#ch. 35

[everyillumi]

[blconnoisseur]

[kyouka-supremacy]

— Atsushi + being awestricken because of Akutagawa

[galedekarios]

Did you see that Idle Champions put Gale at 35?

i did see, yes. i've largely chosen to ignore it for my own sanity because i personally think that is too young, considering gale's character as a whole, from his character itself, to his experiences and actions to his appearance. i would have put him around ~40. my personal hc was 41-43, but i do realise that is a bit of an arbitrary number.

anyhow, for context:

in one of the better moves, they did confirm gale's alignment to be neutral good:

which says:

A neutral good character typically acts altruistically, without regard for or against lawful precepts such as rules or tradition. A neutral good character has no problems with cooperating with lawful officials, but does not feel beholden to them. A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them.

which makes sense for him as a character and is also in line with why he can summon a tressym and keep it as his familiar because in order to do so, he has to be on the good-aligned spectrum:

i also did like these little blurbs:

Selflessness (Gale) If it's me or the Realms - I'll save the Realms every time.

and:

Netherese Knowledge (Gale) The risk is worth the reward. This could be just what we need to save everyone!

which largely confirms how i viewed the character. pragmatic and willing to make sacrifices for the greater good and to save those he cares about for the perceived mistake(s) he made.

so overall this new info is a bit of a mixed bag for me.

[midnight-mourning]

DCA Promptober Day 13: Night

This, was a lot of fun. I told the moon lovers they'd get their juice, and I held up my promise. So, come get y'alls juice. Also MAN did this get long, didn't realize it until I went to check it for errors

Word count: 1003

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Something's been watching you at night. 

You had assumed it was the neighbor's cat. Usually, that seemed to be the case. But even when Bojangles would come up to you, having scaled your garden wall, and then pitter-pattered his way across your roof-you spent a lot of time out here now-there still felt like something spying on you, from beyond your line of sight. 

The back of your property borders the woods, it's expected that there's something out there. You just don't know why it's all of the sudden started watching you. As opposed to say, normal animal things. 

It's been a few months now. And you wouldn't necessarily say it's bothering you, rather, you're just curious as to why this is happening. Thought you can't deny, it's a bit unnerving. 

You'd been sitting out on your roof like this, pretty much since you lost your old job. Though, really it was more that your place of work burnt to the ground and thus, you were left without a job as a result. 

It wasn't just the job you'd lost, a bitter and wounded part of you whispers. It'd been a lot more, than just some stupid job.

"Which do you think is better?" You ask, showcasing the two different glow in the dark clip-on earrings you were wearing.

Moon's faceplate spins in thought, "Why not both?"

"Hm, I suppose that's an option. Your opinion has been duly noted."

He chuckles, "You're taking this very seriously aren't you?"

"Of course!" You go back to digging through your box of supplies, pulling out more decorations, "A kid asking for a glow in the dark birthday party? With you? Everything has to be perfect."

You feel a presence hovering over you. Glancing up you see the red-eyed bot staring down at you. Before he can react, you slap a glowing sticker on his chest.

He looks down at it, then back up to you. 

You tip your chin up, "Personally, I don't think you're taking it seriously enough."

"Oh?" He bends down, "Is that what you think?"

"It is. I mean, this is so exciting! And yet, here you are, as low energy as ever. Course you're always low energy so I suppose I can't-"

Moon's arms wrap around you, pressing his forehead to yours, "I'll admit, I'm a bit distracted at the moment. Perhaps you could remedy that?"

You frown, "Now Moon, you wouldn't be pretending to be uninvolved as a tactic for affection, would you?"

"Never," He rasps.

You give a kiss to his smile, "I didn't think so."

The memory is interrupted by a noise out in the woods. You wipe your eyes with a sniffle, watching, looking to see if there's anything different this time compared to all the others. 

There is. 

Out, past your wall, just beyond the edge of the tree line, where the light of the moon can't quite reach, there's a figure.

You feel a sense of alarm at this. And when you realize just how tall they are, your sense of dread grows.

You can't make yourself move, it's like you're frozen by their gaze. Your heart starts to race in your chest as you quickly run out of rationality regarding what is out there watching you.

A bump to your right arm and small mewl breaks your free. 

Looking down, you find Bojangles rubbing up against you, desiring pets. You find it in you to huff a quiet laugh, smiling slightly as you reach down and pet him. It helps you gain the nerve to look back at the figure again.

They're gone.

Thump.

You jump, and Bojangles quickly scurries away from you, across the roof in the opposite direction of the noise. Slowly, you turn to face is yourself, somehow already knowing what awaits you. 

