#chapter 2 snippet

[daisychainfiction]

chapter 2 snippet [2]

[timeofjuly]

Wishbone Chapter 2 Snippet

Hot Seat

You sit in the middle seat, directly in front of Papyrus. If you stretched out your leg, you’d be able to touch him. 

You fold your killing hands neatly in your yellow-clad lap and look at his baby brother like he’s dust at the bottom of your shoe. “I understand that, historically, nobody has ever broken a soulmate bond before.”

Papyrus’ leg resumes its anxious bouncing for a few beats, before it halts abruptly. The silence rings like a bell. “yup, that’s right,” he says, voice thin. “not once you’ve touched. ‘t’s done, now. you’re stuck with me.”

The attempt at a joke falls flatter than a building demolition. Sans needs to hold back his own wince.

You press your lips together. “Right. Have there been any examples of the bond choosing the wrong person?”

This would be the first, Sans thinks. You are as wrong as it gets. 

“nope,” Papyrus says. “that’s not how it works.” 

“Well, something’s clearly gone wrong with this one. I have no interest in being your soulmate. A soulmate at all, actually. It’s nothing personal,” you say, with the inflection of a politician lying through their teeth. 

“yeah, I believe you,” Papyrus says. “doesn’t matter, though. this is it.”

You lean forward and raise your brow. “Because nobody’s broken or changed a bond before? Not once? I find that difficult to believe.”

“It’s the truth regardless of your belief,” Sans says, because he can’t take another fucking second of this. “This bond cannot be broken. Not without killing the both of you.”

Your attention shifts to him for the first time since the Encounter, all fire and fury and bluntly-wielded power concealed under a veneer of impassiveness and for a single second, Sans burns in it. You aren’t the stars; you’re the sun, searing heat, blistered sunburn, catastrophic wildfire. You lay waste to him with a single look and he can’t help but recoil. Soulmate, something in him sings, you are my soulmate. Don’t pull back. Get closer. Who cares if it burns? It’ll be worth it.

[donkeys-waffles]

Snippet of Chapter 2 for Before Snow Falls

The man stopped his shuffling, pulling a mahogany jewelry box from the drawer. He opened the lid delicately, cautiously. Izuku’s eyebrows scrunched together as Hisashi pulled out a simple silver locket. It was his mother’s favorite; she wore every day during Izuku’s childhood. He remembers how it caught the light, the swirling wisps engraved in the metal reflected in the gleam. She had stopped wearing it a few months ago, locking it back into the box and Izuku had forgotten about it until now. 

 He remembers how he’d always wanted to see what she kept inside it, only ever being answered with a knowing smile. Hisashi raised a large hand to the locket, holding the delicate heart in his hand, he popped the lock open and despite himself Izuku found himself subconsciously leaning forward.  

The door let out a loud hiss that felt deafening in the silence, Izuku cursed himself as Hisashi perked up, closing the locket.  

“It looks like you finally woke up, little one.” Hisashi smiled as he discarded the locket back into the jewelry box.” The boy opened the door the rest of the way, lips set in a shaky line.  

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to ugh,” Stumbling through his words his cheeks fired up, “D-didn’t mean to w-watch.”  

Hisashi waved him off with a smile, placing the box back into the drawer he turned to face his son, “It’s alright, did you eat breakfast?”  

Izuku shook his head, eyeing the hardwood of his mother’s bedroom floor. Hisashi was quiet for a moment, Izuku looked up, meeting his father’s dark empty stare, and averting his gaze again.  

He sighed, "Well make sure you eat, Izuku.” He padded against the hardwood stopping next to Izuku, the boy felt the man’s hand on his shoulder and glanced up. Hisashi gave him a weak smile, “I can’t lose you too Izuku, you know that right.” He stated simply, and Izuku felt a sudden surge of guilt wrap their hands around his throat, he bit his bottom lip. And wordlessly nodded, Hisashi gave his shoulder a squeeze before retreating to the kitchen, leaving Izuku to stand stiffly in his mother’s old bedroom.  

