#flying around looking for magical space metals

[diver5ion]

[mamawasatesttube]

‘Hey, you’ve got something on your face. Here, hold still…’ prompt :3

As far as "ways to spend a Saturday night" go, Kon would rank this around a two out of ten. Not great. Definitely could be worse (he could be actively dying again!), but hoo boy, is there still a lotta room for improvement.

The enchanted robo-chimera slams its tail into his side. Kon goes flying with an oof, all the breath knocked out of his lungs, and slams into a wall, where he crumples to the floor, dazed; magic makes this bitch actually able to land a hit on him, and it sucks.

God, he's gonna feel that later. He sucks in a breath—

"Kon!" Tim cries. "Look out!"

—and barely has time to throw his arms up to shield his face before the robo-chimera's on him again, circuits in its damaged outer skin sparking. It snaps at his head and catches his forearm instead, snarling; Kon snarls right back as he forces his TTK into the circuitry and forcibly snaps its jaws back open.

Keeping his TTK inside the magic is like trying to hold two repelling magnets together, though, and the second his concentration slips, it throws him out. He barely has time to throw himself down; steel jaws snap where his head was a moment ago.

Sweet. Dodged that (cool!), but now the damn snake tail has his right leg (not cool!) and it's heavy and the magic burns, and—

Okay. So The chimera's got his legs pinned against the floor, the back of his hips digging painfully into the concrete wall. It roars in defiance at the sky, tail lashing, and Kon slams a fist into its shoulder. His TTK shoves its way into its joints, dismantles something that makes it stumble, before the tail lashes and squeezes hard and he cries out in pain, and the enchantment boots his TTK right out again.

Well, if he can't TTK it apart, he can always do this the old-fashioned way.

"Kon!" Cassie screams from across the hangar bay, where she's wrangling the magic robo-hydra. "Hang on, I'm—"

She doesn't need to do anything. Kon braces himself against the faux-fur-coated steel leg he just broke, shoves upwards, and sinks his teeth into the robo-chimera's throat.

It's harder than biting down on metal normally would be, but it still gives—fabric and steel and wires, that's what he's looking for, the wires—all breaking under his teeth. The shock sends reverberations up his jaw into his skull, but he gets a good grip on the cables that must be running this thing, snarls, and rips its fucking throat out.

The enchantment fights him, but it's no match for the full force of a pissed-off Kryptonian. Metal groans and screams; a great, heaving shudder runs through the chimera's entire frame, and then it collapses. Kon shoves it off himself and clambers back to his feet, spits out a mouthful of metal, and glares down at the sad, sparking heap.

On the other side of the hangar bay, something explodes, presumably Cassie's hydra. Kon glances over, sees that Cassie herself is fine, and kicks the sparking snake-tail off his foot. He turns, dusting off his jacket, and scrubs a hand over his mouth. Everything tastes of iron.

Tim swings down from the rafters and alights right in front of him. He stumbles slightly before getting his bearings, and Kon narrows his eyes—that's not normal. Is he hurt?

"Are you hurt?" Tim asks. His gloved hands reach out, skim down the sides of Kon's arms, as if he can detect any hidden injury with only the barest idea of a touch. The white lenses of his mask stare deep into Kon's chest like he's trying to see right through his skin to his ribs, his heart. "Did it get you anywhere?"

"I'm fine," Kon dismisses. "Just a couple scrapes 'n' bruises or whatever, nothing major. Are you okay?"

"Fine. Bart took care of the manticore before I even had a chance." Tim hesitates for a moment, still standing right there in Kon's space; he stares up at him with those unblinking lenses, then swallows hard. "You, uh... you've got something on your face. Here, let me..."

He reaches up with the edge of his cape and, with a gentleness that's almost ludicrous after how hard Kon just got smacked around, wipes his cheek and jaw. Kon's heart flutters in his chest.

The cape itself, of course, is black, so he has no idea what might have been smeared on his face. Tim looks satisfied after a moment, though, dropping it and stepping back. "There," he says. "Was a bit of grease. And lubricant from the ball bearings. I think."

"Right." Blech. Kon's mouth still tastes of metal. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Tim says. But his heart rate is strangely high; Kon eyes him with suspicion. If he's hiding an injury, he swears...

On the other side of the hangar bay, there's a second explosion, followed by Bart's holler of "YEAH, BABY!". Kon glances over his shoulder to see him and Cassie high-five.

"Guess we just need to go take care of that enchantress now," Tim says, and grapples up into the rafters again before Kon can so much as agree.

Fine, Kon supposes. The sooner this is over, the sooner he can get Tim back to base—he'll just have to pin him down for a proper examination later.

[nahisummerhold]

@daily-writing-challenge - August 2024 - Day 1 - Melee

One Song

(Sexual content)

(TW - Violence, Blood, Gore)

There is a soundtrack to a person’s life. Some individual stanzas marked years, decades, even centuries. Some songs covered a single moment… or a night.

That night always came flying back in flashes, bits and pieces linked together. Each breath, each scream, each caress, every lover’s embrace becoming deaths instead.. Patternless, no logical order, just snippets of a transformation.

******

A shivarra stood on the stage swaying, the first words of her song hit like a wave of melodic perfection, magically enhanced to reach through stone and into every body.

Snap. Her mother on a platform arms extended out gracefully while her aria traveled along the columns of the room.a slightly too tight cream dress hugging the older woman’s ripe curves, chest lifting as the strength of her voice fills free space between bodies.

Drum beats pulsed low beneath the breathy lyrics, a driving thrum of a heartbeat that lifted from the floor to grip around the heart to change the thud to synchronize together.

Snap. Hallways filled with people, nobles and servants, defenders and assailants, the clash of weapons, the collision of bodies. People trampled in panic, others, regardless of status, stopping and picking up weapons to guard a retreat.

Incubus and succubus danced together, their power linked to one another and fed through the music to infuse greater passion into a listener. 

Snap. Dancing with her best friend, bodies moving sinuously, hands searing patterns along each other’s bodies in a show for all around them. Turning she looked over the room, searching out the night’s entertainment. There… green eyes move slowly from  entrance to entrance then across those assembled. He was on duty, watching, protecting the delegation from the Temple, yet, for a moment, he looked at her and only her. 

Red and gold heat built through the audience, driving them apart then forging them back together as one.

Snap. Metal meeting, the rough grind or screech of a blade sliding along another or deflected off armor, clanging when dropped to the floor from lifeless fingers, a hiss of a dagger piercing through a slit of a plate helm, the subtle cocking of a pistol followed by the trigger pull. 

Lyrics caressed their minds, speaking of desires met if prices were paid. Each word pitched perfectly making one wonder what would be to high a cost for what the music promised.  

Snap. A clawed hand closing around her throat pushing her back along the smooth marble of the main terrace, her legs forced wide then guided over leather spaulders, fel eyes looking up into her own as she smiled a bratty little smile back, a malformed tongue rolling along the Kaldorei’s lips exposing long fangs, the tearing of silk.

Bass pounding deeper, every organ seeking to chase the beat that is already altering the delicate balance of how a being was created.

Snap. The floor was coated in blood, intestines and the gore that spilled from the body cavities of the dead strewn about like a child’s collection of toy soldiers thrown against a wall. 

A wave of lyrics pounded into the crowd, fear and revulsion rivaled with curiosity and a magnetic pull, the need to hear what the next line was a compulsion.

Snap. A delegation, a proud Sin’dorei flanked by guards of his own race and Kaldorei both. The demons came next, felhounds walking in perfect alignment collars connected to flaming chains held by a sayaad, a shivarra walking proudly followed by a succubus and incubus in collars much like the fel hounds, two observers bobbed pupils darted side to side. Finally came the people, more guards robed and cowled figures and the servants, no one of status would ever travel without them.

A pregnant pause in the composition drawing breath from the lungs carrying it to the ceiling diving, captured on a wave of sound that poured back into the lungs filling a person with lies of immortality.

