *nods*

tsubaki: *gets up* ok.

-elsewhere-

Vulcan: *driving them back* "..."

{Cypress: "...ashes to ashes...Latom."}

{iris:........}

{Cypress: "..." *looks at to the 8th* "I'm sorry...We were lucky that you were here, and we weren't exactly the most welcoming. After so much..."}

{tamaki: it's alright....all in a day's work, right?....s-sorry, that was a bit insensitive, huh?}

{Cypress: "Life does not always go the way we expect. We leave it in God's hands to guide us to what best we can do to make this world better, yes?"}

{tamaki: i guess......}

{Petra: *nods* "Thank you, Father."}

iris:......*leans against shinra's shoulder*.....

Shinra: "..." *puts an arm around her*

iris:...*hugs*

Shinra: *pat pat*

-elsewhere-

Crona: "..."

nurse valentine: just checking in.

Crona: "Hello...I'm not yet asleep. I don't think the medicine is helping."

nurse valentine: hmm.

Crona: "...Nurse? I'm not sure what to do."

nurse valentine: want to talk about it?

Crona: "..." *nods* "I've been like this for so long...I can't imagine being something else now...I don't know if I deserve to."

nurse valentine: ....everyone deserves a shot at a second chance. i found mine....

Crona: "Is-Is that so?"

nurse valentine: *nods, with a small smile*

Crona: "...I think I'll have my decision in the morning, then."

nurse valentine: take as much time as you need.

Crona: *lies back down* "Th-Thank you, Nurse..." *wipes their eyes*

-elsewhere-

Asher: "Zzz..."

amelia: ........

zeke: *snores*

Kanin: *tossing*

izumi: *sleeping*

???: "YIP YIP YIP!"

izumi: hm?? *rubs her eyes*

Kanin: *sleep growl*

*it sounds like something running in the sand outside*

izumi: *looks outside*

*running along the outskirt of the camp is a coyote...it has odd markings along its side*

izumi: *squints*

Coyote: *stops...stares at Izumi...walks forward towards her*

nygus: *looks outside* !!!!! sid, sid wake up, now.

Sid: *gets up* "What is it?"

nygus: look.

Giriko: *snore grunt* "H-Huh?"

Sid: *looks outside* *studies the markings* "..." *holds out his hand* "Nygus, transform."

nygus: *knife form*

izumi: mr barrett?

Sid: *steps outside, holding the knife* "Stay back. Wake up the others..."

izumi: w-what's going on?

Sid: "Just do it!"

zeke: *rubs eyes, looking outside* is it a fire?

Axel: *sleep whine* "Five more minutes..."

izumi: asher, asher get up!

amelia: !!!!!

Monica: =___=# "Shut the...*yawn*...up." *looks--and sees Stephanie's feet again* "GAH!" *shoves*

Asher: "Ugh. I'm up, I'm up. What the hell..."

amelia: everyone, wake up. NOW!

stephanie: zzzzz...

Kanin: *gets up* "Amelia? What's wrong?" *scratches his arm*

Kau'i: =_= *looks outside* "?!!! Shit!" *grabs Dagon's arm*

Derek: *studying what's outside* "..."

Sid: *circling with the coyote*

lumina: *transforms*

Coyote: *its eyes shine a red color under the Moonlight...those fur markings look like tear-drops or...*

zeke: are those......oh....oh shit. bro, BRO GET UP!

hibiki: zeke, what the hell?

zeke: WE GOT A FUCKIN KISHIN EGG OUT HERE!

Axel: "HUH?!" *gets up*

hibiki:?!?!?

Kanin: *staring outside* "..."

genny: *hyperventilating* oh god, oh god i dont wanna die, i dont wanna die....!

Monica: *hears 'Kishin egg'* "..." *shoves Stephanie away, grabs Yolanda's arm*

yolanda: oi what the hell?

Monica: "Get up." *transforms*

yolanda: what the fuck monica? *spots it* oh...oh fuck me running.

Coyote: *growls at Sid*

Monica: "Don't you dare run! Stay there!" *shoves herself into Yolanda's hands*

yolanda: oh HELL NO am i fighting _that_!

amelia: mr barrett, what's the plan?

Monica: *sends a soul shockwave into Yolanda* "This is our chance--don't fuck this up for me!"

Sid: *calls back* "Stay back! Get Zubaidah and Jinn to evacuate you! I'm--"

yolanda: YEOW! fuck! ok! you dont have to be a dick about it, crimeny!

Coyote: *leaps--and bites into Sid's neck*

Sid: *screams*

amelia: !!! kazue!

*Kazue isn't there...*

amelia: !!! *grabs nygus from sid's hand and stabs the coyote*

Coyote: *yips--lets go of Sid...something black is foaming out of its mouth*

Axel: "SHIT! It's got rabies!"

amelia: ....just as i suspected....

zeke: black blood.....

Sid: *holds his neck...nothing leaking out of him, but the black foam is still there* "..." *rubs it off of himself onto the sand*

Coyote: *wide-eyed, looking at all of them...*

*the sand shifts underneath the Coyote...*

nygus: sid, are you alright?

Coyote: "???"

Sid: "I think so. We need to contain the Kishin and the blood--"

???: *underground* "Leave that to me!"

Coyote: "?!"

*BURST*

*the sand explodes up, as Gruk appears, grabbing the coyote in both hands*

amelia: *knocked back*

izumi: mr giriko!

Kanin: "?!" *catches Amelia*

amelia: t-thank you.

Giriko: *behind Izumi* "Right behind you." *gestures with his gloves* "That's it, Gurk! Hold 'em!"

stephanie: hooray! hooray! go for it! go fight win!

Coyote: *wiggling under both hands, shaking like a snake*

Gruk: *struggling to hold on--*

Coyote: *slips out of the grip--and slides down Gruk's "mouth"*

Giriko: "?!!!"

hibiki: that's not good.

stephanie: OwO;;;

Gruk: *moving its arms, trying to punch into its own torso--as it starts to glow black...and ooze comes out of its "eyes" until--*

*BOOM*

stephanie: EEP!!

*Gruk explodes, black blood leaking out of its remains...leaving the Coyote in a new, blacker form, gears from the golem fused into it*

Giriko: "GRUK! You fucking bastard!"

hibiki: got any other ideas?

*something slides up Hibiki's leg...*

hibiki: ??!?!??!?

*it's the black blood*

hibiki: !!!!!! get OFF!

Black Blood: *its 'mouth' opens--*

zeke: NO! *SLICE*

*an arm reaches out of the sand, grabbing Hibiki's leg*

hibiki: eh?

*a soul shock goes through Hibiki's leg--shocking the blood and sending it at Zeke's face*

zeke: GAH- *SPIT* gegh! gross!

*the hand is still on Hibiki's leg*

hibiki: *looks*

Kazue: *popping up out of the sand, holding onto Hibiki's leg* "..."

hibiki: dont just stand there, DO SOMETHING!

Kazue: *nods* *holds out a switchblade, aims at Zeke's cheek--*

Monica: "You cowardly cunt--get the fuck in there and slice that motherfucker!" *dragging her weapon form out into the field*

yolanda: >~<

Sid: "I said retreat! All of you!"

hibiki: we're DWMA students, arent we?