The light filtered through the sheer curtains, bathing the room in a tranquil glow. Izuku’s feet were locked in the doorway, palms sweaty and he locked his eyes to the dresser. He wanted to turn around, put his back to this room, the room he had been avoiding for weeks now.  

He glanced behind him, into the dark hallway, devoid of much sunlight, only visible from the kitchen lights and the bedroom sunshine. He should turn around, try to stomach that breakfast, and move on with his day. He turned back around to the room, allowing that urge in his chest to lead him towards the dresser. He opened his mother’s dresser, keeping his eye fixed on nothing but the mahogany jewelry box.  

He gingerly set the box on the vanity, taking a quick peek at the empty doorway he fished the locket out from the box. Izuku held the heart delicately in his palm, thumb swiping over the glossy surface  

“Izuku, are you coming?” The boy startled, dropping the locket onto the floor, it skidded across the wooden floors under the vanity and Izuku cursed under his breath.  

“Just a second.” Izuku called back, dropping to the floor to fish it out, his hand swatted under the dresser, feeling around the area for the lost locket. Until his fingers graced something jagged, he paused, feeling around the area and noticing an uneven section of wood. Izuku rapidly retracted his hand and braced his hands to the edge of the dresser, heaving it away from the wall he glanced down.  

A small panel of uneven wood was protruding from the flooring. He bit his lip, maybe it got stuck like that somehow... Or maybe something was hidden underneath.  

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

Work link:

Before Snow Falls. - Chapter 1 - Donkey_Wafflez - 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia (Anime & Manga) [Archive of Our Own]

[bythepen98]

WIP

Cleaning up the lw, as well as adding other details 💫

[loveafterdeath-if]

A little snippet for y'all!

[prince-liest]

my toxic character trait is that I think I'm so fucking funny

[widebrimmedhatsblog]

Can you tell us something about your plane crash AU? I love your writing so much! I can't wait for your other fic!

I would love nothing more than to tell you something about my plane crash AU, actually!! Have a variety of fun facts:

First chapter is most likely going up on November 5th or 7th! The main factor That depends on is if the rest of my October happenings kick my ass, BUT the forecast looks good.

It IS a modern AU, but it is NOT a non-magic AU. Do with that what you will!!

This Xaden MAY become my favorite, for Reasons. At the very least he'll be top two.

Violet will have a series of very VERY bad days, as per my brand.

A snippet!

Xaden’s hand is still on her mouth, but her adrenaline is fading, rapidly. The sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears has quieted, and even her vision had begun to grow clearer . She’s fine, she’s safe, the threat has passed. But his hand is still on her fucking mouth. 

She starts to wiggle away, shifting her weight from foot to foot to gain leverage, but the arm he has wrapped around her middle only clamps down tighter, pressing her ass into his thigh, and she’s had it. With absolute certainty, she has had it with him. 

She bares her teeth and bites down on the palm of his hand.

[philosophiums]

can you share any excerpts or favorite lines of dialogue you've written so far for the jjk atla au fic?

HI HELLO YES

there is ample stuff that i don't want to share yet A) because this is just a first draft and B) because there's spoilers abound, but this snippet from chapter 1 is, i think, not spoilery and will probably stick around as-is because i like it:

they're a family your honor :')

[skinandscales-if]

S&S Anniversary

Today officially marks the 1 year anniversary of the demo release Skin & Scales! The first of many, I hope! I’m so very lucky and fortunate to have such cool people interested in my work, and I’m so delighted to see where the future takes us.

The story is still a baby, with much more to go, but I feel so honored to have built up exactly what the story sets out to create: community. You all have been an incredible part of this journey, and I could not be more grateful, especially to those who send me messages and take the time to interact, big or small. I want to do you justice, and I want to create the best product from everyone’s patience and love over this past year and onwards. This world and the characters have always been a welcome place to return to, and that’s thanks to you all. Thank you so much and here’s to more years to come. ❤️

To celebrate, here’s a little lore tease :)

BELOW IS THE WRITTEN TRANSCRIPT OF PRIVATE POLICE QUESTIONING. DO NOT REPLICATE.