Snap. Prince Keal’thas’s deep voice echoing through the entire keep. “Energy, power, my people are addicted to it. A dependence made manifest after the Sunwell was destroyed. Welcome to the future! A pity you are too late to stop it. No one can stop me now. Selama Ashal’anore.”

The shivarra’s voice lowered to a pitch that matched the drums in the undercurrent of structure, all of the power fading in to spill into a hushed moment.

Snap. Her hand playing through purple black hair, the giant elven lover with his head on her lap while she laid upon a chaise. Throat sore, she would not be singing for at least a handful of days, his rumbling voice offered an apology that she brushed aside with a harsh laugh. They relaxed together and watched the stars while he told her all about the Black Temple and the vision he felt Illidan inspired.

Voice and melody spiraled, a dance of a hawk spiraling upward together before dropping onto unsuspecting prey.

Snap. Running from the ballroom, dancer’s steps light as she bolted down back corridors now empty until she faced a towering human in blue and silver barring her path, advancing with equal measures of hate, lust and battle madness, “The only good elf is a dead elf.” Dropping to a knee, hoping to rush past as he was sure to accept her submission. The sound of his sword being drawn sent her scrambling back, eyes wide with panic. Her body moved over a broken spear and she kicked it at his feet, he stumbled and fell allowing her time to turn and slip into another hallway while he tried to regain his feet. 

Picking up, the pounding throb of intensity cresting into the wave the song began with before it came slamming back into a trough that scraped low and rolled turmoil through a soul damaging it forever in the span of a handful of words before it faded out.

Snap.  Crossing the room, bodies everywhere, something squished under her foot and clung to it. A woman reached out for her, “Help me…” She pivoted away from the grasping hand, no one was going to slow her. The black mace rose and she sprinted, throwing herself forward tackling her mother where she remained rooted in place. The overhand blow began to fall, what would have been a killing blow glanced across the side of her mother’s head. 

This was the song that would haunt her dreams forever. 

Bea Miller - Playground  | Arcane League of Legends | Riot Games Music

[etoiline]

do you trust me

(read with characters and tags on AO3 instead)

Cal remembers Dathomir, and a particularly treacherous labyrinth of scarred walls and blood-red cliffs that he hadn’t been sure he would be able to traverse. He remembers missing his grip so badly that he tumbled down the rock face in a spin, only able to gain his footing at the absolute last moment so he can launch himself onto another ledge, and live to search another tomb.

He remembers, when Merrin finds him next, shortly after that embarrassing incident, wondering if she’s been watching him make a fool of himself. Cal can’t do much about his face reddening to the color of Dathomir’s sky, but he tries to cover it by asking Merrin what it's like to teleport and never be worried about taking a fall.

She smiles at him and his stomach swoops, almost like he was tumbling down that cliff again, and says, “It’s like wind through gravethorn, Jedi. Speed that cuts.” She does not elaborate.

Cal finds, now that he’s flying through space in her green-magic wake, that Merrin hadn’t needed any more descriptors. She’d asked him do you trust me, he’d said of course because he thought it was obvious and what are you up to before seeing that glittering portal, and she asks about trust again and what is he supposed to say but yes? And then she’d kissed him, sweet and sure and long enough that BD started cursing in Binary and shoving a little foot into his shoulder because there’s a karking Trident bearing down on them—

He’s the wind through gravethorn. Merrin’s magic cradles him but it does not protect him. He’s never flown so fast on his own, with no speeder beneath him, never fallen in a crystalline moment as the world slows around him, confident that the green-wreathed portal will catch him and yank him to another place. But the speed comes at a cost, debris tearing at his clothing and shrapnel slicing past his face, hot blaster bolts singeing far too close for comfort, tears ripped from his eyes. He doesn’t let any of that stop him from examining that monster of a machine, because it’s speed that will keep them from becoming nerf kebab on its piercing claws.

Merrin’s portals guide him to a weakness, a locked joint on a vicious limb, and Cal laughs as he latches onto it, vaults atop its metal hide, heedless of the sandy drop on either side. He won’t fall, not with the Force to guide his steps until his saber can slash deep into the mechanism, not with Merrin’s magic rushing past him in ribbons, waiting to catch him as he dives off the writhing machinery.

It’s exhilarating. Cal almost doesn’t feel like the thing is trying to destroy them, like this beast of metal and anger is simply a dancer in a esoteric ballet, a player in a planetary orchestra with the Force as the conductor. If the speed of the portals and the wall jumps didn’t steal his breath, Cal would laugh for the joy of it.

But every symphony has an end, and Merrin and Cal find theirs, the Trident looming ahead of them, leaving no time for Merrin to draft another portal.

“Nowhere left to run,” Merrin says, looking only at Cal. He hopes the luck from their kiss hasn’t run out.

“Then we stand together,” Cal says, letting his Force expand there atop the mesa, feeling Merrin’s green-hissing magick coalesce at his side, a complementary note to his fiery power, and he grits his teeth in a grimace. The Force and Dathomir’s smoky haze hang heavy among the sandy stones for a frozen second.

“Now or never,” Merrin says, and Jedi and Nightsister thrust their power at the Trident, her acid fog exploding its armor, his burning Force throwing the pieces back at the Imperial machine, the both of them keeping up the assault until the Trident collapses on itself, falling into the depths of the red canyon below.

The weight of the Force is suddenly gone from Cal’s hands, and he exhales, but Merrin says, “One last jump—and it’s a big one,” because they’re atop a mesa with no easy descent, and Cal follows the greensmoke trail of Merrin and her portals. He relishes the speed, whoops in the air, flinging his arms out in pure delight and relief, until they find solid ground in a grotto lit by the soft light of a green ray shield. Cal slides out of the blast of magic, skidding a little on the rock, and fetches up against Merrin’s side. He puts his hand on her arm, the both of them shaking with adrenaline and breathing hard. “How did you do that?” he says, awed.

“A ritual I learned on Dathomir. It is...taxing,” Merrin says, leaning into his hold. Cal gathers her into his arms, letting Merrin rest her head on his chest. He closes his eyes and remembers falling, and flying, and echoes of acid-green magick, and hopes he can fall again, as long as Merrin is there to catch him.

[spectrechosts]

Shine On! Musical Guardians! - Chapter 2

Megavolt may not have the least selfish motivations, but goddamn do the fans love her.

Full Series

"I see cleaning all the old Shining Rangers shit out of the basement is going well." Says Musical Guardian Synth-Metal, as she watches Grindcore, Ska, and Prog-Rock play with lego sets on the floor.

"Did you know we just had boxes and boxes of this shit?" Asks Grindcore, as she leafs through an instruction manual. "Magical trans-dimensional storage space, and it's filled with pallets of merch."

"No, but it sure sounds like an Azure thing to do. And we're what, reminiscing about the bad old days?"

Ska shrugs. "Hey, don't look at me. I have no stake in the shining rangers, I just see lego and play with it." She says, and Prog-Rock nods.

"Grindcore?" Synth-Metal asks derisively, and Grindcore flicks a block at her.

"Easy to be above it all when you show up in more than half the sets. They made like, two of me, I'm enjoying seeing myself as a tiny marketable figure."

"I'm not above it all." Synth-Metal says. "I'll play with a bionicle, I'm not heartless. It's just that the Shining Rangers lego sets are lame."

Phoebe comes up from the basement, another box in her arms.

"She's mad because she's always just standing around in them." She says, and Synth-Metal huffs.

"It's bullshit man, everybody else has cool shit and I just stand there because my power didn't have a visual aspect and they didn't want to put magnets in the pieces because kids would eat them or some shit." She whines.

"Here." Phoebe says, taking a package from one of the boxes and tossing it to her.

"Wait- Shining Rangers Versus Dark Ranger Megavolt???" Synth-Metal says, looking it over. "I never heard about this?"

"It never came out. Went into production before Azure realized you were a serious threat and not just making a fuss before rejoining."