Kazue: *brings the knife to Zeke's face--*

zeke: O_O;; *gulp*

Asher: *slaps Kazue upside the head* "Asshole. You're scaring him. Just zap it off."

zeke: thanks fam.

Kazue: -_-; *uses a soul zap on it--as the black blood releases, crawling into the sand...*

lei-lei: HYAH! *kicking at the blood* genny! are you ok?

Sid: "You may be students--but this is beyond you--"

genny: *in fetal position, trembling*

Coyote: *spots Lei-Lei and Genny* "..." *grins--and leaps at them*

lei-lei: !!!!! *blade arm*

genny: NOO!!!

Coyote: *its mouth opens...into four parts, baring fangs and a slithering tongue--*

amelia: !!!! STOP! *her wavelength seems to be increasing?*

Coyote: *has pounced on Lei-Lei--but has turned back to look at Amelia*

nygus: ?! (her wavelength...it's almost like.....no, she couldnt be, could she?)

Sid: "Nygus..."

amelia: *glaring at it.* stand. down.

Coyote: "..." *gets off of Lei-Lei, but circles around Amelia, alternating between yips and growls*

amelia: *watching, shaking a bit, but standing her ground*

Monica: "Now's our chance--do it!"

Coyote: *barks at Amelia, moving forward and backward at Amelia*

yolanda: *gulps and starts running for it*

Monica: *grins in her weapon form--*

Sid: "?!!! NO! Don't--"

Coyote: *it's tail unrolls like a gear--as it wraps around Yolanda's leg*

yolanda: !!!!

Coyote: *the tail swings Yolanda away, as she loses her grip on Monica, who lands in the sand*

Monica: "...Da fuck?!"

yolanda: nngh...

Monica: "..."

{Monica: "I want to be like you, big bro!"}

Monica: "..." *reverts to human form, with her machete arm* *stalks up to the Coyote...*

Coyote: *focused on Amelia*

amelia: .........

Coyote: *barks at Amelia, careful how close it marches up to her*

hibiki: what's she doing? she's just standing there...

Coyote: *gets up within leaping-range of Amelia...crouches down, readying itself to pounce at her*

Monica: "Almost there..."

Coyote: *leaps*

amelia: !!!

Monica: *leaps at the Coyote*

*then something big and furry tackles the Coyote*

Monica: "?!" *crashes face-first into the sand*

Kanin: *in werewolf form has tackled the Coyote, using a choke-hold on it*

Coyote: *desperately trying to move, its tongue sliding out like a snake's*

amelia: !!!! kanin!

Giriko: *pushing the kids away* "Move it!"

*a sand tornado forms in front of the kids*

izumi: EEEP!

lukas: *running*

Jinn: *calling from the tornado* "Step in."

stephanie: i forgot one of my slippers!

Zarya: *grunts, and picks Stephanie up*

stephanie: OwO

Zarya: *tosses Stephanie right into the tornado*

stephanie: EEP!

Jinn: *from inside the tornado* "I got you. Toss the rest in."

Asher: *helping Zeke walk to the tornado* *gulp*

zeke: i feel sick, bro.

Axel: "It-It's going to be okay, bro..." Q_Q

hibiki: come on, let's go!

Kanin: *trying to choke the Coyote*

Coyote: *slithering--until it gets out of its grip, stretching its neck until it's sniping at Kanin's face*

amelia: no stop!

Kanin: *barks back at it--before it grabs the Coyote's snout in one hand and its hind legs in the other hand*

Coyote: *wiggling*

Kanin: *barks back at it--before it grabs the Coyote's snout in one hand and its hind legs in the other hand*

Coyote: *wiggling*

Kanin: *growling, as it tugs harder at the Coyote--*

Monica: ("I'm not letting you get all the credit...") *runs at them--and brings her blade down at the Coyote, slicing it in half*

lei-lei: *carrying genny to the tornado*

Kanin: "?!!!" *falls back...on all fours, glaring at Monica, his glance shifting everywhere at Sid, Nygus, and Amelia...*

Derek: *waving Lei-Lei and Genny forward* *looking around* "I've counted everywhere...We're missing one."

amelia: are you alright?

nygus: where's armstrong?

*The coyote's remains lie motionless*

Kanin: *growling...he's staring at Amelia, huffing and puffing...*

*in a tent, someone is shivering in fear*

amelia:....*hugs* it's ok, im fine, really.....

Duncan: *shaking* "N-No...Just stay here. Just stay here..."

Kanin: *growls at Amelia, barking*

*there's black blood on Kanin's face...The Moon is giggling above*

Monica: *gets up, looking at Kanin and Amelia* "...Hmph. Is that all it took to take down a Kishin? That's pretty simple..."

amelia:......*wipes the blood away*

Kanin: *still barking at Amelia, sniping at her*

Monica: "??? The hell is with him?"

amelia:.....you really arent leaving me any choice, are you?.......very well.....*CHOP* bad kanin. bad.

*the coyote's back half is motionless...but no one can see a hind leg kicking slightly...

Kanin: "?!" Q_Q *dog whimper*

Monica: "Ha! That's one way of dealing with a mutt..."

amelia: *glances behind monica* !!!! behind you!

Monica: "?!" *swings her arm blade--*

*It's too late: the Coyote's front half has tackled Monica...as black blood pours out of it*

Monica: "?!!!!"

{Monica: *in her school uniform, prim and proper, looking up at the DWMA stairs* "..." *inhale* "Okay, big bro. Let's do this."}

Monica: *screams--until she's silent, the black blood completely covering and consuming her...*

????: get OFF OF HER!!

Duncan: *still hiding in the tent, shaking*

-WHACK-

Sid: *has knocked the back of BlackBlood!Monica's head with a tombstone, shattering it* "Let go!"

BlackBlood!Monica: "..." *stands up, turns...her face is a coyote-like snout, snake-like eyes, gear-like appendages along the shoulders...it's like a being of just blood...the blood forms two arm blades* "..." *slices Sid*

Sid: "?! ..." *his top half falls off*

nygus: !!!!! shit!

Sid: *has fallen forward, now sliced at the hip*

izumi: mr barrett!!

BlackBlood!Monica: *lets out an inhuman chittering...looks at Kanin and Amelia* "..." *blades out, rushes at them, moving swiftly*

Asher: *still holding up Zeke* "Izumi! Get out of there!"

Kanin: "?!" *pushes Amelia away--and runs at Monica, barking*

izumi: .....*runs in* we cant leave them behind!

Monica: *slices at Kanin, slicing off their arm*

Kanin: *bites into Monica's shoulder, black blood coating his mouth--before he flings Monica into Duncan's tent*

Duncan: "EEEEEEEK!"

izumi: duncan! take my hand!

Duncan: *screaming incoherently--trying to avoid Monica's slices and Kanin's clawing and bites...his arms reach out of the tent*

izumi: *grabs and pulls him out* ok, now go! hurry!

Sid: *standing up on his arm* "...Nygus, could you pick me up. I'm going to need some help with this next part."

nygus: ok

Duncan: *holding onto Izumi's arms, running with her, sobbing*

Kanin: *pins Monica down*

izumi: i guess we're even now, huh?

Monica: *mouth opens, revealing the slithering tongue, striking at Kanin's face*

Duncan: Q_______Q "...Wh-What the hell is that thing?!"

izumi:....monica.....you go ahead. im going to try and save her.