REPORT BY OFFICER LEWIS BRANDY

SEND TO INSTITUTE IMMEDIATELY

DATE: 02/29/1990

QUESTIONS START 09:32

OFFICER BRANDY: Can you state your name for the record?

DARLING: Yes, of course. My name is Samantha Darling.

B: Great. Thank you for your cooperation, Mrs. Darling. I'd like to start by asking you a few questions regarding last night, the twenty-eighth of February.

DARLING: Ash Wednesday, yes.

B: That's actually what I'd like to start with. You’re a member of St. Cadoc’s Church in the western district, correct?

DARLING laughs.

DARLING: Yes, though I suppose that doesn’t matter too much anymore. I hadn’t visited in a while after the… new management.

B: Right. You were present at the incident, correct?

DARLING: That is correct.

B: Mind stating where you were in relation to the incident?

DARLING: I was checking in on a neighbor of mine down the street across from the church. I live in a small apartment a few blocks down, meaning I crossed by right as things got intense.

B: You saw the smoke?

DARLING: Easily. It hadn’t reached my house yet, but the smoke was already taller than all of the nearby buildings. It was… it was pretty horrible.

B: Understandable. I’d like for you to detail all that you saw when you arrived on the scene, Mrs. Darling. If you’re able.

DARLING: Of course. When I could see the ashes I pivoted from my street to get a better look, and by the time I could see other people, it was clear that the church was burning into nothing. It was… really hot, and pretty suffocating up close like that. But the fire didn’t look normal it was…

DARLING stops talking and folds her hands into her lap.

B: Blue.

DARLING: Blue. And hot white, but it wasn’t as significant to me at the time. It wasn’t like any other fires I had witnessed.

B: And what did you see around you?

DARLING: Around me? A handful of other folks, mostly shifters, all really scared and confused. I thought maybe one of them would know, but they were all either speechless or just as perplexed as me. It… it was pretty horrific to see, even if we didn’t hear screaming or anything.

B: Was anyone fleeing from the scene? Or anyone around looking suspicious?

DARLING: I… um… no? Not really? I wasn’t paying that much attention, but I saw shadows flickering in the fire, along with some noises from within. Not anyone who sounded hurt though.

B: Yes. And no one around you who saw anything either?

DARLING pauses.

DARLING: I didn’t ask…? It didn’t seem like it. We were all a bit preoccupied. I think someone ran to get a firefighter.

B pauses and shuffles his papers.

B: Right. You mentioned hearing noises inside the church, correct? Could you make any of it out?

DARLING: No. I thought it was just the fire at first, but then it sounded like… well it might sound odd, but it sounded like a conversation. Probably something closer to an argument. I might have heard a roar.

B doesn’t say anything right away. DARLING frowns then leans in a bit.

DARLING: I know Firespitters can withstand extreme heat longer than most but do you think there really could have been someone in *that*? I heard the priest perished in the fire, he may have been one of the voices inside, but I’d never been to a sermon of his. He was one of those, though.

B: Mrs. Darling, please remember I’m asking the questions here. This is a very intense case, and we are taking all possible precautions to make sure this can’t happen again. You understand that, right?

DARLING is quiet for a moment.

DARLING: Right. Yes. Sorry.

B: It’s alright. You’ve given us a lot of important information today, ma’am. Before we wrap up though, are you sure nothing else caught your eye?

DARLING goes quiet again.

DARLING: Well… I did see a larger man leaving right as I arrived. He didn’t look suspicious, he was helping a woman around his size leave the scene, but they traveled down a back alley before I could get a good look. I don’t think they were responsible though, I was worried they were hurt it looked like the woman-

B: Thank you for your time, Mrs. Darling.

DARLING straightens up.

DARLING: Ah- sorry?

B: You’ve given us a lot of valuable information today, ma’am, and the city thanks you for your service. It cannot be understated. Outside, we’ll just gather a quick survey of information in case we need to contact you again, but you are otherwise free to go.

DARLING: Oh- okay… alright, thank you for your time, Officer.

DARLING stands.