"Ooohh they gave me the little force lighting bolts you can put in the minifig hands!" She squeals, sitting down and tearing the packaging open. "Are you telling me that if I held back a bit I could have had Megavolt merch!?"

"Truly, you have suffered for success." Grindcore says, putting the finishing touches on a scene of her choking out a giant alien bee-woman with her smoke.

"Oh yeah." Phoebe says. "After you came back but before you started putting us in the hospital and Azure pulled it all, Obsidian merch was flying off the shelves."

"Maaaan. I changed my mind this rules actually." Synth-Metal says, acting out a tiny fight with the Azure and Megavolt figures. "The Musical Guardians need to sell out so I can have tiny lightning hands."

"It's really inspiring, seeing how much you believe in the politics of what we're doing here beyond saving your own ass." Deadpans Prog-Rock.

"What can I say?" Says Synth-Metal, grinning. "I'm an activist."

[staring-at-a-blank-pagee]

binary star: a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to each other, both orbiting around the same point in space. for each of the stars, its companion is the center of the universe.

It was a beautiful day to be in outer space. The stars twinkled brightly from where they hung surrounded by countless others of their kind, by swirling nebulae and idyllic planets orbiting brilliant stars of their own. In the midst of all this wonder floated a small Waddle Dee, who was perfectly content to just drift, the shine of excitement in their eyes rivaling even that of the stars that they were so fascinated with. Occasionally they would flick their tail, and with a jolt of electricity, would go flying forwards again to explore new areas and to see new sights.

It was here, among the stars, that Starry Dee felt the most at home. Yes, they loved Dreamland, but amidst the marvels of deep space they felt truly connected with everything, abuzz with magic and energy that sent their heart singing with joy.

Without realizing, he had drifted further than usual. But the sky was still bright with stardust, and all worldly things are meaningless when you are such a close part of a galaxy, so he flicked his tail again and let himself float even further from home. And these celestial bodies that he had known all his life, growing familiar with them over long nights spent looking up and countless hours in the skies just like this; speaking to them softly or just staring and taking in their beauty... they were incredible, but he could not deny the thrill of new discoveries, either.

A strange figure in the distance caught his eye when it glinted off the light of a nearby star, almost as if it were metal. Starry Dee squinted at it as it flashed, confused. After only a moment's hesitation, they started to move towards it, and as the object got closer it became increasingly clear that it was not a ship at all. Then what could it.....?

Starry squealed with happiness, too excited to make any other sound for a moment. "Oh my Nova. Oh my literal Nova." He said out loud without fully realizing it, flapping his arms excitedly as he drew closer and the distinctive features of the Galactic Nova became even more clear. In what felt like no time at all, they were right in front of it, their whole being quivering with pure happiness.

"READY. >" It said in a mechanical, toneless voice. Its purple eyes that seemed to hold millions of starts within them stared unblinkingly at the small Dee, glowing brightly.

"Oh my Nova, you're actually real!!! Wait, can I say that to you? Is that weird?" Starry rambled, his tail waving back and forth behind him as he talked. "I mean, I've looked for you my whole life, even though everyone said you were just a legend I always believed you existed!! And now you're really here!! It's such an honor to meet you, really, you're so awesome!!! Does all that stuff on you work right, like the piano or the clock? I have so many questions!! Oh, and of course I have a wish-"

The Nova, which had up until then been listening silently to Starry's rambling, cut him off. "READY. >" It repeated, as emotionlessly as ever.

Staring into the Nova's face made the words of their wish stop just short of coming out. I want to stay here with you, forever. It should have been so easy to say. But there was something about the way that rust collected on the edges of the Nova's otherwise pristine surface, something about the way that light of a different kind flickered deeply within its great galaxies of eyes when they had appeared, something about the terribly lonely idea of being trapped here forever, unable to move or explore, that made them pause.

He imagined- hundreds, maybe thousands of people coming to the Nova to get their wishes granted. The only interaction at all in its life being other people's greed. Living here, anchored and cursed to give everything to everyone but itself until all the stars winked out and it was the sole one left with nobody at all, all alone in the dark for eternity... Or until its machinery succumbed to time's allure at last, failing, never having known anything but what was in its line of sight. And maybe then, such a failure would have been a mercy.

Some people - most people - would have said that machines have no souls. No sense of self, no being. But Starry saw souls in every star and every leaf on every tree. He talked to the morning dew like it was an old friend and told the moon stories when it was full in the sky. He kept his many stickers safe and knew all of their hearts, apologizing to them when they ripped and laughing with them when they shone in the sun and everything was warm. He took a deep breath and faced the Galactic Nova.

"I wish that you could be free."

"... OK. > 3.... 2.... 1.... GO! >"

a wild nova appears!

they are always floating, and appear in a puffball form. they are adjusting... slowly to this new life after centuries of stagnancy, and still act very mechanical. as of right now, their existence is being kept a secret from the star allies/etc until they get more used to life on dreamland. side note! since the original nova plot was undefined, i had it set in the far future and was the "end" of starry dee's story. now, however, due to the rewrite it has already happened. as such, nova will be with starry dee for the remainder of the tournament. they can still grant wishes in theory, but would need to enter a long coma afterwards to "recharge". while they are a biological lifeform now thanks to the wish and not a mechanical one, they still have certain strange properties - like how their body shines like metal still.

.·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙　✩　*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ .

The stars were "wonderful tonight", according to Starry Dee. Nova didn't understand that, though. They looked the same as they always did, and the Dee always said that the stars were "wonderful". According to the knowledge their databases had left them, wonderful was defined as ˈwʌn.də.fl̩, adj: inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous. Looking up, they did not feel any of that, as far as they could tell. They had spent many eons looking at the stars, and failed to recognize what Starry loved so much about them. They did not find anything wonderful, not after so long.

They were drawn out of their thoughts by the stirring of the Dee by their side. Nova floated close to the ground where Starry was fast asleep, curled up against part of their side despite his earlier proclamation that "I'm awake for the whole night all the time, it'll be fine!". As they watched, he mumbled something indecipherable in his sleep, though luckily it seemed to be a good dream by the way that his face was scrunched up in what they had come to know as the Waddle Dee version of a smile.

Slowly, they extended a paw. It was the first thing that they had done of their own will without Starry prompting them first ever since they had been freed and come to Dreamland. Somewhat awkwardly, they pet the Dee's head, causing his antenna to twitch. After a brief pause to ensure that wasn't a bad thing, they resumed the motion, which strangely.. became more natural, with time.

And... looking at Starry Dee now, with their newfound freedom all around them, maybe... Maybe Nova could understand how stars were so wonderful, after all.

fin.

(@kirbyoctournament)

[purrgilpawkins]

Full Frontal Assault

Summary: A retelling of Chai and Peppermint’s first meeting with a slight anatomy change.

Pairing: Chai & Peppermint

Warnings: n/a

Notable tags: humor, trans Chai

Chai slowly opened the heavy, metal door at the end of the damp, dark tunnel to reveal an even darker room on the other side.

“Uh, hello? Cat-bot…?” He called out, trying not to think about the likelihood of spiders, robotic or otherwise, being just out of his sight. He slowly made his way into the room.

Before he could call out to the sassy cat again, something tightened around his ankle and Chai was sent flying upwards, a scream tearing from lips. His face smacked against what he assumed was the ceiling and just as quickly as he went up, he came right back down, bouncing back up briefly just before he could hit the floor as well.

Now hanging from his foot, upside down and dizzy, Chai attempted to regain his bearings as he heard a clink and a clonk of footsteps coming closer to him. As his eyes readjusted to the sudden light that only seemed to brighten up the entrance of the room, out of the darkness occupying the rest of the space came a woman, pointing a gun directly at his face.

The beat in his chest quickened as he eyed the weapon. Wanting to act like he wasn’t just a little bit intimidated, Chai bravely (stupidly) looked away from the woman and toward his dangling leg.

“A rope snare?” He started, trying to play it off cool. “What are you, a cartoon character?”