Duncan: "Are you insane?!! Leave her! She's dead now!"

izumi: i can at least try to help her!

Duncan: "..."

{???: "At least try for once in your life, Duncan!"}

Duncan: "..." *lets go* "G-Good luck..." *runs off*

izumi: ok. (what am i doing? am i really crazy?).....*bites her lip* (if i dont help her, then who will? no. i have to do it. maka...she would have done the same....wouldnt she?) *runs in*

Kanin: *trying to pin Monica down--only for her to slip out of his reach--*

Monica: *stabs blades into Kanin's back*

amelia: kazue, transform!

Kanin: *howls in pain, desperately trying to bite at her arms*

Kazue: *does so*

amelia: *runs in*

Monica: *focused on Kanin, stabbing repeatedly into him, exposing his spinal cord*

Kanin: *pants, barking mindlessly, biting into her arm*

amelia: take this! *spinning at monica, slicing at her* ~DEATHMARCH WALTZ!~

*the slice rips black blood off of Monica's face, revealing her eye and mouth*

Monica: *looking terrified* "B-Bro..."

Kanin: *turns around, trying to bite at Monica's neck*

izumi: hey! monica! fight it!

Monica: *turns at Izumi...the blood falls back over her face, as she grows silent again and aims a blade at Izumi*

izumi: *throws a rock at her*

Kanin: *gets up, spinal cord still revealed, watching*

amelia: kanin, stop!

Monica: "?!" *slices the rock in half...runs at Izumi*

Kanin: *growling--and bites at Amelia*

izumi: *running* (come on, think!)

amelia: *jumps back, her dress ripped around the waist......revealing two black stripes*

Monica: "ALBAAAAAARN!" *slithers along the ground, alternating with a four-leg run at her*

Kanin: *chewing through the dress's skirt, eyeing Amelia...spits out the skirt, on all fours, stalking at her*

Kazue: "..."

amelia:.....kanin.....you arent....the only one hiding something.....

Kanin: *growls* *getting into position to pounce again, salivating*

amelia: you probably cant hear what im saying, but please, come back.

izumi: *running, but trips on a rock* AH!

Kanin: *he looks gone...leaps*

Monica: *leaps, blades out, aiming at Izumi's head--*

izumi: *rolls to the side*

amelia:....*takes a breath....and starts singing?*

Monica: *slams the blades to the side of Izumi, then turns her head to stare at Izumi, snakelike eyes narrowing before her mouth opens, the tongue slicing towards Izumi*

Kanin: *pins Amelia down, open his mouth to bite into her neck...then hears the song...*

{Kanin: *humming*}

{amelia: *asleep* nn....papa....}

{Kanin: "..." *tucks her in, continues to sing quietly*}

izumi: come on, snap out of it already!!

Monica: "WEAKLING!" *slice* "NEPOTISM!" *tongue strike* "YOU'RE ONLY HERE BECAUSE OF FAMILY!"

{Monica: *knocked down a flight of stairs* *looks up*}

{Bully: "You're only here because of your brother!"}

{???: what a poser.}

{Monica: *sniffle...then her stare gets colder, as she turns her arm into a machete* " 'Poser'? I'll show you..." *runs up, screaming*}

Monica: *runs at Izumi, swinging her blade*

izumi: *dodging, one of her ponytails getting sliced off*

Monica: *SCREAMS* *lifts up both blades, bringing them down at Izumi*

izumi: !!!! im only here because of family? then what are _you_ here for, huh?!

*the blades come down--just stopping right above Izumi's eyeballs*

izumi: *flinches*

Monica: "... ... ...Bro-Bro..." *the black blood bubbles*

izumi:.....your brother....he's a DWMA student too, right?

Monica: *the black blood melts away just at her eyes* "The best..."

izumi:...i'd call you a hypocrite, but that wont do either of us any good right now.....

Monica: "?!!!" *the blood covers her eyes again, but the mouth opens, revealing a mess of muscles and teeth* "YOU MAKING FUN OF ME?!" *her arms are blades again, but she's stepped back now*

izumi: actually...im a bit envious of you, all things considered. you got to meet your sibling. got to really know them.....i never got a chance to meet maka.

Monica: *slight pant, still stepping back* "Th-Then why do you do this? If you never met a dead person, what do you have to compare yourself to?" *still stepping back, but her blade swings are more erratic, as if not aiming at Izumi*

izumi: ....i guess, i want to feel close to her. maybe i just want my life to have some kind of meaning.....you know spirit's actually my step-dad, right?.....

Monica: "...I don't know shit about you, Albarn. I just know you piss me off..." *the blood has fallen off her face completely but still coats the rest of her*

izumi: .....my birth father is dr rodigy.

Monica: "And I should know who that is?" *more of the black blood pulls away*

izumi: most people would......he was....a really horrible man. i was used as a test subject for his experiments. mom and i came to death city to escape from him. i wanted to get him out of my life, more than anything. i wanted to live a happy life, but if i ignore my past, then i cant improve myself for my future, can i?

Monica: "..." *dissolves the blades* "You don't want to ignore your past, but you change your name? That's kind of a fucked up inconsistency...But I get that. Why take on the name of some abusive shitbag."

izumi: yeah, i guess so. you know, when you arent being mean to me, you're actually kinda cool.

Monica: "?!!! The hell is that coming from?!" >\\\\> "Don't fucking condescend to me, you weak brat..." *the black blood has almost all fallen off of her, along with the gears left from Gruk*

izumi: maybe we can start over and maybe be friends? *extends a hand*

Monica: "... ... ...I'm not going that far." *holds up a bloody fist*

izumi: *fist bump*

Monica: *fist bump*

*TWACK*

Monica: X_X *falls down*

izumi: D8

Asher: *knocked Monica over the head with their weapon arm* "... ... ...Oh. I ruined the moment?"

izumi:..... ^^;; i'll grab her arms, you grab her legs?

Asher: >_>; "When she wakes up, just tell her a bird hit her or something, 'kay?" *picks up the legs* "Ugh--she's all bloody and sweaty."

izumi:......you were jealous, werent you?

Asher: "...I'm not jealous. At all."

izumi: whatever you say, partner.

Asher: =\\\\=; "Shut up."

amelia:.....

Kanin: *panting, still in wolf form, but he's stopped attacking*

Sid: *watching*

amelia:...*petting his head, humming*

Kanin: *dog whimpering...* "Zzz..." *still in wolf form*

nygus: should we report this to lord death? or does he already know about this?

Sid: "I don't think he would know even this..." *looks at the coyote's remains...it's decomposing* "Looks like the blood got away."

nygus:....we should have the area quarantined for now.

Sid: "And the students, unfortunately. We don't know how much blood got on them."

Giriko: *looking at Gruk's remains* "..." *there's still black blood on them*

zubaidah: you can always make another one.

Giriko: "I-I know that! Doesn't change the work I put into this one. Gruk should've been able to handle that thing. Now I need to strengthen his design."

-elsewhere-

sonia: *asleep*

Chuuya: *looking over the schedule* "Hmm...Should be do-able."

mito: *jumps up onto the chair next to his, looking* mrrrp?

*Chuuya has a schedule of beach activities, restaurants to visit, and other day activities*

mito: *relaxes on the chair*

Chuuya: *strokes her back* "Glad the hotel has a pet policy."