B: Be careful out there Mrs. Darling. Plenty of people who’d love to take advantage of the good folks in this city. Give us a call if you need it.

DARLING leaves.

QUESTIONS END 09:40

OFFICER NOTES: Follow up with Director about sent special forces. Include report on spotted witnesses. Question at further radius. Don’t press peculiarities.

[redyarns]

snippet (undertow, ch 4)

[arizaluca]

don't check the timestamp of this post. i write at such normal times of night.

[daisychainfiction]

chapter 2 snippet

just some nice breakfast table conversation 🧡

“Deerbourne’s not a cult,” Vardah speaks up, but her smile is wrong. Too big. “It’s more like… a belligerent occupier of the land.”

“Vardah,” Hunter softly warns.

“Enough!” Deerly snaps at the same time, striking the table with her butter knife. Everyone goes rigid except for Silas and Vardah; the former keeps eating, steely gaze zeroed in on Deerly. The latter meets the headmistress’ ire head-on, smiling innocently.

“All of humanity is a belligerent occupier of the land,” Vardah defends sweetly.

“Ease up, Creepy,” Jordan says. They don’t seem to be having much fun anymore. “Rather not have bloodshed this morning.”

[nhura]

What pretty eyes. Tell me, do they shine in the dark? What if they used to? Well if they did, I'd sell them in a heartbeat. What if he did?

An Aventurine/Ratio slowburn set in a parallel universe where Aventurine may or may not have sold his eyes for good luck. Written by Pent, beta'd by yours truly! Chapter 1 has been published. Do mind the tags!

[sugarsnappeases]

out of context line!!

ty to my precious angels @velanavis @sixlane @quillkiller @static-radio-ao3 for the tags <33

“Don’t come then!” Petunia yells, her pale face splotchy red with anger, “Don’t come to my fucking wedding!”

Susan gasps, and, like with every argument the two sisters have ever had, she only tries to stop their fighting when they start swearing, usually long after the sharpest knives have hit their marks.

“Language!” she says, and then, rubbing Petunia’s arm, consoling, “You don’t mean that.”

soz if you’ve already done it but np tags for @inevitablestars @itsjaywalkers @carniferous @fatemy-friend @themuseoftheviolets <333

[bythepen98]

WIP

:D 👐🌼

[sneezingfetishftw-fics]

Insufferable (1/7)

My sick!Vox fic is finally up, or at least part 1 is! Decided to break into what I think will be 2 chapters. Featuring an insufferable bastard, plus caretaking from the Vees.

Next chapters: 2 3 4 5 6 7

Wavs: 1 3

———————————

“Why are the lights so fucking bright in here? Are you trying to give me a headache?” Vox was often a bit of an insufferable prick, but today he was far worse than usual. His interview for Voxtech Angelic Security was just an hour away and he’d already managed to insult pretty much everyone in the room. The lights dimmed, he returned to a previous complaint. “And why haven’t you turned the AC colder already? It’s like a sauna in here!”

“The AC is already as cold as it goes, sir.”

“Then fix it! God, what am I even paying you for?” He paused, then pulled out his cell phone. “Hey Val, are you free right now? I got an employee I’d like you to knock some sense into—or rip the limbs off of, whichever you prefer. I could do it myself, but I know how much you enjoy that thing.”The employee shuddered. “Great, thanks! See you soon.”

Vox looked around. “Where is my water bottle? There should be one on the interviewing desk. Is anyone around here doing their goddamn job?” Another employee rushed over with a water bottle. “Finally.” He took a sip and immediately grimaced. “Where did you get this? Normal water doesn’t scrape my throat like that! Disgusting.” He threw the water bottle aside, pausing only to make sure the lid was on first.

He took a deep breath, which immediately triggered a coughing fit, his voice crackling like a broken speaker. His screen went grey and fuzzy, static flaring with each cough. “Who did the last maintenance on the filtration system?” A sheepish woman stepped forward. “Fix it! Actually, no. Get out. You’re fired. The air is so thick in here I can hardly breathe.” She hung her head and wandered off. It wasn’t like she was the first to be fired on a whim, and at least Vox didn’t literally tear people apart. “I’ll take a look at it along with the AC, then, sir,” the employee from earlier offered.