A look of curiosity crossed the woman’s face as she brought the gun back from Chai’s face and squatted down to his level.

“So that’s where the magic happens, huh?” She said, more of a statement and less of a question. She then reached out with her gun, moving it toward the player in his chest before she let out a squawked gasp. Her gun went back to her quickly and her face seemed to grow darker as she looked at Chai’s chest in…shock?

Chai, concerned that some kind of horror movie shenanigans were happening to his chest, quickly looked to that very area. Player where his heart should be…a few freckles here and there…his least favorite mole just under his left boob…wait.

“Hey!” Chai yelped in a panic, reaching up to pull up his shirt to cover his breasts, “Quit looking!”

He felt the telltale heat of a blush overtaking his face as the woman brought her gun up sideways to cover her eyes as she finally looked away.

“Sorry! Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting…” she gestured with her gun toward Chai, still looking away.

“Boobs?”

“…Yeah.”

Chai huffed, looking back up at the rope around his ankle before a smirk took its place on his face.

“Guess that’s why they call it a booby trap.”

The woman in front of him tsked as she fired a shot from her gun, snapping the rope with the bullet and forcing Chai to land flat on his face.

[huffle-dork]

Swap Beyond the Crystalverse Chapter 14: Outer Space AU

Co-written with @crystalninjaphoenix Read Swapboys | Read Crystal’s AUs

Other Multiverse Stories: SITCV | SATCV | GITHV

SBTCV Masterpost

"This is a bit of solar cloth, it's used to take power from starlight--or sunlight, I suppose," JJ says, tapping out his words on his brace. He and Alt are sitting at the table in his room. The 'solar cloth' in question is a small hankerchief-sized square that... isn't actually cloth, per se. It's made of tiny, tiny metal strings woven together, giving the copper material a shimmery effect. Just as flexible as cloth, if a bit heavier. "It's used in a lot of transportation back home, made into sails, but it's very versatile."

Alt is marveling at the tightly woven cloth, feeling it with his fingers and glitching a bit in excitement, “That’s so fucking cool! Solar powered sails… on space ships??” He asks with shining eyes as he looks up at JJ.

JJ grins. "Not just ships, but a lot of surface transportation, too. There's a popular sport called sand-sailing, where you go out to the desert, stand on a hovering board with a solar cloth sail, and skim the surface of the dunes. And there are larger versions of those for mass transportation. Like... like boats for land." 

“Ohh! Sounds like something straight out of star wars-“ Alt laughs. 

The door opens, and Sam flies in. "Alt, I realized you might be hungry," they say. "Are you? We do have food here."

Alt blinks up at Sam and makes a face, touching his stomach. “…I… I guess I am kinda hungry…” he says quietly.

JJ nods. "We can have lunch." 

"Great! Do you have any allergies or strong aversions to certain tastes or textures?" Sam asks.

Alt hums, “Uh- not really? I’ll eat most anything.”

"Good to know! You're probably not familiar with most of our food, though," Sam says. JJ blinks. 

"How about something simple? Do we still have pleries?" 

"Of course we do." 

“A… plery?” Alt asks with a tilted head. 

JJ looks over at Alt. "A plery is basically dough wrapped around meat or fruit or vegetables. Sometimes cheese. They're originally from Caphomia but the form has been adapted." 

“Oh that sounds good.” Alt grins. 

"You can't have just that, though," Sam says. 

"Well, bring whatever else you think we'd like, then."

Alt blinks at Sam and nods. “yeah I’m not picky. I need food to fuel my magic so I’ll take anything usually.”

Sam shifts up and down, a nodding form. "I'll be right back, then. This shouldn't take long." They turn around and fly out again. 

"In your time, you haven't been found by other life, right?" JJ asks. "I mean... aliens and such. This must be very confusing."

“Oh yeah no…” Alt says with a laugh as he crosses his arms and leans on the table. “In our time- we still had people debating if things in the skies were UFOs or not but they never were. I think… we found water on mars? I dunno- don’t really keep up with a lot of space stuff.”

"Oh yes water on Mars! That's what led to the settling on there," JJ says. "And if that hadn't happened, there wouldn't be humans on Olinion, Haivis, or Vara. Though... we never would have had the opportunity without the help of more advanced species like the optels--which is what Sam is."

“Optels… ha- cuz they’re like… optic nerves,” Alt laughs a bit, “You always hear in movies and tv shows about humans settling throughout the universe… crazy to actually hear parts of it! In our time- feels kinda like we’re still just… stuck on earth, you know?”

JJ nods slowly. "Well... once upon a time, I'm sure the oceans seemed impossible to cross. I'm not sure if your world will ever get in contact with other species, or if other species even exist there, but I'm sure you'll start exploring more. It just... will probably take a long, long time."

“Ah yeah… guess it makes sense in that perspective,” Alt laughs. “Nah we haven’t found anything yet. It’s been… chill. Space wise, at least.”

JJ chuckles. "Chill is better than trouble, if you ask me. Things weren't always perfect, even if things are... relatively peaceful now. Relatively. I mean, I was kidnapped, technically." 

Alt laughs, “Yeah, not exactly the definition of chill.”

The door opens again. "But apparently you could leave whenever," Sam says as they fly in. Their flying device has been connected to a floating tray via a tether of blue light. 

On the tray are two plates of food, two smaller plates with utensils, a bowl of fruit, two cups, and a pitcher of what looks like milk.

Alt blinks at Sam coming in and looks at the food curiously. “Huh- doesn’t look too futuristic.” He chuckles. 

"Well... most of this is from alien worlds, I think," JJ says. "Unless the nuggets are chicken?" 

"Nope. Boral nuggets," Sam says. "And the milk?" 

"Cow milk--but I do think the cow was raised in Vara so it's sort of alien." 

“Boral?” Alt asks.

"Birds from Artatov," JJ says. "Thick black feathers. They live in the north of the planet. They are sort of like chickens, so if you have a recipe that calls for one, you can switch it for the other. Including nuggets." 

One of the plates has these nuggets, which don't look too different from present-day chicken nuggets, only with a darker brown breading. Another has spherical roll-like food, made of a yellowish bread. The fruit in the bowl looks like apples at first, but the pattern on the skin is off, more stripey instead of the spotty pattern apples usually get. 

JJ moves everything to the table. He tears open one of the rolls, revealing that there are green vegetables and green cheese inside. "This is a plery," he explains. "Originally they were just filled with meat--the felorrs on Caphomia are mostly carnivorous--but you can put anything inside the plery dough."

Alt looks at all the food and hums curiously. He grabs one of the rolls and turns it over before biting into it.

The plery is like biting into a calzone, but with a bit of a tang. The vegetables inside crunch but don't seem to have too much of a taste.

“Hm! Interesting-“ Alt says as he digs into all the food- finding it comforting and almost familiar. But not quite.

"And these are honishe," JJ says, then picks up one of the fruit. "They're from Sessirya... and they're notable because the sysrevs who live there can't actually eat them but almost every other known species can. Ironic." 

The fruit is a bit softer and juicier than apples, tasting like someone mixed strawberries, apples, and oranges into a smoothie.

“Woah! That’s really good-“ Alt says after trying some. “Shame the Sessiryans can’t eat ‘em! Kinda like how humans technically eat poison when we eat spicy food huh?” He laughs. 

"Oh you have no idea how much humans can eat that others can't," JJ says, chuckling. "Capsaicin is a big one, but also caffeine, cacao--" 

"And all the things that are poisonous to you that you eat anyway," Sam adds. 

"Oh yes, like alcohol and those pufferfish!"

“Oh yeah!” Alt laughs, “Listen man they’re good! S’not our fault nature’s defenses taste delicious!”

"If you say so," Sam says. 

"Can you even taste anything, Sam?" JJ asks. "I've always wondered that." 

"Not the way you do," Sam says. 

The door to the room opens again and Anti pokes his head into the room. He looks back and forth between the three of them. 

"...yes?" Sam asks. 

"Checking to see if this is a good time to talk about the IRIS building," Anti says.