A giant figure casts a shadow over your roof. The moonlight behind them causes any/all of their features to be indistinguishable. The only thought that comes to your mind is mechanical. Ragged and mechanical.

There's a few clicks that emit from their body as they tilt their head. That, and the sound of…

Bells?

A step closer. You twist to fully face them, unsure what to do. Another step. There's all sorts of noises coming from this machine's? broken body. Creaks and groans, clicks and whirls, and of course, bells. They sound, wrong. Hollow. 

Lonely. 

Your eyes dart to your open window, to the ground, back to the figure again. Your time is running out, better make a choice before-

You recognize that ruby red glow. You know that star-filled night cap. And you definitely know how that sticker got on his chest.

"Moon?" You ask. 

The figure stops. Now only several feet from you. His faceplate twists again. 

You reach a hand out, only to retract it, "I, I don't understand. They said, they said nothing survived the fire. How did you make it out?"

No answer. His fingers tap against his torn pants. Which, looking closer you can see some of them have lost their casing, only the metal endoskeleton remains.

"You know what, it doesn't matter," You shake your head, tears welling up again as you start to smile, "We'll get this figured out. I'm just so glad that you're okay."

Moon takes another step. For some reason, you no longer feel at ease. You watch as that broken hand taps its fingers against itself. Clinking against each other. Seeing how they glint in the low light you realize just how sharp they are.

He comes to a stop in front of you, you can only make out his eyes still. You don't move.

"Moon-man?" You ask again, a bit softer this time.

"It's past your bedtime."

You no longer feel relief. 

You no longer feel safe.

But still, you try. You swallow, "You um, you know it's me, right?"

His eyes crinkle as he chuckles. It's not the laugh you remember. It's, downright sinister.

Too little too late you watch that clawed hand raise.

"Nighty-night~"

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I think Bojangles is a really good cat name. Yeah, pretty sure that's all I have to say. My promptober masterlist is here, thanks for reading!

[youuuimeanmee]

--Raise wa Tanin ga Ii chapter 35: 君は人生 (1)

[akutagawa-daily]

Akutagawa daily 940/★

[ruporas]

can’t help falling for you

[kikyocaps]

[untitledrockstar-if]

after you mention this potential ex of R, I was wondering….can we throw hands? 😭 I feel like we don’t get to throw hands in enough of these games. I’m talking tables turned, drinks thrown, weaves snatched, and windmill punches (the quintessential cat fight move) thrown and missed. I mean if MCs gonna be messy, might as well go crazy with it. (Sorry I watch too much reality TV). Would R find it funny if the MC did get into a fight over them? They seem like the type tbh, would probably start instigating.

help 😭 that's so messy I'm obsessed, but yes I've been thinking about allowing mc to fight people. they're in tabloids for a reason! R as well.

R would 100% be amused but root for mc and break it up if it got too intense. mc walking around with a blue eye or split lip would only fuel the fire of their reckless lifestyle.

[everyillumi]

[blconnoisseur]

[ms-kaie-lurks]

Only Yoshino can fix this broken man. ❤️

[kyouka-supremacy]

I know this is definitely not how I'm supposed to take it but this panel has so many married couple vibes to me... Akutagawa watching Atsushi eat pineapple pizza in front of him (from the takeout they ordered together, sitting side by side on the table in their shared apartment they've been living in together for years now) and going at him “Ugh. I can't believe I lost to you. A brat who would eat pizza with pineapple on it. What a disgrace.”

[thenegoteator]

han jia.... i love her. that is all

[midnight-mourning]

DCA Promptober Day 20: Trapped

Finally, the last part of the mini-series. Hope you enjoy, she's a doozy

Content warning: depictions of blood, injury, and death, reader discresion is advised

Word Count: 2001

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"Come on Tommy, don't be stupid, don't be stupid," You're pacing through the Plex, checking every odd and end location you can think of for where this kid might be. 

Fourteen minutes.

He's moving back toward the security office, yes, but where he started from you have no idea. Furthermore, you can't risk going back there as you've no doubt Moon's prowling around trying to get him. You also don't think it's wise to let the bot know directly that you were flat out rejecting his offer. 

You duck behind another tall plant, eyes scanning across the atrium for any sign of life, "Okay, if I were a teenager, where would I hide?"

Fazerblast? No, too obvious. West arcade? Too open, you'll give him credit where it's due and argue that he's smarter than that. Mazercise was a possibility, it was just a matter of getting there. You had no idea if the other animatronics were also feeling murderous tonight and you'd really rather not find out. Shit, if you had Garcia with you maybe this wouldn't be so hard-

A scream pierces through the Plex, sending fear shooting straight to your core. 