“You’d better. But don’t think that’s enough to save you,” Vox said, standing so close the employee could hardly hear anything over the fan. “Val’s still on his way.” The employee gulped.

Valentino began shivering the moment he stepped in the door, but he ignored that and made a beeline for Vox. “Where’s the victim?” he asked with a grin.

Vox pointed to the man cowering in the corner. “He won’t fix the AC.” Val nodded, still shivering. “He says it’s already as cold as it can go, but I’m boiling here!” Val raised an eyebrow at that. A loud whirring started as Vox’s fans kicked in.

Val put a hand on Vox’s forehead, and jerked it away almost immediately. “Amorcito, you’re incredibly hot!”

“Save it for later, Val,” Vox chuckled.

“No, I mean it’s hard to believe how much you’re overheating. And in a freezing room, no less. I thought my hand was going to burn!” Vox crossed his arms and shook his head. “I mean it, Vox, you’re obviously running a fever!”

“Shut up. I’m fi… hi…” his screen flickered with each hitch. “Hi’tzzzcht! Fine.”

“Sir?” The employee raised a finger tentatively, regaining some boldness now that neither of them was ripping him apart. “One of the lights just broke.”

“Why the fuck are you telling me? Just fix it! Ugh, it’s a wonder anything gets done around here.” He gave a long sniff, trying to stave off the buzzing tickle. “And send a cleaning crew in. It’s way too du… huh… huh… hut’TZZZZSHT! Dusty in here.”

“We just cleaned yesterday…” the employee said weakly, trying not to look at the speaker that had just popped.

“I didn’t ask you when the last cleaning was, I asked you to clean the damn studio! Now get on with it before I change my mind and let Val rip your arms off.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” The employee practically ran off to begin his tasks as Val gave a toothy grin, looking menacing despite the intense shivering.

“There you go. I’ll be back here for the sound check. And this place better be fucking spotless.”

Vox and Val walked out the door. “I’ll catch you at the penthouse,” Vox said, activating his teleportation powers. He only made it a few feet. “Hhh’dzzzzcht!” The hallway lights flickered.

“How about we walk together?” Val offered, wrapping his arm around Vox. Vox sighed, but it wasn’t like he had a choice. Repeatedly teleporting a few feet at a time sounded even more annoying than walking. While they walked, Val pulled out his phone with his free hand to text Velvette. “Meet at the penthouse ASAP.”

Velvette almost dropped her phone when she saw the pair of them walk through the door. “Walk” was actually a bit of an overstatement. Vox was practically staggering, leaning heavily on Val for support. His screen was dimmed, except for a bright spot in the center where his nose would be, if he had one. His fans were still whirring loudly. His normally immaculate suit was wrinkled, as if he’d crumpled in on himself repeatedly. The man was, quite obviously, a mess.

Velvette stared in silence for a moment. “Wow. He really does look awful, doesn’t he?”

Vox glared. “I’m fine. I’m just taking a quick break before the studio’s ready for my interview. Those morons still have a lot to set up.” The pair stared at him.

“Um, Vox? You sure now is the best time for an interview?” Velvette asked.

“I’m fine,” he insisted, his hypnotic eye swirling so slowly it might as well be a broken Ferris wheel.

“Right,” Velvette said, rolling her eyes as Vox’s screen flickered again. “Totally fine, and definitely not about to sneeze.”

“I’m not going to… hih’tzzzzch!” He opened his mouth to protest more, but no sound came out. Damn it, were his audio drivers glitching too? Or was it just his vocal cords? He smacked the side of his head with a grimace. “The interview has to be today. If I delay it, it’ll look like we’re hiding something.” Thank god that worked. Vox without his voice was… well, he really didn’t want to think about that.

Velvette raised an eyebrow. “You literally just smacked yourself in the head cause you couldn’t talk. You really think you’re in a good state to be giving an interview?”