-morning-

Axel: *in a bathrobe, shaking* "Ugh--I hate decontamination..." T~T

hibiki: hopefully we arent stuck here for long. i get antsy without my headphones.

preston: *on call* really- no really mama im just fine.

Yafeu: *BANGING ON THE WALLS* "LET US OUT ALREADY! WE DIDN'T TOUCH THE BLACK STUFF!"

Saria: *on a phone* "Dad, please! I'm fine! We'll be out in a few hours...I think?"

yolanda: ugh, last night was such a shit show.

stephanie: totes. only less coke.

yolanda: GOD DAMMIT STEPH!

Monica: *holding ice to her head* -_-# "If you don't shut up, I'm going to shove my boot up your ass." *she's barefoot, also in a bathrobe* "Ugh...How the hell does a bird drop a coconut in the middle of a desert?"

Zarya: "..."

izumi: *offers her a soda*

Monica: "Oh, thanks."

izumi: figured you might want something.

yolanda: the hell? since when are _you_ two buddy-buddy?

Monica: "..." *sips*

genny: *sitting outside the door to the room kanin is in* .....

*growling can be heard inside*

genny:......kanin?

*the growling stops*

genny: are you alright in there?

Kanin: "..." *grunts*

genny:....im glad you're ok.

*sobbing can be heard inside*

genny:......do you....want me to come in?

Kanin: "...It-It's open."

genny:....*gingerly opens the door*

Kanin: *small dog whimper*

genny:....*reaches a hand out*

Kanin: *recoils, shrinking back*

genny:....*sits across from him*....sorry i didnt do much last night......

Kanin: "I-I didn't help..."

genny: you helped fight that monster off. that was pretty brave of you.

Kanin: "...That wasn't me."

genny:.....im not really sure what to say, i know i dont know a lot about you, but i still want to anyway.

Kanin: "Why? I'm just a mindless beast...Are you here just to study me or something?"

genny: you arent mindless, you're smart, caring, friendly...i know, this doesnt mean much coming from a nobody like me, but i still want to know you more..because i.....because i lo-*hic* i lo-*hic* (OH NO! NOW ISNT THE TIME TO BE GETTING HICCUPS!)

Kanin: *grabs her*

genny: !!!

Kanin: *hugs, sobbing*

genny: !!!!!.......*hugs him*

Kanin: *still crying, holding onto her*

-elsewhere-

*DWMA forensics are in hazmat suits, combing the desert...*

*far away, a sliver of black blood tunnels through the sand*

-elsewhere-

ox: rise and shine everyone!

kim: *groans*

Harvar: *still lying down*

Jacqueline: =_= *yawns*

kilik: hnn? *checks his watch*

Thunder: *yawns* *rubs eyes* "What time is it?"

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: ._.; "Miyuri, we should blow up the beach balls and toys at the beach..."

miyuri: ~? Owo

Chuuya: ^^; "We'll do our best to fit them in the back--just don't poke them. Sonia, you got everything?"

sonia: yes papa.

Chuuya: *smiles* "You look lovely. Let's get a photo first."

miyuri: *waves to the camera*

Chuuya: *snaps the pic* "Perfect!" *pets Mito* "Behave yourself while we're out."

mito: mreow

-elsewhere-

Crona: "...I'll do it."

lord death: you're certain?

Crona: "Y-Yes. I'm not sure this is what I want--but I think it's what I have to do."

Ragnarok: *snarling in his container, banging against the glass*

lord death: very well. i'll inform stein right away.

Crona: "Thank you, sir."

-elsewhere-

Duncan: *on the phone* "Yes, I-- ...No, I was-- What I'm trying to say-- ...Yes, sir. Yes. I'm sorry. ...Dad? Happy Father's--"

*the phone has hung up*

Duncan: "..."

lei-lei: welp, im all clear.

Duncan: "...Congrats. Guess I'm next..." *walks by her to the examination room, shoulders slumped*

lei-lei:....

Blair: *in a hazmat suit* "Hello, sweetie~ Let's check your pulse."

Duncan: ._.;

lei-lei:....you think duncan's alright?

Derek: "I don't know him very well. Is he usually so morose?"

lei-lei: usually he's a bit more pompous.

Derek: "I see...They say in battle people show who they really are. And he did hide in the tent."

lei-lei: mm....

*sounds of wheels are heard*

Sid: *his torso on a skateboard* "Derek, gather these students on this list." *holds up a list to him*

Derek: "Yes, sir."

lei-lei *looks*

*the list includes Duncan, Kanin, Amelia, Kazue, Izumi, Asher, and Monica*

lei-lei: ._. oh jeez....

-elsewhere-

Aizawa: -_-# "If the DWMA can't even handle their trip, that has me more concerned about this trip..."

blood king: you're being too paranoid. what's the worst that can happen, gaha!

present mic: HE JINXED IT! CALLING IT NOW!

Midnight: -_-; "You're all such children. We've moved the location 7 times already, and we've kept the travel plans confidential to only three people--" *points at Nezu, Aizawa, and Blood King*

-elsewhere-

*knock on the 8th Cathedral*

lisa: yeah?

Yotsuba: ^w^ "Hello, friend! Is Sister Iris here?"

lisa: .-.; um...yes?

Yotsuba: "Splendid!" *claps her hands together, as an almost flowery aura seems to appear around her* "May we enter~?"

Foien: ^^;

Karim: -_-;

lisa: um...sure...come on in... (what's with this girl?)

Yotsuba: *practically skipping in*

Foien: "Thanks. You're Lisa, right? Vulcan had helped me with this arm..."

lisa: yes, that's right. how's it holding up for you?

Foien: "Pretty well. I am having some problems on the middle finger--!!! N-Not that I'm using it like that or anything!" ^^;;;

Karim: *looks out the window to the courtyard* "..."

lisa: want vul to take a look at it?

Foien: "If it wouldn't be a problem..."

Karim: *exits for the courtyard*

rita: *watering flowers*

Karim: *looks around, waves at Rita*

rita: *she hasnt noticed him yet*

Karim: "..." *walks around in front of her*

rita: *looks up* !!!

Karim: *holds up his hands* "S-Sorry...Um..." *trying to sign* <Where Iris?>

rita: !! *signing* <she's asleep right now. she isnt feeling well.>

Karim: *nods* <I can come back.>

-elsewhere-

Black Star: *doing sit-ups--each time, looking up at Soul* "So--you--saw--what--happened--to--the--NOT--kids?"

soul: yeah i heard...

Black Star: "...I keep feeling off, man. I feel stronger."

soul: hmm...

Black Star: "And I heard there was Black Blood out there from Sid...It was kind of hard to hear him since he's kind of shorter now."

soul: .___.;

-elsewhere-

Chuuya: *pulls into the parking lot* "Okay, remember the number we're at."

*across the street is the beach*

miyuri: YAAAAAY! *running*

Chuuya: "!!! Look both ways!" *running after her*

sonia: *stares out at the ocean* wow....

Chuuya: *catches up to Miyuri* *sighs* *looks around at the beach* "Okay, time to find where to set up the blanket..."

-elsewhere-

Crona: *lying down* *gulps*

Stein: *washing his hands*

nurse valentine: we're gonna give you the anesthetic now, is that alright?