Alt looks intrigued by this but then looks at the door as Anti comes in. He shrugs, taking another bite of his food. “I don’t see why not.”

Anti nods and walks fully into the room. Sam flies downwards onto the table and disconnects the tray. "Here." Anti puts a small round device onto the table, pressing a button on the side. It projects a hologram of the space station. "The Zypso Station is composed of six layers. The IRIS building is a tourist attraction on Layer Four, composed mainly of offices, near the center of the station." As Anti talks in his robotic voice, the hologram zooms into Layer Four, past tall buildings, towards the tallest building in the middle, shaped a bit like a sword. The IRIS logo in this world is an eye shape with the word IRIS in the center, curved like a bubble. Lines of blue lights go up the side.

Alt watches the hologram with starry eyes, “Woahhh-“ He whispers, watching it work. Then he shakes his head and tries to focus. “Right okay uh… which layer are we on?”

Anti hesitates, looking at JJ. Sam lightly slaps Anti with their tail, and JJ rolls his eyes, covering his ears. "We are between two layers--Three and Two. Three is for commercial activities. Buying items and such. Two is residency. We will have to make our way into Layer Three and then into Four from there, but that will be simple enough. It will be more difficult to get into the IRIS building. It will doubtless not be in the public areas. Do you know where in the building your item is located?"

“Um.. not yet- but lemme see?” Alt says as he takes out the tracker again. The same knowledge gets beamed into his mind, with the only additional information being that it's in the upper half of the building. 

"If you are unable to have that information, we will have to plan for all eventualities," Anti says. "We will have to get through high-security doors without being spotted by the camera system. I am recalling your teleportation ability. Do you think that could help?"

Alt frowns, “Usually we get more information once we’re closer. But it says it’s in the upper half….” He nods to Anti. “I can glitch us past and maybe even disable the camera systems too… I have electric based magic.”

"Magic?" Sam repeats, surprised. 

Alt blinks then opens up his hand and lets a collection of electric magic form a ball in his palm. He then shifts into his calico cat form in a quick glitch before popping back into his chair, casually. He grins, “Magic!” 

"I see. That is your abilities?" Anti nods. "Magic does not exist here. Or if it does, I am unaware of it, and so is IRIS. They will not be prepared for that specific ability. But they are armed with stun guns and EMPs of all sorts."

“…EMPS will be an issue…” Alt grumbles, crossing his arms.

"And you will not shut down when one goes off within range," Anti says. "It will be quite dangerous. Which is why our goal will be to get in and get out without being noticed. IRIS will notice if the systems go down for too long, as well, so we will have to be fast. 

“I won’t shut off sure but it’ll disturb my powers…” Alt mumbles. “But yeah- we wanna make this as simple as possible.” 

“Jameson..." Anti pauses. "Is there... anything you could do? If you want... to help?" 

JJ had removed his hands a while ago. He grins. "If you want," he types.

Alt blinks at Jameson then grins too.

Anti fiddles with the holo projector, flipping through several diagrams. "This is common IRIS-style tech. Is there anything you can do to disrupt it?" 

"Leave it with me, I can look it over later," JJ says. "For now, continue on about the building." 

Anti nods and flicks back to the diagram of the IRIS building. "The upper floors are pretty much closed to the public. Except for roof access, where tourists can get a view of Layer Four. We could work our way up from the bottom or down from the viewing platform. Either way, we will need to disrupt the scanners at the front entrance. They will definitely detect me." 

Alt nods in agreement, “Alright- sounds simple enough. I should be able to do that.”

Anti nods. "Now as for your brother. We will probably need to find him as well, I'm assuming? Does he have magic as well?" 

"So bizarre to hear that question," JJ says. 

Then Alt's phone starts to chime again.

Alt opens his mouth to answer then blinks and takes out his phone, “Anti?” He asks.

"Yes?" says the robotic Anti. 

"Yep," says the Anti in the phone. "Or, partially. I just wanted to let you know that your brother is on the way. Along with the four others from this world." 

“Oh! He found the others then?” Alt asks. “Glad he’s not in trouble then…” 

Sam flies forward. "Why is there a screen assistant in your phone who looks like Anti?" 

Alt blinks at Sam, “Oh he’s not a screen assistant- he’s our friend. He’s another Anti from a universe separate from ours. He’s been helping us.” Alt explains.

"Another me?" the robotic Anti repeats, looking confused. 

JJ nods. "Of course, if you travel through worlds it makes sense you would've picked someone up along the way." Anti shakes his head. "What did he mean, there are others on the way? They will be seen!" 

"Nope, I'm taking them through a path with blank spots in the camera systems," Anti in the phone says. 

Anti's expression shifts to fear. "You found the path?! And--and strangers are coming this way?! Five of them, you said--how do you know they won't be followed?!" 

"I'm keeping an eye on them," Anti in the phone assures him. "I can be in two places at once." 

The robotic Anti does not look reassured, his expression stuck on fear. 

Alt looks to robotic Anti, “He can he trusted- he’s just as paranoid as you are. He will make sure they get here without IRIS noticing.”

One of Anti's green irises flickers. His expression still doesn't change. 

Sam flies over and puts their tail on Anti's shoulder reassuringly. "They won't find us," they say, removing their tail again to type. 

Anti stands up abruptly. "I am going to go do some work in the studio before we go. Feel free to look over the diagram at your will." And he turns around, leaving. 

JJ stares. Then he sighs. "I suppose I can't blame him for the paranoia."

Alt watches him go and sighs, “…I get it. I’d… I’m usually paranoid about stuff like that too. Especially when it comes to companies like IRIS…” He looks at Sam and Jj though and raises his eyes, “…do you all know why he’s.. like this with IRIS?”

JJ shakes his head. "I think there's more to it than this, but I know that him being an android is a part of it. Especially one so... alive." He pauses. "The creation of true artificial intelligence has been outlawed for centuries. If a robotic being is installed with AI, they must be programmed to follow all orders as their highest priority. That is called false AI. Obviously, Anti does not do that. As an android with true AI, his existence is illegal."

“Oh… well… yeah I guess thats enough to make anyone paranoid…” Alt mutters.

Sam flicks their tail, seeming somehow hesitant. "Want to look at the IRIS tech diagram some more?" 

"Yes, that would be great. Then I can start putting things together." JJ reaches out and starts looking through the diagrams on the holo projector.

Alt scoots up to look with JJ, but- his eyes wander to look back at the door. …is he actually worried for his other self? He hasn’t exactly been… the most hospitable.

Sam flies down as well. "I'll look too. Anything I can do to help? I'm not familiar with Olinion stuff, obviously." 

JJ smiles. "Advice would be appreciated," he types. "Let's see what we can do." 

----------- 

"I didn't know we could go this far down," Chase mutters. "Is this safe? What even is this?" 

"For maintenance, I suppose," Schneep says. 

Anti led them on a winding path down to the ground level of this layer, and then to a maintenance hatch in the floor that he said he unlocked earlier. From there, they've gone down, down, into winding tunnels, many of them blocked off by hidden entrances. The area they're in now is a gradual downward slope, metal hallways lined with tubes and ducts and bundles of wires. Clearly this area is not meant to be seen by the public. It might not be meant for people to walk through at all, with the irregular shape of the tunnel. The guys are taking this walk with varying degrees of ease. Marvin seems to be handling himself the best, quietly slipping through the small space. Schneep is lagging behind a bit, occasionally tripping over things. Jackie lingers back to keep an eye on him.

Bro feels a bit cramped in this small space, brushing aside wires and grumbling a bit. “You said this other you lives down here? How can anyone live down here…?” He mutters.

"Very carefully," Anti says from the phone screen. "Sorry to leave you on your own by the way. I could manifest, but I think it's best I don't add another person to this small space." 

"It's like some sort of... of secret lair," Jackie says in a hushed voice, then giggling a little. 

"Still, it's pretty uncomfortable," Chase says. "Why go through so much trouble to stay away from IRIS?" 

