#enduringdevotion

[brokeassgoing]

"A Sizzle Summer"

Look, we're not even going to go over this, okay? There's no need to. It's the same as it ever was-- Badou either walked into something he shouldn't have and farted, alerting someone of his presence, or he opened his big mouth and said too much. We've been here before, and we shall be here again next week. The only difference this time is, there's a festival? Party? Going down, and he wasn't working.

Somehow, as his usual luck goes, he's found himself running around from some threatening types, and this time ducking between vendors and knocking cabbages over, as it usually goes. He knows this--

He even knows how it goes when he's cornered in an alley. Back pressed against the wall, at least it doesn't smell like piss in here, and the guys have knives-- haha, that's cute.

"C'mon, guys, I didn't mean anything by it, y'know! I'm just a guy, a little guyyyyy, guys!"

@enduringdevotion

[drunkelreporter]

Things had finally calmed down after the craze of the moss, people rebuilt and recovered and life moved on. He and Astarion had finally pried themselves out of the house and were getting back into the swing of things, more or less. Astarion had grudgingly gone back to work and Roberto was writing again, which meant he had to move around the city and talk to people again.

He'd been working on that, meandering and chatting with random strangers about the recovery efforts post-Nightmare Moss outbreak. It was what most places were concerned with and the articles that sold right now and his own personal curiosity and concern that was driving him. Interacting with people on the street helped make it feel a little more real but also more in the past.

Anything that helped it feel more like the past helped Roberto's nerves.

He was walking with his notebook in hand, a cigarette hanging from his mouth, the scruffy black kitten standing on his shoulder and surveying the world from his perch. It was a sunny day, still so much cooler then he was used to on Noman's, and Roberto was taking his time to enjoy it while it lasted. At least until he spotted another new figure meandering along as well and blew out a stream of smoke as he turned to face them, hand half raised in a lazy sort of wave.

"Hey there, how's it-- Nicholas?" Roberto freezes halfway through his attempt at a greeting, staring at the kid in shades and a suit that's too big on him. He looks exactly like when Roberto had last seen him, springing out of the elevator to stop the little monster from murdering both him and Meryl. Moments too late for him.

Not that Roberto blames the kid, his luck had just run out after all.

"Huh. Not a face I was expecting to see turn up here." Did he know? Had he seen what Roberto had tried his best to hide from at least two of the kids? Damn damn damn.

@enduringdevotion

[bluestringpuppeteer]

Legato was back to work, business as usual. Just because things went horribly wrong and people died didn't mean that things didn't continue on, that they didn't return back to normal. He couldn't simply hide in Knives' home once things steadied again and so off to work again he went.

Once he settled back into it, it was soothing. He'd always liked working in a kitchen and it helped ease the remaining tension from his mind. He could simply exist and cook orders and not think too hard about anything else.

At least until something slipped through his zen and stirred him into full awareness again. The young woman who worked the register asked the name of the person ordering and Legato could swear the answer was 'Wolfwood'. He tilted his head and listened as she repeated it and, indeed, that was the name. Wolfwood. Curious, Legato peers out of the kitchen, mostly hidden where he won't be immediately spotted unless someone looks for him specifically. And there, walking away from the register to take a seat, is a young man with ruffled dark hair and sunglasses, shirt only partly buttoned and suit jacket looking too big for his frame.

Not his Wolfwood, not Vash's. This one was from the other version of themselves, the version the younger Vash came from. Legato tilts his head and hums to himself, considering the order he's handed. Simple enough but easy to elevate and... he's feeling generous. He'll put more effort into this one just because he wants to see the younger Wolfwood's reaction.

He doubts he'll get anything of a friendly reaction himself but he's still trying, which means not making enemies right off the cuff for his own part. He slips back into the kitchen proper to get started.