Crona: "..." *turns to look out the window of the operating room...*

mami: *watching, trying to keep on a brave face*

Crona: "It-It's alright. I'm ready..." *smiles at Mami*

-elsewhere-

*from a DWMA hallway, loud screaming can be heard coming from a classroom*

Saria: O_O; "Mr. Sid has been yelling for 5 minutes straight at them..."

lukas: do you think they'll be ok?

Saria: *shakes her head* "I don't know...He sounds really upset."

-inside-

Sid: "I TOLD YOU TO EVACUATE! AND YOU SIT IN YOUR TENT--"

Duncan: *looks down*

Sid: "--RUSH INTO A FIGHT YOU COULDN'T HANDLE--"

Monica: *feet on the desk* "Tch."

Sid: "--RUN BACK THINKING YOU CAN RESCUE OTHERS--"

Asher: >_>;

Sid: "--AND COULD'VE GOTTEN YOURSELVES KILLED, BY THAT THING OR EACH OTHER!"

Kanin: *still in a half-ways werewolf form* "..."

Sid: "AND TO TOP IT OFF, THOSE OF YOU WHO COULD'VE BEEN USEFUL THOUGHT, 'Oh, I'll be cool and make a dramatic entrance--'"

Kazue: *holds up a sign* <I do like my dramatic entrances.>

izumi: .w.;;;;

Sid: "I WAS NEVER THE TYPE OF MAN TO LET THIS PASS WITHOUT PUNIS--OW!"

*Sid is lying back-down on the teacher's desk...while his lower body is hanging on the lower part of the desk*

Sid: T~T "Could you please be more careful stitching me back up?"

yolanda: *gulp*

nygus: *hoists his torso up*

Duncan: *covering his mouth* "Oh God--" *grabs a paper bag--and vomits into it*

Kanin: -~-;

yolanda:...i've seen worse.

Asher: *glances at Yolanda* "...The fuck?"

Sid: "Ah...That's better. ...Duncan, you need to get a stomach for this work, or drop out of the Academy. Kanin, you are out of control and will be kept under greater scrutiny. Monica, you are suspended for 2 weeks and will be going through more medical exams to make sure the black blood's effects on you are limited."

Monica: "WHAT THE F--"

Sid: *throws an eraser at her--that slams into her mouth*

Monica: *knocked back* @O@

yolanda: ._.

Sid: "As for the rest of you...I appreciate Izumi's good work rescuing a classmate, but I can't let that stand. Therefore, the rest of you are on restroom clean-up duty for the next 2 weeks."

izumi: yes sir...

amelia:.....

Asher: "Ugh. But they're so gross."

Kazue: <Didn't one of your coworkers used to smash the toilets with a hammer?>

Sid: "Shut up and start cleaning--OW!"

izumi: OxO;;;;

-elsewhere-

Patty: *glancing around the kitchen...slithers up to a bowl of cake batter...reaches for it--*

-CHOP-

Patty: >~< "OW!"

stocking: NO TOUCHIE! *she's super focused*

Patty: "Aw, you're no fun." -n-

Kid: *sighs* *holds up a cookie* "Patty, leave her be." *shakes the cookie*

Patty: OwO "Cookie!" *runs after Kid*

stocking: this recipe needs to be perfect.

Kid: *tosses the cookie down the hall*

Patty: *yips after it*

Kid: *stands in the doorway, watching Stocking* "..."'

stocking: *sigh* man, this is exhausting... TT~TT

Kid: "Maybe 5 minutes for a drink of water?"

stocking: good idea.

-elsewhere-

Crona: *groans*

Stein: "Good afternoon."

Crona: "Wha..." *groggy*

mami: *holding chrona's hand*

Crona: "Mami? ...Where am I?"

mami: you're in the recovery room. *she has bandages on her arm*

Crona: *looks at her arm* "...Oh no..."

mami: it's fine. i wanted to...

Stein: "How do you feel?"

Crona: "...I can't hear Ragnarok...Wh-Where is he?!"

nurse valentine: look to your right.

Crona: *turns*

-in the other bed is a tall, muscular man with black hair-

Crona: "???"

Man: *groans, eyes closed--and throws a pillow at Crona*

Crona: ._.;

mami: D8<

Man: "Shut up, you stupid bastard--I'm exhausted."

Crona: "!!! Ragnarok?!"

nurse valentine: and how are you feeling, chrona?

Crona: "I-I don't know? Tired? Hungry?"

Stein: "Water for now. Stick to the IV pack for now too."

ragnarok: real talk here....how well equipped am i?

mami:.....*summons one of her rifles, and smacks him with it*

ragnarok: YEOW!!

-elsewhere-

Karim: *still sitting in the 8th's courtyard* "..."

Foein: *looking around the workshop*

Yotsuba: "--and then we can braid each other's hair and look at my sticker collection and order pizza and stay up late with a pillow fight--"

tamaki: *dead eyed expression* (why? why is this happening?)

iris: father fulham, rita told me you were out here.

Karim: "Yo. Hey. How you holding up? Doing okay?"

iris: i guess so. you?

Karim: "...Did you know Sister Evergreen very well?"

iris:.....not too well.

Karim: "Hmph. I talked to her every time I stopped by. She wrote a recommendation for me to get into the 1st."

iris: really? i didnt know that.

Karim: "Yeah. I'm not exactly the most talkative person."

iris:....i guess you heard about the group suicide this morning too, huh?

Karim: "..." *nods*

iris: i just....i cant imagine doing something like that....

Karim: "...I could."

iris: ?!

Karim: "If you lost something that was so full of meaning in your life, when everything feels useless and hopeless...I could imagine someone doing that."

iris:.........you arent going to....are you?

Karim: "No. I'm just saying I know where they are coming from. And if I didn't know that, how could I be a good minister to a flock?"

iris: i suppose.....

Karim: "...I wanted to stop by to ask whether she suffered."

iris:.....i dont know.....

Karim: "...I see..." *lowers his head, putting it in his hands*

iris:.....would you like something to eat?

Karim: "...You cook?"

iris: a little bit.

-elsewhere-

*at the front steps of the DWMA*

Spirit: T~T "IZUMI!!!"

izumi: hey da-

Spirit: *tight bear hug*

izumi: >nO t-tight...

Asher: *eyeroll* "That's just embarrassing--"

cassidy: ASHER BLYTHE DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED SICK I WAS ABOUT YOU?!

Asher: O_O; "H-Hey, Cassidy. What's up?" ^^;;;;

Monica: "..."

*someone puts Monica into a headlock*

Monica: "GRK!"

izumi: eh?

*it's a young man holding Monica in a headlock*

Monica: "Knock it off!" *grabs his arm, holding it behind his back*

Man: "A-Ah! Slippery, huh?!" *tickles under her arm*

Monica: >#< "Cut that shit--ha ha--out!" *smashes the palm of her hand up at his chin*

Man: *still fighting Monica* "Hey! I'm Lorenzo!" *grabs Monica's head by the top--and slams it down to the floor* "I'm sorry for my sister's behavior."

Monica: X____X

izumi: wait, you're-

Spirit: "Wow, Lorenzo, that's you?!" *pats the top of his head* "Look how tall you've gotten!"

Lorenzo: ^^; "Mr. Albarn, I've been this tall for 2 years now." *steps down on Monica's head into the sidewalk* "How you been?"