"You wouldn't do it without a good reason," Marvin mumbles.

“I mean… I can get it if it’s IRIS.” Bro says quietly, “in other universes… those guys have really hurt my friends.” His eyes burn bright blue in anger as he thinks about this- what they tried to do to Schneep… what JJ said happened to him. “I don’t trust them- not one bit.”

Chase frowns. "Brave thing to say while you're on a space station mostly built by them." 

"Crawling in between their walls, too," Jackie adds. 

"I understand what he's saying, though," Schneep says. "IRIS has always seemed... strange to me. In ways I cannot put a name to. Just a faint feeling of unease. Perhaps it is a difference of cultures." 

The ceiling is slowly getting lower as they go on.

“Well I didn’t exactly chose to come here you know,” Bro chuckles, “And even if I don’t trust em- IRIS doesn’t scare me! I’m sure they’re something me and Alt can handle- even more so with good friends helping us!” He smiles at the others.

"We'll do everything we can," Marvin promises. 

"I mean... not sure how much we can do, but we'll try," Chase says. "Do you guys think we should wear masks or something?" 

"For what?" Schneep asks.

 Jackie gasps. "Yes! We should totally wear masks!" 

"For what?" Schneep repeats. 

"I'm not sure. Just... the thing is in the IRIS building, right? If it's in a part closed to the publice, we'll have to break in or something." 

“Most likely- maybe the other Anti will have some! I already have one~” Bro grins, digging out his pink mask and putting it on, his hair flaring to yellow-green. “See? Hero mode~!”

"Oh that's so cool!" Jackie gasps.

"Your love of old comics stuff is really coming out on this wild trip, isn't it?" Chase laughs. 

Bro grins, “ha! Just like my Jackie! He loves comics! Especially superheroes.”

Chase thinks. "Yeah... I should have a mask, if possible. I am a bit of a public figure. Did you guys have streamers in your time, other-me? Or did that really start to get popular later?"

Bro nods to Chase, “Yeah actually I help my Jackie with his streams sometimes- he does more long form videos though. I bet streaming is way different now than it was for us though!”

Chase grins. "Ah, well, not much has changed, I think. The culture of it, I guess, changes really fast, but I can't imagine the actual process has changed that much. I have a room for streaming, I play games of all sorts on camera, I have mods who help keep chat orderly. I guess in your time you didn't have to worry about the connection issues streaming to other planets."

“Oh yeah no we had enough trouble streaming across our own planet!” Bro laughs.

In the distance, at the end of the tunnel, something flickers. A bit of light, very hard to catch. Was that his imagination? 

Bro blinks and tries to focus up ahead, “…did you guys see that?”

"Hmm?" Chase blinks. "See what?" 

Marvin crouches low to the ground. His eyes dilate wide. "There's something moving down there," he whispers. 

"What? What's moving?" Schneep whispers back. 

"I think it's our size." 

"Ah. I think that's safe," Anti says from Bro's phone.

“Oh- well if Anti says it’s safe then it’s fine!” Bro grins as he hurries forward.

"Well still be careful--" Anti says. 

“I’ll be careful!” Bro calls. 

Bro reaches the end of the tunnel, which seems to just... end. But there's slight movement in the wires to the left... and more flickers of green light. Two of them. 

He blinks at the slight movement and moves to look closer at the wires. “…hello?”

After a second, a metal hand reaches out and pushes aside some of the wires. "Are you... Alt's brother?" asks a voice--familiar, but computerized. 

"Holy fucking pasta!" Chase jumps at the sound of it.

Bro yells a bit in surprise then blinks rapidly, “Yes! Yes I am! …I’m Chase-“

"I didn't know you left," says Anti on the phone screen. 

The robotic man's green eyes flicker as he looks down. "Oh. So you really can be in two places at once." 

"You said something about going into the studio?" Anti persists. 

"I did go there. Then I left." The man pushes the wires aside, revealing that he's standing in a hidden branch off the tunnel, and also showing his appearance for the first time. 

The other four crowd around Bro. 

Marvin blinks. "A... cyborg?" 

"Nooooo," Jackie says, eyes wide. "I think this is a robot." 

"No," the robotic man snaps. "I am an android." 

"You're a fucking what?!" Chase gasps.

Bro looks between the group and the robotic man, blinking in confusion. “… what’s the difference? I mean- a robot I get. But…”

"Robots cannot think," the man states. "Robots are not alive." 

"Androids also haven't been made in a couple centuries, because the GC thought they'd be too dangerous," Jackie adds.

 All four of the others are looking at the man warily. 

"Who... are you?" Schneep asks hesitantly. 

"Anti."

“Ohhh- huh… why did they think they were dangerous?” Bro asks. He doesn’t seem very troubled by any of this. He brightens as he says his name. “oh! You’re this world’s Anti! That makes sense!” He grins.

"Well--because androids are strong and they don't feel pain--unless you want to program that into one, but why the fuck would you do that--" Chase says. 

"I am incapable of hurting any of you," Anti interrupts. "That is my second core program. I would only be able to break it if it got in the way of my first core program." 

Schneep tilts his head. "What is your first core?" 

"Self-preservation." 

“Ohhh I think Alt said that’s like- a robotic law or some shit.” Bro says nodding. 

Anti looks at Bro. "Makes sense, you say?"

Bro looks back at Anti and shrugs, “You kinda look like Alt! Also must of the Antis we met are based around tech so!” He grins, “It’s nice to meet ya-! you know where my brother is, right?”

"I see." Anti nods back. "Nice to... meet you... too." His face shifts into a smile for a moment before falling back into that same neutral expression. Pleasantries must be difficult for him. "Yes, I can take you the rest of the way. Follow me." He turns and disappears down the narrow tunnel he'd apparently come from. The low ceiling forces him to crouch. 

"We're sure about this?" Chase mutters. 

"Androids cannot lie," Schneep says. "Or break their word. They still have computers for brains, and computers cannot deceive people." 

"Unless they're really poorly programmed," Marvin adds. 

"Yes, but I think if someone goes to the effort of making an android, they are going to program them well, yes?"

“He seems fine to me!” Bro says brightly, “If an Anti isn’t immediately creepy or out to kill us, they’re good in my book!” Bro follows after him, crouching down through the tunnel. The four others exchange alarmed looks upon hearing other Antis have tried to kill Bro, but then follow as well. 

The tunnel gets really uncomfortably cramped, but luckly, they're not walking for long. Anti crouches down close to the ground and grabs a handle sticking out of all the bits and bobs on the floor, lifting up a square and pushing it aside. Light spills from the opening. He then drops through.

Bro blinks a bit in confusion but then shrugs and drops down too, expertly landing on his feet like a superhero would.

He lands in a + shaped intersection of metal corridors, each ending in a round door that slides up into the ceiling. After a moment of hushed debating, Marvin jumps down after Bro, landing on his feet. Then Jackie lands, then, Chase, and finally Schneep, who stumbles a bit but has Jackie catch him. 

Bro looks around the space and whistles, “Damn! This is very future-y! They even got those slidey door things!”

A door slides open, and Sam flies out. "Why didn't you say you were leaving?!" they type at Anti. 

Chase gasps. "Oh my god! That's--you're an optel!"

Hearing that familiar voice, Alt glitches out into the hall, eyes wide. He relaxes as soon as he sees Bro. “Chase!” 

“Alt!” Bro says happily, throwing his hands into the air. He rushes over to Alt and pulls him into a big bear hug that lifts him off the floor. 

Alt squirms a little and pushes at him. “Where the hell were you??” Alt grumbles. 

“Meeting the others!” Bro says, dropping Alt down and gesturing out, “Guys! This is my little brother Alt! Alt, this is Marvin, Jackie, Schneep and other me!” 

Alt’s eyes widen as he sees the others- especially Schneep and Marvin. “O-Oh my god…! You’re … aliens- like for real!” 

“Crazy, right?” Bro laughs.