@enduringdevotion

[aevummarket]

Hello there! I'd like to purchase an ability unlock for Nicholas D. Wolfwood, specifically his enhanced strength (able to easily twirl around a 300lb laser/machine gun kind of strength)! His stats are found at /stats and his currency at /skills.

When you awaken, you feel rekindled. As though some small piece of you has assembled itself back together….

Your ENHANCED STRENGTH has been restored to you.

ABILITY UNLOCK 500 Emblems ALL Abilities and Items listed on a Muse’s application can be bought back at any time. Application unlocks are limited to two (2) abilities/items per Activity Check without exception.

ORIGINAL EMBLEM BALANCE: 500 TRANSACTION: 500 Emblems CURRENT EMBLEM BALANCE: 0

— 🏵️ Creo

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- He had seen the name when it appeared in his phone registry nearly three months ago.

He had chosen to ignore it. Avoid it. Bury himself in more shifts at the farm, pick up extra hours as much as he could.

As if not acknowledging that Nicholas was here would make easier. As if not acknowledging what he saw in his phone's contact list would make it turn into a dream.

He wanted Wolfwood there but at the same time he didn't think he was ready for it. Besides... what if this one... wasn't his?

He heard the click of a lighter, saw it all out of the corner of his eye - the false priest dressed all in black leaned against a wall, so much softer than usual, "C'mon ya big baby. You're gonna have ta meet me some time. Or I'm gonna come looking for you. You know that."

Vash shoved his hands into his pockets, dressed in in work clothes, hair mussed and down, fluffing out around his head. He tilted his head away from the apparition slightly, the light catching against his earring. He was waiting for the gondola system.

Finally it came and Vash entered a car, plopping down and stretching out. Legs splayed out and he leaned his head back. There was only one other person in the car so it was fine for now.

"Maaaan, I'm beat," he groaned to no one in particular.

@enduringdevotion // unplotted

[gesslen]

Viața este o călătorie scurtă, un moment în ⏰🕰️🌙 timp în vasta întindere a universului. Timpul ne alunecă printre degete ca nisipul ⏳➿⌛️, lăsându-ne să ne ținem de amintirile și momentele trecute. Cu toate acestea, în mijlocul 🤔😫😵 haosului și scurtarea vieții, un lucru rămâne constant și neschimbat - dragostea noastră 💋💕😘 pentru cei pe care i-am lăsat în urmă. Rămâne ca o fantomă în umbră, o șoaptă tăcută 🤫💬👂 în vânt, o atingere blândă a inimii noastre. Indiferent de câți 🌅➡️🌇 sori răsare și apune, dragostea noastră pentru ei nu se estompează niciodată. Este o legătură care transcende timpul și spațiul, un 🌌🌟 far de lumină în întunericul pierderii, o mărturie a legăturii eterne 🔐💪🤝.

[drunkelreporter]

"Not if he was kidnapped from home and dragged here. We're going to look into getting some better locks or something, some kind of better security. This isn't fucking happening again." Roberto is still growling his words, too angry to keep his tone regulated and calm. The fact that Astarion was snatched directly out of their home pisses him off to no end and he's going to be fixing that as soon as they get home.

"I think I know how to get out. You need to ask the terriers how to get to Aevum, they'll take you. Might not keep us there once we arrive, but at least we can get home again." If they can be taken from home so easily, they might be snatched again. But at least they can get away from here first of all.

"I think the rain's going to do it's best to make us feel--" He jerks his attention to the side, where a flash of white hair and leather armor turns a corner. Without thinking about it, Roberto turns and breaks into a run.

"Star, Astarion-! Hey!" His attention has zeroed in, laser focused, and he's determined to catch up. Wolfwood is not so much forgotten as simply ignored, focused as he is on catching up with his lover.

The fierce animal that Roberto became was both shocking yet familiar. He'd sort of seen it in the way he'd hauled Meryl around against Elendira. What little he'd caught of it anyways. What a shitshow. Swift as he was, he was no match for the freak she was, even Wolfwood's been skewered by her many times.