Vox’s screen brightened for a moment. “I’m fine! It’s fixed now.” His screen dimmed again, then started flickering. “I’m perfectly heal… heh… hhh… healthy! Just let me go to the godda… ehh… ahh… hah’TZZZZSHT! The goddamn interview.” Valentino’s phone instantly shut off. Velvette, seeing this, clutched her phone tightly to her chest.

Val tried turning his phone back on, but it was unresponsive. “You broke my phone, Vox. You broke my fucking phone! What else are you gonna break if you go back in there?”

Vox frowned. Loath as he was to admit illness, it really was in his best interest to minimize property damage. Especially with a live audience.

“I’ll do the interview,” Velvette offered.

Vox gave a laugh that quickly turned into a coughing fit, his screen a sputtering mess of static again. “No offense, Velvette, but I’m pretty sure you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of the system.”

“And I’m pretty sure you’re not recognizing you don’t have a lot of options. Would you rather send Valentino?”

The other two recoiled at the suggestion. “God, no!” Vox replied. “Ugh, I guess if you really want to, go knock yourself out. My notes are on that tah… hhh… ahh… hah… hah’TDZZZCHT! Tablet.” Said tablet was now stuck in bluescreen. “Shit.” He rubbed his aching head, trying to think.

“Are the notes backed up like the rest of your files?” Vox nodded, not even trying to speak this time. “I can pull it up on my phone, then. I’ve got this. Backbone of the Vees, remember? You just stay here and get some rest,” she said, blowing a kiss as she left.

Velvette strutted out the door, taking with her the responsibility that had been keeping Vox together, and it was like a switch had been flipped. Vox immediately plopped himself down on the couch, limbs dangling limply. “Everything huuuurts, Val.”

“I know, Amorcito, that’s why I’m here.” He gently stroked Vox’s arm. “Now, is it really everything? Or can you be a bit more specific so I can actually help you?”

Vox’s mouth moved, but no words. A frown. A throat clearing sound. More mouth movement, still no words. A deeper frown. A self-inflicted smack on the side of the head. Still no words. The fans kicked into high gear as Vox was about to spit steam out of his head.

“Shh, gentle, Voxy. Let’s try not to blow out the power grid again, hm?” Val patted Vox’s screen. “I’ll get you something for your throat.” He searched through the fridge for some Gatorade. Electrolytes had to do something for an electric being, right? In the absence of any speech from Vox, the fans were even more noticeable. Better grab a cold compress from the freezer too, then. He placed the cold pack on Vox’s screen and handed him the bottle. Vox took a sip and shook his head. His voice still failing him, Vox made images appear on the screen. Val blinked, trying to figure out what he was looking at.

“Something wrong with the drink?” A nod. “Tastes bad?” Head shake. Val tried to think what could possibly be wrong with a drink. “Too liquidy?” Vox rolled his eyes. “Wrong color?” A facepalm. “Uh… too cold?” Vigorous nodding, and then a wince and a dizzy expression. “I got it. Just rest here, Vox. I’ll find you something.”

Val returned a few minutes later with a steaming mug of tea. Vox’s screen was dim and pale, the colors washed out. His weak fingers could barely grasp the handle of the mug. “Oh, Voxy, you poor thing,” Val said, his wings wrapping around Vox for support. The steam from the drink got into Vox’s vents and his screen started flickering. Val noticed immediately and set the mug on a nearby table, holding Vox through the buildup.

“Hhh… hhhh… hhh… hhht’dzchhht! Hhhh’zzzzch! Hhh’ZZZZZSHT! Htchh’RRRRGZZZZZZT! Ugh.” The demon clawed at his throat, then paused in realization. “Fucking hell that hurt!” He winced. “Talking hurts.” Still, better to have a functioning voice, he supposed. He gestured to the mug, and Valentino handed it to him. He took a sip, grimaced, and then finished the rest of the mug in one gulp. Val surveyed the room and realized that a few of the TV screens were out. “Let’s get you into bed, hm?” Vox raised an eyebrow. “Not like that! Unless you want to, of course…” he added, licking his lips. Vox shook his head, exhausted. Val led Vox to the bedroom, the TV clinging hard to the moth as he took a few shaky steps. Val paused, then nodded to himself. He hoisted Vox over his shoulder, ignoring the spluttering protests. “Amorcito, you can barely walk. Let me carry you for a bit.”