Monica: *muffled scream, as she grabs Lorenzo's ankle, clawing into it*

izumi: ._.;

Spirit: "I didn't know...she, was your sister."

Lorenzo: "??? Oh? I heard she got into trouble, but didn't think it was this bad." *waves at Izumi and Asher* "Hello."

izumi: it's nice to meet you, sir. *bows*

Asher: "...The hell is wrong with you and your freak bully of a sister?"

izumi: asher!

Asher: "EVERYONE IS THINKING IT!"

Lorenzo: "I had thought training Monica on her weapon here would do good for her like it did for me." *taps Spirit's arm* "Like Mr. Albarn and Dr. Stein did for me."

Spirit: .______. "D-Don't mention him..."

Monica: *by this point, she is now gnawing on Lorenzo's leg*

izumi: oh yeah, uncle stein said he was working on something today, right?

Spirit: *nods* "I was going to the hospital to check on Mami and Crona. I think you should, too."

izumi: *nods* yes sir.

Lorenzo: "D'aw, Uncle Stein. That's cute." ^^ *stamps his foot down on Monica's head*

Monica: *stands up--picking up her brother with both hands* "Sounds really corny. What's your friend in for?"

izumi: *sweatdrop*

-elsewhere-

Mephisto: *on the phone* "So the vessel was satisfactory and to your liking, Nurse~?"

nurse valentine: he seems to be adapting quite nicely. we'll need to keep them both here for a few days to check on them, but other than that, she transfusion seems to have been a success.

Mephisto: "Ah, marvelous! I'm glad we could be of assistance. Do let me know if you see any signs of his soul rejecting the body--we had to go through 5 of those just for Amaimon."

Amaimon: *sitting in front of a baby's toy to fit the square peg into the square hole...and shoving it into the circle hole*

nurse valentine: *sweatdrop* i'll keep that in mind....that reminds me. doctor?

Stein: "Hmm?"

nurse valentine: shall i call for lord death to come in and do a soul examination on chrona?

Stein: "Yes, please do so."

-elsewhere-

Kanin: *walking home with Amelia* "..."

amelia:....are you going to be alright?

Kanin: "...Amelia. I don't know."

amelia:....they wont lock you away....will they?

Kanin: *tenses* "...I don't want to talk about this. Let's just go home."

amelia:....ok......can we make a hotpot tonight?

Kanin: "...We don't have the ingredients. We'll stop by the grocery."

-elsewhere-

[roseknows20-blog]

Days 5-10 Pelorus River Track, Richmond Range, and so much more!