He thought it over. Why would he be in a love hotel? Obvious reasons aside, he didn't like the ideas that came to the surface at all.

"Could be a cover. But... Judging by the scraps I could gather, he's not exactly here nor surviving entirely on his own terms." The idea that Astarion was forced into anything for survival had him shouldering the Punisher a touch to ease himself that she was still there.

"Whatever isn't pulp when your done will be puree when I'm through with them." He tracks through the city again, this time no longer alone. "Though, I suggest getting out as soon as possible. Best not hunt when we're all seeing shit." They'd need to find a way to protect against the rain if they want to get revenge.

"Last thing I need is the rain making me feel guilty for killing assholes again." Two years... It had been two whole years since he'd taken a life.

Now he'd destroy the entire island if he had to.

[aevumisles]

Without prior reserve, I’d like to app Nicholas D. Wolfwood from Trigun Stampede. My app can be found under /app on my blog. The date is March 12th.

You feel stillness and motion pressing upon you from all sides. From this, you are stirred, and spurred by your awakening, you step from the long quiet.

You, NICHOLAS D. WOLFWOOD, find yourself standing before the Temporal Tower, in a garden seemingly tucked away from the seasons of time. Still, people flock here beneath the borealis that lights the sky above, here to greet you. A Guardian approaches.

Hello…. Echo. Well don’t look so confused, everything is exactly as it was made to be in preparation for your arrival. I would know. Yada yada yada, we hope you enjoy your stay… don’t break anything.

You receive the following:

A House Key. Emblazoned upon it is: 208, Eterna Village.

A Standard Issue Phone. It lights up when it manifests in your hand.

A 3lb Bag of Gummy Worms. The guardian hands you the item with a bit of a cheeky squint, merely saying it hopes you can find some sweetness again.

Welcome to the Aevum Isles.

— 🏵️ Creo

[bluestringpuppeteer]

Legato hurts. Everything hurts, every muscle ached and his chest hurt most of all. It was almost like the first time, when he and Knives had died when it became clear just how bad the moss would continue to get. That time had been simple and clean and he'd died in Knives' arms, walked out of Terminus Tower hand in hand with his angel.

This time was not clean and simple and easy.

This time, he moved not of his own accord as he stepped out from the Tower and immediately collapsed to his knees. A hacking, gasping, cough ripped out of his chest and his limbs shook, nerves on fire for several seconds before the immediate pain started to fade.

As it turned out, being severely electrocuted hurt quite a lot. He's not sure which hurts worse, the nerves that are all screaming or the bone deep ache in his chest where the pole had impaled him. It all blurs together for the minute or so it takes for it to fade to a manageable level. When he stands, it's shaky and unsteady, but a moment of breathing eases it all enough that he can walk.

He has to get home. God, Knives, Astarion, Wolfwood, probably even Roberto and Badou, they're all going to be so upset with him. This time it wasn't even his fault, he'd tried to leave, he'd tried to run, but he wasn't quick enough. Useless.

His effort to find information to protect his small... family of sorts, had entirely backfired. Damn, damn, damn.

@enduringdevotion

[aevummarket]

Hello there! I'd like to purchase the ability unlock for Nicholas D. Wolfwood's Healing Vials, please! His stats are found at /stats and his currency at /skills.

As though it never left your side, your HEALING VIALS have found their way back to you, manifested at your bedside when you open your eyes.

SPECIAL ITEM UNLOCK 500 Emblems ALL Abilities and Items listed on a Muse’s application can be bought back at any time. Application unlocks are limited to two (2) abilities/items per Activity Check without exception.

ORIGINAL EMBLEM BALANCE: 600 TRANSACTION: 500 Emblems CURRENT EMBLEM BALANCE: 100

— Mod Leillis  🌸

[epilvgue]

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- People were hissing and booing from all around as one of the combatants did nothing but dodge and swerve, Vash even scrambling up the cage to avoid the blows. He was hoping to tire the guy out and be able to leave it at that.