Sam quickly turns to Alt and drops something in his hand. A crescent-shaped object. "Put that translator on really fast," they say, then fly back to Anti. Alt blinks and Bro gestures to his own and Alt quickly puts it on. 

"Yep, aliens!" Jackie says cheerfully, waving a metal hand at Alt. "Nice to meet you!" 

"I will point out you must have been spending time with an alien this whole time," Schneep says, pointing at Sam, who seems to be having an intense staring contest with Anti. 

"It's different when they look closer to you, I think," Marvin says. "And other-Chase also mentioned we're all friends in their home world. So we're probably human there." 

"We are?!" Schneep blinks. "I suppose that makes sense, but I cannot imagine being human. Can you picture me with warm blood?" 

"Depends. Can you picture me with flat feet like all the rest of you?" 

Schneep laughs, a sound that has a bit of a hiss on the end. 

“Well I mean- I’m used to seeing things like Sam. They’re just more.. hi-tech here. But I haven’t seen anything like you guys before!” Alt says. He glitches closer, his eyes sparkling with fascination. He looks to Schneep, “Are you implying that you’re cold blooded? Like a reptile? And Marvin you’re -! You’re a cat person!” He glitches a bit more in excitement. “that’s so cool!” 

"Not quite a reptile, I believe the classification is reshkaz, but a reptile is the closest thing on Terra," Schneep says. 

Marvin blinks, ears perking up. "Thank you! Your, um--glitchy thing is cool too." 

Alt grins sheepishly, “thanks…”

JJ walks out of the room behind Alt. 

"Oh! Hey!" Chase raises a hand and waves. "Guys, that's JJ! Nice to see you again! Sorry it's been a while... Guess I kinda missed you disappearing." 

JJ smiles back. "No, that's fine," he types. "I'm sure you were busy." 

Bro looks at Jj entering and grins. “Hi J! I’m Chase! Or you all can call me Bro~!” He grins.

Chase blinks. "Dude... is your voice mod set to Marvelan English?" 

Sighing, JJ turns a dial. "I set it to that for Alt." 

"Why d'you even have that setting in the first place?" 

"I think it's fun to sound fancy."

Alt blinks, “…we sound fancy?” He looks at Bro who shrugs, “Apparently- the way we speak is like… hearing all the pirates talk all fancy in the last world, I think.” 

Alt frowns. “…that’s so weird-“

JJ waves at Bro. "Nice to see you. Alt has mentioned you. I love your outfit! It's like an old superhero movie." 

“Thanks dude! This isn’t even my real hero outfit though- that’s a superhero costume!” Bro grins. 

"Weird thing that the further you go back in history, the fancier people seem to talk," Jackie says. "Don't even get me started on Shakespeare. I can barely understand it sometimes. I need one of those side-by-side translations." 

Bro laughs as Jackie, “I needed one of those in secondary school! Guess Shakespeare is too fancy for both of us!” 

"Well, I guess fancy is relative, since they don't think they sound that way," Chase says. 

Anti and Sam join the group again. "Do you all... need anything?" Anti asks. "We do have food here."

Bro blinks at Sam and Anti then waves his hand, “Nah we just ate!” 

“…you went out to eat?!” Alt asks Bro with narrowed eyes. “While you had no idea where I was?!” 

“…we brought you dessert….?”

“Hey I mean… as far as we knew you were with JJ, and his shop wasn’t too far away from where we were meeting,” Chase says. “And if you live on a planet that doesn’t have alien contact, how often are you going to eat alien food?” 

“Sorry, though,” Jackie says sheepishly. “I guess we got caught up in the excitement of having someone from the past there.” 

Marvin reaches into the bag he’s carrying and takes out the takeout box as Bro mentions dessert.

Alt makes a face then sighs, “Yeah I guess that’s fair…” he blinks at Marvin and glitches over to look at the takeout box. His eyes sparkle, “…is that chocolate…?” 

Bro hides a laugh.

“Yep!” Jackie says. “These are something called a yessyir, they’re a traditional dessert from Sessirya. The chocolate is a relatively new addition, since it doesn’t grow on that planet. Usually they’re more like that purple one there.” 

“Where did you guys go?” JJ asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“This place called Kissarso’s, it’s very good,” Chase says. 

“Oh that place is in the Gateway isn’t it? I’ve thought about trying someplace like that.”

“It was really good!” Bro says brightly. 

Alt studies the desserts some more before grabbing the box from Marvin and looking back at Bro, “…I guess you’re forgiven then-“ He then starts to head back to the room they were in, “We should discuss the plans for getting into IRIS now that everyone is here- c’mon.”

"Right, right." Chase nods, then laughs. "I can't believe we're gonna fucking break into the IRIS building." 

The group all files into JJ's room. There aren't enough chairs at the table for everyone--not nearly--so the group ends up standing around. Schneep looks around. "Is this where you have been staying? There is no bed." 

"Panel on the wall rolls up to form a cabinet bed," JJ says. 

"Oh pog!" Marvin says, getting surprisingly excited. "Those are the best beds!" 

JJ laughs silently. 

Sam flies down to the holo projector and turns it onto the IRIS building diagram. Around it are a couple devices and metal parts, all coppery and golden.

“Oh! Neat room!” Bro says then gasps as he sees the holo projector and bends down to look at it better. “Yooo!! This is sick!! …what’s all these parts for though?”

"I was making things to help us," JJ says. "But even before that, Anti and Sam were kind enough to give me things to work with. It gets really boring stuck in here." 

"What sort of things to help us?" Jackie asks, intrigued. 

"Something to deactivate electronic seals on doors, and something to set off a loud sound in case we need a distraction. I'm open to more suggestions, too." 

“Ohh woah! That’s so cool!!” Bro grins. “Those sounds brilliant-“ 

"I will tell you all what I told these three," Anti says. "Your part is likely in a part of the building closed to the public. We could get in from the bottom or in from the roof access, which are both open to the public but still have scanners for safety."

Bro blinks at Anti then hums, “Alt can get us probably to the roof if need be- or I could but I think people would notice someone who can fly.” He laughs. 

“Then we gotta get the scanners down to get inside.” Alt adds.

"Well, you can get to the roof from inside the building," Chase says. "There's a public elevator. It can only access the first couple floors and the roof." 

"Have you been to the building before, Chase?" Schneep asks. 

"Yeah, when I first moved here. It was a while ago but I remember that elevator." 

"Either way, Alt is right, we have to get the scanners down," Jackie says. "We don't want them to take away JJ's devices. Or, uh... Anti, I guess?" 

Anti nods. 

"I will be staying back and advising you with the building diagram," Sam says. "I have a line directly into Anti's head." 

"Sounds creepy when you say it like that," Chase mutters. "But anyways. Scanners? JJ, can you help with that?" 

JJ shakes his head. "There will probably be a lot of people at the public entrance. We don't want to cause a scene.

“I can probably take them down,” Alt says, pulling out a yessyir and taking a bite before continuing, “I have electric magic so i can short circuit them.”

The yessir has a texture like a slightly more solid pudding, with the disk at the bottom being solid chocolate. Besides the chocolate taste, the main flavor is a strange sweet one, light like a fruit of some sort but not recognizable as anything on Earth. Alt blinks in surprise at the texture and taste of the yessyir. It’s… really good though so he finishes it off quickly.

"Magic, yes, I forget," Schneep says. "...Magic. Is real. Where you come from." He blinks, looking a bit overwhelmed by that.

"I'm sure IRIS would notice if the scanners short circuited for too long," Marvin says. "So we should be quick." 

"Can you do the same with the camera systems, Alt?" JJ asks.

Alt nods to JJ, “Most likely! Since they won’t know to expect magic like mine- I think we should be good.” He smiles.

"And... do we know where in the building your piece is?" Marvin asks. 

"I believe Alt said their trackers give more detail as they get closer," Anti says.

“Yeah… all I know right now is it’s in the upper parts.” Alt says with a shrug.

"So we will have to improvise?" Schneep says. "Is that... a good idea?" 