Your feet move before you can stop them, rushing toward the sound without any hesitation. 

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," You start to chant until you come upon the scene of the crime and-

It's not Tom.

One of the janitors is being held up by their neck, blood covered hands desperately grabbing at the clawed hand holding them high above the night-themed attendant. You can only snap out of it when Moon's other hand suddenly plunges forward and-You close your eyes, flinching at the squelch you here before a thud resounds on the ground. 

You keep your eyes close, backing further behind the statue you were hiding behind, until you finally hear bells fade off into the distance. 

Ten minutes.

You peel them open, one after the other, and dare to observe the carnage just briefly. 

Doing so proves useful, as attached to the-most definitely dead-janitor's hip is a walkie talkie. You scan the atrium quickly, see nothing, and move swiftly. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," You whisper as you quickly snatch up the radio from the bloodied corpse. 

Once you have it you bolt back into a darkened corner, turning the channel to the guard frequency.

You speak low, cautious, "Tom, you there?"

"H-here," He whispers back, sounding on edge but, excited, "I, I made it back into the office! Where are you? The bots are going frickin' crazy tonight! We gotta find the others and get out of here, or, or something," You hear him jamming buttons on the control panel, "Why can't I get the front doors to open, or or call the cops, or just anything?"

Relief washes over you, but only briefly. Moon might have been distracted but it hadn't been for long. Your friend's not in the clear yet, "Listen. Lock down the office. If you hear anything in the vents, shut them immediately. But not too long, the stupid power's finicky so you'll need to conserve it. Turn out the lights and the cameras if you need to. Someone's probably flipped the circuit for the door access. I'm gonna try and get them open for you. Once I do, you time it right and get the hell out of dodge, got it?"

"You, you're talking like you aren't coming with," Tom's laugh is nervous, "Why are you talking like you aren't leaving?"

You sigh, looking up at the ceiling and biting your lip. You still had eight minutes. You could save yourself instead. The thought passes by as quickly as it arrived. To your credit, nobody really wants to die, it just happens. And if it's between you and someone else, you'll let it be you.

You'll make sure it's you.

You press on the talk button to the radio, "'Cause I'm not, Tom. Not right this second anyway. I'll worry about me, you worry about you, alright? And don't argue with me about it, we don't have the time for that."

"I-"

"Tom." You hate to be stern, but you will be.

He sighs, it's shaky, "Okay."

"I'll let you know when I'm at the circuit box. Stay safe. Good luck."

"Good luck."

Seven minutes.

It doesn't take long to get to your destination, you know the path well. Just being direct and taking the elevator down also helps. Does fuck all to steel your nerves though. You're scared, you're downright terrified. Dying wasn't on your to-do list for tonight. No, you were planning to spend the night teasing Rhoades and Connor about the Grizzlies game while halfheartedly helping Jenson beat them at ping-pong.

You just don't understand. Was there something that you're missing? Some piece to the puzzle that made all of this make sense. You've gone over it again and again in your head, but you can't find an answer. You can't find-

Three minutes.

A noise down the hallway becomes noticeable to your ears. It sounds like, you strain a bit, Garcia?

You approach slowly, his words becoming clearer as you slink down the hall, keeping a look out for any movement that could result in a deadly outcome. 

His voice is coming from the closet you know the circuit breaker is in. You can make out what he's saying when you're at the crossroads of the two hallways, about ten feet away. 

"Help... Please," He wheezes, then coughs, "Anybody? Somebody..."

You take a step forward and peek down both ends of the hall intersecting where you've come from. It's dark. No signs of life. Or anything else for that matter. 

Still, armed with your flashlight-you'd lost the taser, though you doubt it'd have been much use anyhow-you tip toe over to the door, and pull it open.

"Garcia you're lucky I'm scared of my mind, or I'd be giving you hell right about now-"

He's dead.

One minute.

His body is slouched against the wall, arms splayed out beside him not unlike the bloodstains behind him. There's red running down his head and additionally soaking through his shirt. Laying neatly on his chest and still squeaky clean is his walkie, which repeats that same line over and over again.

A trick.

Time's up.

"That was supposed to lure in someone else, not you, Little Star."

You turn around slowly, thinking that it buys you time you don't have. 

Even slouched over Moon towers over you. Clawed, stained hands scrape against the ground. In this level of darkness you can only see the deep red glow of his eyes. He tilts his head. 

You swallow, "Guess it didn't work then, huh?"

"I gave you another chance," He shifts just a little closer, you take a step back, "You wasted it. Why?"

"I'm a good person?" You try.