Man, he's got some stamina! Vash thought as he again ducked out of the way and scurried to the other side of the ring. He was starting to think he might actually have to fight back somehow and he'd noticed that the man tended to leave his sides open.

However, a particular voice, new but so painfully familiar, cut through everything and he paused for a moment, looking out into the crowd.

"Wolfwood?!" He nearly squawked the name as he ran around the cage, dodging and leaping and scrambling for his life. Vash finally spotted him in the crowd (it wasn't that hard of a thing to do as the young man pushed his way to the front, hissing and spitting louder than anyone - he'd noted it before, but this Wolfwood... reminded him a little bit of a cat.) and zipped over to press his face against the fencing. "What are you doin' here?!"

The threat went glossed over as Vash hopped and dodged and weaved. He was practically upside down in the cage, almost hanging from the ceiling before - "Ah -!"

He lost his grip and fell on top of his assailant. Only to be tossed off and into the cage head first. "...I know..."

「𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔤!」- Like most things, Vash had to ask himself: How had he ended up here? He was pretty sure that he hadn't done anything to deserve getting noticed like this.

Fingers gripped the wire thatching around the ring. He nearly pressed his face up against the rail.

"Hey! C'mon! This is a mistake! I'm really no good at fightin' an' th' sight of blood makes me queasy!"

A yelp cut off the end of his begging. He ducked again as a heavy fist came swinging. Frantically, he climbed the cage. - It wasn't helping his case.

venom rings || open starter - aevum only

[bluestringpuppeteer]

"Nicholas."

The voice is soft, quiet, and intense as always. But there's the now familiar undercurrent of anxiety to it that marks it as entirely different then the one he knew before. Now, it's got an additional flavor of worry to it, which was of course, entirely foreign to the other voice it reflected.

Legato's approach is quick, taking advantage of his long stride in a way that would almost imply he's afraid that Wolfwood will simply turn and vanish. Perhaps not an entirely unfounded worry either.

"You've been gone," he states, despite it being the obvious truth, then frowns. "Nai and I went to see if you three were alright but you were all gone. We cleaned up but... What happened?"

Oh, he really is worried. Long fingers fidget with the lapels of his coat, smoothing over the bluebells embroidered there in an obvious attempt to self-soothe. He'd only left Nai's side when the other echoes had begun to show up on Arcanus again, when the apparent danger had passed, and now he's anxious to assure himself that the others who's company he likes are intact and well.

Or as well as they can be. Who knew what had happened to them all there.

@enduringdevotion

[aevummarket]

I'd like to purchase a Vash the Stampede Wanted Poster from the Sunflower Festival Flea Markets for Nicholas D. Wolfwood of Trigun Stampede. The thread in question to which it was briefly described and purchased can be found under /Thread%204 or #Thread 4.

In this time of celebrating the communities of our present, it is often a comfort to remember the ones of old ( or even, perhaps of yet to be. ) Thank you for your participation in the Sunflower Festival's, Gateway Flea Market!

We hope you continue to find pieces of yourself, wherever they may come from.

You may now add the WANTED POSTER to your inventory.

— 🏵️ Creo

[drunkelreporter]

Roberto doesn't try to hide the fond smile that slips onto his face, something in his chest eased now that one of his three was here and safe, happy to see him and everything. It's good to see him get a chance to be this relaxed and easy, when he never could back home.

Astarion is a more immediate concern though, his arm curling tighter around the vampire's shoulders and the other hand dipping into his pack to pull the plush back out and set it in his lap. A soft kiss is pressed to his cheek.

"Just worried about you, sweetheart. Keep your comfort plush." The words are low, meant to pass no further then the two of them, though he knows Wolfwood will hear. He also knows the kid won't say a damned thing.

Roberto turns to his own food as if nothing is wrong, the relief of having Wolfwood around warring with the ongoing worry of Astarion's mental health.