Day 5 We make our own TA-Captain Creek Hut to Roebuck Hut January 14th, 2017 We set our alarms early so we could get the F away from the murderous sandflies! Actually, we didn't even have breakfast, brush our teeth, complete our morning duties, or change clothes. Gee wilikers. The sandflies are legit little man-eating menaces, and they're impossible to avoid! I swear the repellent doesn't even work!? Dyl and I even started the hike in our pjs. Not the most ideal way to start your day! And as a result of not having breakfast, I was also a bit of a hangry/cranky girly. I can't emphasize enough that your day is so much more pleasant when you can leisurely make the most of your morning. The good news was Middy Hut was only 5kms away, which was where we planned to stop and properly get ready for the day ahead. It wasn't a strenuous walk, but we were both eager, irritable, and wanted to get to the next hut ASAP. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to get from the first to the second hut, and the trail notes said it would take 2 hours. We usually complete the sections in about two thirds of the time the trail notes/DOC suggest. Anywho, when we finally arrived at Middy Hut (small yet sufficient), we took a load off, had some yummy oatmeal/tea, and set aside time to complete our morning routine. Groups of other hikers came along, some TA, some just day hikers, so we also socialized with them for awhile. Rowan, a 25 year old jolly American from the great white North in Alaska, and who we briefly met at the first hut, decided to walk with us for the day. We were delighted to make a new friend and delve into interesting conversation topics! There's a sweet swing bridge that we crossed right after Middy hut, and then a steep climb until you reach a junction with a DOC sign that directs you to go left for Roebuck Hut, or right for Rocks Hut. The TA trail goes towards Rocks hut, but we decided to forgo the immensely steep ascent to Rocks Hut, and headed towards Roebuck instead. We figured that the trail to Roebuck Hut would be less exhausting, and only required a few more kms then the section to Rocks Hut. Bottom line is, we do what we want. It was pleasant chatting with Rowan, and it made the kms go by fast. He's the kind of person that you instantly trust. However, I was feeling exceedingly lethargic, and wanted to call it quits at the next hut instead of continuing on for the day. I tell ya, those 5 weeks off definitely did a toll on me. It was good to know that Middy hut to Roebuck was only 6.5 kms though. When we made it to Roebuck hut, we were the first ones to arrive, and thought it was best that we stayed there and not go on to the next hut. One reason being that we might not get a bunk spot at Browning Hut. Secondly, we were also knackered from crushing the Queen Charlotte Track in 2.5 days, and thought we deserved to treat ourselves to only a half day of walking! We like to call these days "nearo" days, not a full zero day (days we don't hike), but also not a day where we hike as far as we can. A half hour or so later 2 German girls showed up. They told us there were a lot of people at Browning Hut when they had passed by, which made us feel relieved we chose to stay at Roebuck. We chatted with the girls as we made our new pasta dinner concoction, and thoroughly relaxed. We also got to do river laundry and some mending. Moments later, a guy with silly glasses and a brown dog appeared at the hut. He was a young kiwi tramper named James. James wasn't doing the TA but seemed friendly and his dog Chester was chill too! Dyl had started a fire pretty early though, and turned the hut into a sauna. As a result, the German girls ditched us and decided to sleep outside. The boys and I/Chester the dog then ended up hanging out for the night in the hut. #hutpartayyyy. (11.5 kms) Day 6 Chester is too chill-Roebuck Hut to Starveall Hut January 15th, 2017 After an astounding night sleep, we woke up relatively early and got the ball rolling. I was well rested and feeling energized. Unlike our mood we had the previous day, because of the sh*tty sandflies, we were excited and empowered to see what the day ahead would bring. Rowan started walking before us, as he's new to the TA game and wanted to get a head start. Meanwhile, Dyl, James, Chester, and I headed out from Roebuck together shortly after. Roebuck hut to Browning was 9kms. Firstly, we passed over a dodgey swing bridge, which Chester didn't seem very fond of. He was nervously shaking and hesitant to go across the bridge, what a poor lil doggie! I don't blame him though because those bridges are real sketch. Yet, I was overtly impressed by Chester's ability to keep up with us throughout the trail, and wanted to shout out to one hell of a dog! After the bridge, we began a steep and rigorous ascent up a hill. The forest was dense and lush, offering a wonderful feeling of solidarity. Once at the top of the hill, we then followed a narrow path along the ridge for the rest of the way. FYI, there were numerous opportunities to filter water at the small stream crossings and Pelorus river! The track itself was simple to follow, even though the "sidling" parts are extremely bothersome, and I twisted my ankle a few times. As we tramped along, we chatted with James and became acquainted with our new quirky amigo. After 8 kms, we reached Totara saddle, and then it was all down hill from there to Browning Hut. At Browning, we took a baby break, and mentally prepared for the next few sections to come. Once we set off back on the trail, Browning to Hacket Hut was only 4.7kms. This section of the trail was mostly dry and flat, with signs and trail markers well posted. Hacket Hut officially ended the Pelorus River Track and started the Richmond Alpine section. Also, if needing to resupply, there's a road here that will lead you out of the rural forest to the town of Hope. After almost 13kms, we thought a dank tuna lunch break was in order. So, we took an hour or so to indulge, and continued drying out our wet mildew smelling laundry. I'm dumbfounded as to why we bother trying to wash our clothes when they end up smelling worse after we wash them, as they usually don't have time to dry properly! Certainly, were too much of DBs to actually use a laundry mat. It would just make too much sense. Anywho, twas a glorious, sunny day though, and just the right temperature for tramping. As we chilled at the hut, the only downer was the sandflies, which we can never escape! Hacket to Starveall hut was a long 6km climb up hill. The beginning of this section follows the river, crossing it back and forth numerous times. Dyl, James, Chester and I had toasted sweaty skin, and were smelling real putrid, so we agreed to go for a refreshing plunge in the chilly river. A cold plunge is also always a great way to get the blood flowing! FYI, as you make your way along the river, make sure to follow the orange trail markers- this section can be a bit confusing at times! We happened to take a few not so purposeful detours off the trail. After the river portion, we started our journey up the steep hill, which felt like we were heading upwards for forever. In total it's a 900m elevation gain from Hacket to Starveall Hut. Unfortunately, I was feeling heavy and slow in the scorching mid afternoon sun. The up hills are just not my forte, yet I dragged my sore legs and groggy mind along anyway. Dyl ended up going ahead, and James and I walked together, taking several "tactical" breaks to snack and converse. Around 6pm, we finally arrived at the hut after a reaaalllyy tiring and strenuous day. The Starveall Hut is in a superb location, just above tree line at 1180m. The hut has 6 bunks, a toilet, rain water- everything you need. Additionally, it offers gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains and peaks that we would be "tramping" over the following day. Out of the blue, we heard someone calling "Morepork" from outside the hut. It was Rowan! We were all thrilled he made it to Starveall, and enjoyed watching the array of colors pop into the sky as the sun set over the valley. Dyl also decided to give Rowan the trail name "Wet Back" because of how much he sweats. Lolz. We all ended up cooking dinner, chillin out, and having another hut party, including our new friends, an older German couple, Fred and his wife. Muhaaaa! (19kms) Day 7 Spontaneity isn't so real anymore, but sweet views still are-Starveall Hut to Rintoul Hut January 16th, 2017 Today, we started pretty early to try and get after the toughest part of the Richmond ranges. Rowan generously gave Dyl and I some instant Starbucks coffee sachets, so we were extra buzzing and ready to rock out. After our yummy brekkie and packs ready to roll, Dyl, Rowan, James, Chester, and I ventured off together from the hut around 8am. We ascended from the hut up hill, following the poles with orange markers. The trail was super rudimentary to follow, and above tree line most of the time. There were also plenty of cairns to assist in guiding us as we strolled along. Once you get to the top, we dropped our packs, and we did a 5 minute mini side trip to the summit of Mt Starveall. Dyl and James enjoyed throwing big rocks down the hill and watching them roll down the steep mountain side- anything to keep us entertained as we hike for hours on end. We also got some phenomenal photo opportunities and bellowed in the picturesque landscape. After the summit, we descended from above alpine into the forest, and followed the ridgeline to the next hut. We made things fun by playing camp games along the way and exchanging stories. Starveall Hut to Slaty was only 5.5km. When we got to Slaty hut (1400m), obviously, we had a mini snack break. Food is life. We also wanted to suss out where other trampers were planning on sleeping for the night. Unlike the North Island, the South Island is overly packed with trampers, and unfortunately we have to worry about getting to a hut at a reasonable time in order to get a bed. Especially, because Dyl and I only had one sleeping pad, and James didn't have a tent. Although it's great meeting new people, it also makes life a bit more difficult having so many people on the trail, and you can't hike the TA as spontaneously as we did on the North Island. From Slaty Hut, we followed the poles again, as we made our way up along the ridge. Then, we rode the ridge, hitting some rock scrambling sections, and passing wild mountain goats, trekking all the way up to Old Man peak. FYI, just past the summit, there's a water barrel for agua refills, which wasn't mentioned in the trail notes. The weather started to turn on us and it became exceedingly windy. Although, the sun was still shining bright, and we appreciated being mostly exposed- allowing for spectacular views of the rolling mountains, the "city" of Nelson, and the teal colored Tasman Sea. Dyl and I agreed that we prefer hiking above alpine more so then through the "bush", even if the terrain tends to be a bit more rigorous. There were definitely some sketchy rock scrambling sections throughout this section though. But, we actually get a thrill from sketchy climbing, and find such trails quite exhilarating- feeling as though we completed a jigsaw puzzle from nature. Eventually, we headed down through the forest to the junction for Old Man