Moon chuckles, it turns dark quickly, "You think you're funny, is that it?"

"Maybe?" You squeak.

He sudden looms closer, now eye to eye with you and mere inches away, snarling, "You don't have any right."

You put your hands up, shying away. 

The bot shifts back, tone still unhappy but not as angry, "You don't have any right at all. Not after what you did."

"I'm sorry but I don't-"

You feel a sharp talon on the front of your chest. Not poking through your shirt. Not yet.

"You made a promise. And you didn't keep it."

You're taken back to several months ago. Out on a typical patrol, nothing exciting. You're about to check the Daycare off your mental list when a pair of red eyes greets you on the wall. 

Ah, him again. You didn't necessarily have a problem with the Daycare Attendant. But much like anyone else you felt either one of them were a bit, unnerving. The naptime attendant seemed to always take particular interest in you while you were on patrol. You'd caught him staring from afar several times, never really approaching say for once in a blue moon. And only to very briefly say hello before hiding away again. 

He must be feeling a bit bolder today. 

You raise your hand in greeting, easy smile on your face, "Evening, Moon."

"Hello," For a such a tall bot, he sometimes spoke so small.

"What're you up to this evening?" Your hands slink into your pockets, "Besides the usual, that is."

He shifts his crouch slightly, bells jingling, "Just, the usual, I suppose."

"Sounds like you need something to spice up your time then. You ever play any games in there?" You nod your head to the Daycare.

He shakes his head slowly, "Not me. Only naps."

You click your tongue, trying your best to not let the pity show, "Bummer. Say, maybe we could do something together sometime."

"Really?"

"Sure," You shrug, "Doesn't have to be a game, we could do whatever you'd like. I promise it'll be fun." 

Knowing how shy he is you doubt he'll actually take you up on that offer. He'll probably forget about it by tomorrow, that's how these machines work, right?

"Do you mean it?" His voice is raspy, but the tone is soft, shy. Cute, even.

You smile, "You bet. Sometime soon, how's that?"

"O-okay."

You give a salute, walking off, "I'll see you later then, Moon-man."

"Goodbye."

Back to now, eyes wide as you stare up at the Attendant with realization.

You didn't just agree to play a game. 

You'd promised a date.

And you'd completely forgotten about it, like a complete and utter jerk.

"Oh, Moon. I didn't," You stop, frowning, "I wasn't trying to-"

"Exactly, you didn't try. You lied. And I despise liars."

He's moving, you need to move. You need to think. Come on. Don't let it all be in vein. 

Your hand acts on its own, swinging upwards with your flashlight in hand and flipping it on. Moon yelps. And while he's blinded you take a slight step back and send a roundhouse kick straight into his faceplate. 

It hurts like hell, but it causes him to stumble backwards. You quickly turn, open the breaker box, and flip the switch. 

Spinning back around, you see Moon's still recovering, you dodge past his blind swinging claws and blot down the hallway. 

"Doors are open. Don't know how long that'll last. See you on the other side, Tom."

Back at the closet, you hear Moon growl out his irritation before taking off after you. And by the sounds of it, is gaining fast. 

Turn the corner, you're not trying to outrun him, just keep him distracted long enough for your coworker to escape. 

Soon enough, you find yourself in a similar predicament to earlier.

You're grabbed and in trying to right yourself slam into the wall, this one doing you in. You hiss at the pain that shoots up your shoulder, which is on fire, you think you might've dislocated it in your rush. 

Moon's hand is still on you, and while his grip is firm, it's not tight. Slowly, he uses both hands and guides you down the wall as you lay back against it. 

Your breathing is heavy as you stare up at the ceiling, out of breath and out of time. 

"Just do it already," You gasp out, "We both know you want to. And I can't say I don't totally deserve it."

You hear a few clicks and wait for your end. 

But when it doesn't come, you look back down, face to face with the bot again. 

His head is tilted to the side. Observing you. 

Once more, you find Moon's hand gripping your chin, he chuckles, "Silly Star, what's the fun in that?"

You pause, not quite understanding what he's saying. 

"You said we could do whatever I'd like, right?" His faceplate spins, "So we're going to do what I'd. Like."

The reality of the situation starts to set in for you.

You're trapped. 

And you think that may be worse than death. 

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If you are physically incapable of roundhouse kicking (as am I) guess what? doesn't matter, you gained the ability for a split second for the purpose of this story. Anywho, virus moon! Or at least, a specific version of virus moon (wink wink nudge nudge). This concludes our little mini-series in the prompts. Twas a good bit of fun, but there are others to write and so, I'll be off. Link to the masterlist is here if you've missed any, thanks for reading!!