"I didn't miss your snarky attitude and your habit of stealing my smokes," he retorts to Wolfwood, playing it all off as they all are.

"Oh, now I kind of have to!" The idea that the man was as harmless as a newborn deer was truly... Endearing, actually.

Wait, what?

"It's good to see you, old man." Like that, the humor is gone, a softness near never seen on the feral man, swiftly hiding it behind his drink, composing himself. "Missed your grouchy ass." And then there was food. Placed before him, eyes lighting up.

Astarion leaned into Roberto, sensing discomfort he bites his cheek open and stuffs the piece away, smiling meekly to the waitress as the food arrived.

"Don't make me hand feed you, darling." He purrs, clearly trying to act as if he was alright, focusing on the here and now with great struggle.

Wolfwood clearly notes this act but says nothing, focusing instead on devouring the food he'd been given with barely retrained starvation. Like an animal given food he tears into the burger.

[aevummarket]

Hello there! I'd like to purchase the ability unlock for Nicholas D. Wolfwood's Punisher, please! His stats are found at /stats and his currency at /skills.

As though it never left your side, the PUNISHER has found its way back to you, manifested at your bedside when you open your eyes.

SPECIAL ITEM UNLOCK 500 Emblems ALL Abilities and Items listed on a Muse’s application can be bought back at any time. Application unlocks are limited to two (2) abilities/items per Activity Check without exception.

ORIGINAL EMBLEM BALANCE: 600 TRANSACTION: 500 Emblems CURRENT EMBLEM BALANCE: 100

— 🏵️ Creo

[drunkelreporter]

Roberto doesn't like this at all. Things have only been getting worse, and he'd lost Xuanyu again in the shifting streets and unsavory Aercons. No matter how many times he'd backtracked, the kid was gone, and Roberto couldn't help the thrumming fear that something terrible was going to happen to him before Roberto could find him again.

He'd taken to hanging on to his derringer in his pocket, loaded and ready to go should someone decide he'd make a good target.

The whispers had turned into shadows into figures into familiar voices. Three of them he couldn't even look at, and they seemed to know that. At least, they appeared in his vision whenever he wasn't expecting them. The others were easier to see, but their whispers were getting worse, hurtful and dismissive, and biting as he tried to work out the trick to getting home, back to Astarion and Nico and home. There had to be one somewhere.

He doesn't jump or turn at the voice behind him, geitting his teeth and ignoring it as he's ignored everything else so far. He won't acknowledge him, not when he knows he's not actually here--

He yelps when Nico grabs him and drags him back, away from stepping down to cross the street. The kid is too damn strong for his own good.

Wait.

"Nico? Hang on, what?" He shakes his arm, the one his kid is hanging off of, and sighs in relief. Not one of his phantoms, thank god.

"The hell do you mean, killing myself? What are you doing here, what about Astarion? I left a note letting him know I went to poke around that train station, has it been that long? It's hard to tell here, what with the constant damn twilight garbage."

So this is one of the new sons you've replaced me with, father. I suppose he is better than I ever could be.

Roberto grits his teeth and starts fishing for a cigarette. He's started to go through them worryingly fast.

Where Is Dad? ||@drunkelreporter||

After running around trying to track his two dads, having been caught up with Badou, staggering around with him and finally departing, he's caught sight of a familiar mop of brown.

"Hey! Old man!" He trots over, cross hauled over his shoulder as he catches his breath, the phantoms haunting him ignored down to a science at this point, even if he dodges around Livio who stares at hi with a hole in his head.

Roberto looked well. A little roughed up, sure, but he looked well. Better than some people he's sure. Like he might run a mile even though he's old as dirt.

"Hey, where's Astarion?" He grabbed the man's arm, just to be sure it wasn't another fake, tugging him away from what looked to be a ledge. "Woah! No killing yourself, what the hell?"