Vox huffed, and Val felt the static shock. “You could at least have the decency to carry me like your partner instead of, I don’t know, a corpse?”

Val chuckled. “Have you seen yourself, darling? You practically are a corpse at this point.” Still, he switched to bridal carry.

After what felt like an eternity, dragged out by Vox’s complaining that he was on death’s door, they finally reached the bed. Val laid Vox down and sat next to him. “Now then, does everything still hurt? What can I get you?”Vox’s lips moved silently, then rapidly into what Val assumed to be a string of curse words. Hard to tell without audio. Val sighed. “You really are feeling awful, aren’t you?” Vox nodded. Val stared at Vox for a while until the moth’s singular brain cell finally came up with an idea. He blew a puff of smoke in Vox’s face. Vox flinched, and his screen flickered rapidly. “Hhh… hih… hhhh’dzzzzzzcht! Hih’tzzzzsh! Hah’TZZZZZCHT! TZZZSH! Tzzzsch’TZZZZZST’dzTZZZZZSSHHT! What the fuck, Val?” He rubbed his throat. “Oh. Uh… thanks, I guess? I don’t know. That fucking sucked.”

“If you’d rather not repeat that, then I suggest you get your words out now before you lose your voice again.”

Vox scowled, but he knew it was a valid point. “I just… I’m sore all over. It’s not fair! What did I do to deserve this?” Val raised a finger. “Besides everything that got me into hell.” Val shrugged. “Ugh… my throat hurts, my head hurts, all my muscles ache, there’s this constant buzzing in the back of my head that won’t go away, everythig is blisterigly warmb whatever I try… oh for fugck’s sake, I get congestiod dnow too? Ughhhh…” He groaned and rolled over, faceplanting into the bed.

Val tutted sympathetically. “You never do anything half-assed, do you?” Vox nodded, dragging his screen across the blanket. “Vox, if you’re feeling so warm, why are you still wearing all those clothes?” A pause. Vox wasn’t sure how to respond to that. “There’s no image you need to keep up right now, Vox. Let’s get you comfortable.” Vox sat up and let Val get to work. The crumpled suit was set on a nearby chair. The sweater and shirt were pulled off and tossed to the same chair, Vox dropping his arms instantly the moment he no longer needed to put in the energy to keep them up. The shoes were removed and the pants taken off and folded up with care. As soon as it was done, Vox collapsed face down into the bed again, breathing heavily from the effort.

“You said you’re sore all over, would you like a massage, Amorcito?” A thumbs up. Val got up to find the massage bar. They’d found that using a more solid form helped avoid any accidents… they did NOT need a repeat of the time poor Vox got massage oil stuck in his vents. Val began massaging Vox’s arms, but paused when he felt Vox’s shoulders shudder.

“Hhhh’dzzzzzzchmp!” The sound was muffled into the bed. Vox slowly dragged himself up until he was facing Val. “Hit’chZZZZZZZCHT!” Sparks flew from Vox’s screen and landed on Val’s arm.

“Keep your sparks to yourself, Vox!” he said, wincing at the static shock. “Hmm… that might explain the electronics failures…”

“Sorry, Val.” He said, rubbing his screen. “Wasd’t expectig it to comb that fast.” He gave a long sniff. “Hhhhh’dZZZZZZT!” He pointed at the massage bar. “Can you put that away? I think the scent is too strong right now, my sensors must be acting up.”

Val switched to an unscented massage bar and resumed the massage. A few soft moans from Vox let Val know that his attempts were effective. Eventually the sound dropped off entirely, except for the occasional sneeze, which Val assumed meant the video demon’s voice had given out again. After a while, there was no sound at all except for congested breathing. Val gently turned Vox on his back, revealing closed eyes. Val breathed a sigh of relief. The man was much less exhausting when he was unconscious. Maybe now both of them could get some rest.