Hut. The hut was about .5 km off trail, and down a hill, so we decided to not detour and continued on. From Slaty to the junction was approx 10kms, and from the Old Man hut sign junction to Rintoul Hut was approx 5kms. After the junction, you climb through the native bush until the saddle right before the big kahunas. Then, we mentally prepared ourselves for the rocky steep climb to Lil Rintoul (1643m). It wasn't as horrible as others claimed it to be, but you definitely still have to take care and be cautious about slipping on the scree. Once we conquered Lil Rintoul, we made our way steeply back down the loose scree, and then ascended up again to the notorious Mt Rintoul (1731m). Although definitely a workout, we felt victorious after reaching the top! I found this section to be awesome and one of my favs of the TA so far! I'm gonna throw in the towel if I have to walk another long mundane road section, or hike through cow poop galore ever again. FYI, Mt Rintoul is actually the highest part of the Richmond range that the TA goes through. And as I previously mentioned, this segment of the trail may cause vulnerability to some, as it's mostly loose scree/rocks, your highly exposed above tree line, and the paths are quite narrow- do take care! The trail notes also exclaim that this section is the most strenuous of the whole Richmond Alpine section, I'm assuming mostly because of the elevation gains and drops. We were fortunate with excellent weather though, and breathtaking panoramic views. A few hikers we met before said they had experienced rain and not such perfect weather. So, we decided to chill at the summit of Mt Rintoul for a bit, soaking in the blissful scenery, and being mesmerized by the eclectic natural beauty of the landscape. I also appreciated the strong "gales" flowing through my hair, and rays of good ol vitamin D on my skin. Taking a break gave Rowan time to catch up as well, as he was a bit unsettled about going over the scree by himself, and we wanted to make sure he was feeling comfortable. We all did a wonderful job sticking together, motivating, and looking out for one another. Team work, oh cheyah. Eventually, we carried on, staggering in and out of the poles, down the steep scree, and then through the thick forest to Rintoul Hut. The quaint little hut has only 6 bunks, but provides ample rain water, an outdoor picnic table, and a toilet offering great 5 star views for when nature calls. We were enthralled to get to the hut after such a challenging day! However, unfortunately, the hut was full but one bed open. So, we compromised and James and I shared a bed, "hand and towel", and Rowan/Dylan slept on the floor. Chester got his own doggie hut outside and was just as pooped as we were! We met some more TA walkers, like a fellow American army dude Matt from Oregon, an introverted french couple, and highly intelligent botanists from Canada named Geoff and Lynn. As we watched the sun set and the bubbly white clouds turn to shades of orange and pink, we delightfully scarfed down our fulfilling pasta meal, and hit the hay after feeling a mixture of triumph and over exhaustion. (21kms) Day 8 Storms are a brewin'- Rintoul Hut to Top Wairoa Hut January 17th, 2017 As we had cell phone service at Rintoul Hut, we checked the weather, and realized that there was a severe storm warning throughout the Northern top of the South Island. Rob Waiken, owner of the TA trust, actually announced the storm via the TA Facebook group, telling hikers to stay tight for a few days and to wait out the bad weather. Like the responsible hikers we are (uh kinda), we evaluated and discussed the situation. Luckily, the rain wasn't supposed to start until the afternoon, and we had the opportunity to get an early head start to try and crush as many kms as we could. So, Chester, James, Rowan, Matt, Dyl, and I started our journey south through the Richmond range. We tramped along the ridge, trekking through mud and hopping over obstructing roots, eventually making it through the dense dark forest to Purple Top (1532m). Once we reached the start of the Purple Top section, the trail became quite exposed and rocky. It was also hazy out and the visibility wasn't too great. However, I did acknowledge the sensational shades of the purple ravishing rocks! Hehe. Soon after the summit, we came to a track junction and headed left towards Tarn Hut. We were really cruising, trying to get to our final destination before the bad weather hit. Even though, we weren't exactly certain of our final destination. Eventually, we departed from the rocky terrain and returned to the omnipresent bush, all the way down to Tarn Hut, which was 8kms from Rintoul. It only took us 2 hours to make the journey, although we had left our fellow TA trampers Matt and Rowan behind. Of course, we had a snack break, checked out the hut book, and lounged around for a bit. FYI, there was unfortunately no water at the hut due to lack of rain! The next hut was Mid Wairoa, which was 6.5kms away. So, we set off, and ventured up hill from Tarn Hut to a junction sign, veering left and making several up and down climbs through the forest. The last zig zagging descent down to Mid Wairoa Hut was especially steep! We also passed DOC guys along the way who told us about the sh*t weather, and warned us not to cross the rivers after 11am tomorrow. Gee wilikers, if they had only realized what their words of advice would do to us! When we got to the swing bridge right before the hut, we found Chester anxiously trying to get down from the bridge! James gave him some words of encouragement and a push though, and he jumped from the bridge. What a chill pup! There's also a sign that directs you to Wairoa Road, which we deliberated heading towards and out of the Richmond ranges because of the poop weather. Instead, we decided to keep on carrying on and risked having to wait out the weather in a hut. We also contemplated staying at Mid Wairoa Hut, but were determined to get as far through the ranges as possible. So, we kept on keeping on for the additional 7 kms to Top Wairoa. The track was fairly simple though, and followed the pristine raging river all the way up the valley. We also crossed the river multiple times, passing by many spectacular water falls and hidden swimming holes along the way. James and Chester went ahead and arrived to the hut first, while Dyl and I discussed our next moves and itinerary for the sections to come. The final ascent to the hut is steep, and was made up of wet slippery clay. Top Wairoa Hut is at the 1900km mark and 830m high- oh yeah, almost 2/3 of the way through the trail! As we scurried up the last 100m or so to the hut, we met kind kiwi Adam and giggly genuine German Luzie, who were also TA SOBO trampers! We all hung out at the hut, and were grateful to have shelter from the storm brewing in the ominous sky above. Although the river was freezing, we decided to wash the sticky sweat off our skin, taking a traditional river "shower", and soothing our aching muscles. Fire tamer Dylan started a toasty fire, and we all sat tight in the warmth of the cozy hut. After an hour or so, Omurican Matt arrived! Then, Rowan showed up too- wahoo! We were surprised yet content that they made it safe and sound! Geoff and Lynn ended up strolling in as well, and we had 9 people sleeping in a hut that accommodates 6. I felt bad that some of us had to sleep on the ground, but as the DOC states, "first come, first serve." That being said, we all crashed relatively early after our tasty meals, and slept comfortably with a dry roof over our heads. (21.5km) Day 9 Top Wairoa Hut Shenanigans January 18th, 2017 After hearing the pounding of continuous rain on the hut roof, and cracks of thunder throughout the night, everyone in the hut decided to take a zero day and enjoy sleeping in. The poor weather continued throughout the day, so we made the most of it by socializing and taking it easy in the hut. In the afternoon, the french couple and Katrin, a solo TA woman from Ireland, arrived at the hut, and it ended up being 12 of us staying there for the night. I don't think the new comers appreciated us taking a zero day. But, we were surprised people actually hiked in the heavy rain, and/or risked crossing rivers after 11am. How ludicrous of them! I think we all needed a day of rest though, especially after throwing peaks in the bag for several days in a row. We did leave the hut briefly to go for a swim in the river, and stumbled upon some chill swimming holes and majestic waterfalls! Aside from that, we spent most of the day being lazy bums and playing "thinking" games (instead of "drinking" games because we unfortunately didn't have any alcohol). As for the rest of the story, I'm gonna keep it PG and keep it at that, but Dyl and I were grateful for new friends to be silly with ;). It was truly pleasant getting to know our amigos nuevos, and even decided on a few more trail names, such as Destiny for Matt, and Camelsaw for Luzie. All in all, it was a pleasant day spent frolicking in and out of the hut, as the weather continued to be poopppaayy. Day 10 Don't cross the rivers past 11am-another zero day January 19th, 2017 As we woke up relatively late, we teetered about moving along to the next hut. Most of the other folks were moving on, however, the seven of us were on the fence about making moves. Eight if you include Chester the dog. We were especially concerned with the volatile weather and high wild rivers. Uh, kinda. What really worried us is that we wouldn't get beds if we hiked to the next hut. So, we decided to keep it real and hold down the fort at Top Wairoa for our second full day and third night in a row. Lolz. Plus the DOC guys told us not to cross the rivers after 11am, and it was definitely past the eligible crossing time. It was most certainly the longest any of us had ever stayed at a hut before, but it was an unforgettable and new experience that we all enjoyed together. We ended up having a confidential hut party, and were thrown into the vortex within our minds! Woooo man. What a long strange trip it's been. Well kinda, this being our 10th day on the trail and 2nd zero day in a row doesn't seem like we're making good progress. Lolz. At one point, when we noticed the sun had shone through the billowing clouds, we escaped the hut to explore the surrounding landscape. After a few days of rain and gloom, we all felt grateful for an idyllic taste of natural color and vibrancy in our lives. The sights of the deep green forests brought forth a pleasant contrast to the bright blue afternoon sky. We also spotted the red rolling hills in the distance- leading to discussions and appreciations for the wonders of nature. When we got back to the hut, Chester had gotten to the cheese, and ate about half of what we had left! Silly stinky Chester dog, cheese is for da kids! Later on, seven other TA walkers showed up, and there were fourteen people in the six person hut. Gee wilikers, it was crowded to say the least! We made it work though and worked out fitting all of us under one roof! Two of the new seven trampers were the German siblings that Warrick and Keitha had mentioned to us, so we were stoked to surprisingly meet them! Although a bit of a blur, we were pleased by our decision to stay and chill out in the hut for another day!