"It's our only option, I guess," Chase says. 

The four guys don't look so confident. 

"Come on, you all, this is important," JJ says. "Do we want IRIS to get their hands on something that belongs to these two?"

“Luckily this one piece shouldn’t give them like… too much power,” Bro says, “but we need it to fix our own machine.” 

“Don’t worry, me and Chase are pretty good at thinking fast on our feet,” Alt says confidently.

"Alright... we'll help where we can!" Jackie says, putting on a smile. "Not sure what we can do, though." 

"Distraction, perhaps?" Schneep says. "Or lookouts?"

“… wait- do none of you guys have like… powers or anything?” Bro asks, “not even like- alien powers??” 

“Chase don’t be rude-“ Alt hits him slightly. 

“It’s a valid question!” 

Alt looks at the others and smiles, “we’ll be grateful for any help.”

"Well... I am pretty fast and have a tight grip," Jackie says, opening and closing his hands. "I'm also about three inches taller than I was before the accident! They asked me if I wanted to be taller when getting the cybernetics and I was like 'yeah' and so they just did that." 

“…that’s why you got robotic stuff?? Cuz you were in an accident??” Bro asks Jackie, bewildered. 

Jackie nods. "Long story. Basically, vehicle accident. I passed out so I don't remember most of it. But it was a while ago. And I like customizing my hands and stuff!" He opens and closes his hands a couple more times. 

“Oh… well- at least you can look at the bright side of things now!” Bro says. 

Chase chuckles. Then he looks at Schneep and Marvin. "Well? Do aliens have special powers?" 

"...no??" Schneep says, confused. "What do you even mean by that?" 

"Well, in comparison to humans, felorrs like me are a lot quieter, and more flexible," Marvin says. "IRIS is a Terra company, they're probably expecting human abilities to be the default. So, Schneep, what are kritzeins like compared to humans?" 

"Nothing all that useful for breaking into a building!" Schneep says defensively. "It is small things, like being immune to many diseases and enduring higher temperatures. I--well I suppose for me personally I am a doctor? So if anyone gets hurt I can help?"

Alt shakes his head, “you all are doing more than enough for us- and if you feel like this is too much, we understand.”

"Well, we've come this far, might as well go all the way," Chase says, shrugging. 

Schneep nods. "It is as Chase says." 

"When are we planning on doing this?" Marvin asks. 

"I am assuming that the sooner, the better," Anti says.

Alt stretches and glitches to his feet, grabbing and slinging on his backpack, “I can get us to the building right now if everyone is ready.”

"Huh?" Chase blinks. "What do you mean? We're like... a whole layer and a half away." 

"Alt has a teleportation ability," JJ says. 

"Oh!" Chase's eyes widen. "Pog!" 

"No, we cannot just appear right outside the building," Anti says. "We have to appear in a blind spot for the cameras." 

"Have one in mind?" Sam asks. 

"Yes. I also need to change clothes into something more covering." 

"Riiiight." Jackie nods. "You might be able to excuse a couple metal bits as cybernetics, but uh... right now it's pretty clear that you're all metal." 

"I will go do that now," Anti says. "We can leave as soon as I return." He heads out of the room. 

Alt nods, “Alright.” 

JJ gathers up the two devices. "Who wants to carry these? I don't have a bag."

Bro blinks as looks at his utility belt, “uh- I bet me or Alt could hold them?”

"Oh, they'd probably fit on your belt there! I made sure to include clips. That works out." JJ hands them over to him, then makes sure his monocle is secured. 

Bro grins and puts the devices on his belt and gives JJ a thumbs up, “Awesome!” 

"You can really teleport?" Marvin asks, pupils wide and dilated in awe.

Alt blinks then grins, quickly glitching around the room before appearing back in his spot and putting his hands in his pockets. “Yup~! I call it glitching-“

"Because it looks like computer glitches!" Marvin says excitedly, tail really waving in the air behind him. 

"That's so awesome!" Chase shouts, laughing. "You're both like superheroes!" 

Jackie says, grinning. "That's so pog!"

Alt and Bro exchange glances before Bro laughs, “Yeah I guess so! Alt helps me a lot in my hero duties now-“ 

Alt plays with his mask and shrugs, “…I dunno if heroing is… for me though but… I do like- using my magic for good. Helping people… it’s… nice.” His cheeks are red.

Jackie smiles at Alt. "Well I'm sure you're great at it! You seem cool!" 

Alt smiles shyly at Jackie and then hides a bit in his mask. 

Anti returns, wearing a different outfit. Still black, but now it covers everything except for his hands--even his neck. It's very cyberpunk looking. He also has a set of mirrored sunglasses on his head, which he pulls down over his eyes. "Ready to proceed. And I also got these." He puts some black, shimmery fabric on the table. 

Chase reaches out, sorting through them. "Face masks?" 

"They are designed to scramble your faces on most cameras," Anti says. "Most. I cannot guarantee that all cameras were blocked, as there had to be some exceptions made or else I wouldn't be able to identify you."

Bro blinks at Anti then grins, “yooo! Looking Pog my dude~!” He looks down at the masks, “oooh neat!”

"'My dude'--haven't heard that phrase in a while," Chase says, laughing. He takes one of the masks, turning it over a bit to figure out how it would fit, and then puts it on, hiding the lower half of his face. 

"We're not going to stand out that much, are we?" Marvin asks. 

"Nah, human fashion has included masks for a long time," Chase says. "You must've noticed." 

"Why is that?" Schneep asks, interested. 

"Not sure. I think they started as some sort of utility thing but then people thought they looked cool."

“It was to prevent sickness for a while,” Bro says, picking one up and putting it on, taking off his hero mask, “it was a popular trend in Japan. Just spread to other countries.” 

“I think they look cool, obviously.” Alt says, flicking his own.

"It's something about the mystery of it all," Jackie says, taking one as well. 

"Doesn't exactly go with my style, though," JJ says. 

"Would you rather have your face recorded on camera?" Anti asks. 

"I wasn't saying that." JJ takes a mask as well. 

"Why do you have these, anyway?" Schneep asks as he takes one too. 

"Precaution," Anti says slowly. "In any case. Ready to proceed when you all are."

Alt pulls up his mask and nods, “We just need to link up- and Anti you just need to visualize where you want us to appear at.” 

Bro goes to take Alt’s hand and they both offer out their hands to the others.

"Okay. This will probably be really weird, but let's do it!" Jackie grins as he takes Bro's hand. 

"There's a lot of us, are you sure you will be fine?" Schneep asks, taking Jackie's hand in turn. 

"I'm sure it will be," JJ says. "We won't be going too far, really. Not like we're teleporting down to Terra." He takes Alt's hand once he's finished typing. Everyone else links up from there. 

“Yeah it’s no big- I’m all fueled up,” Alt grins, his eyes sparking green blue. “…the yessyir helped a lot.” Bro laughs. 

"Visualizing clear," Anti says. 

"Androids are probably very good at visualizing, aren't they?" Chase chuckles.

Once they get the confirmation, Alt closes his eyes and they all glitch towards the spot near IRIS. Sam waves goodbye as they all disappear. 

[heliosthegriffin]

Shadow Knight, and Magic Girls

Chapter 1

Jaune looks at the clock, it was close to nine. Close to when they'd start to emerge. Tiredly, he gets up from his desk, takes his notes from the previous night he was reviewing and tucks them into drawer, and locks it.

Couldn't have anybody finding it, he had no idea how far this rabbit-hole went, and that scared him. Until he found the bottom, he wasn't stopping, then maybe he could share his knowledge.

Jaune thought for a second, thinking about those flying girls that had appeared the other night and obliterate that shadow beast without even trying. Then how they'd start bickering, who's kill it was and totaling a parking garage.

He shivers. Jaune doubted he could even do ... something or another while they were around. They were a terror, he was glad he had been across the street when it happened, and not inside.

Nobody had been harmed at least.

He touches his shoulder, where a dark black bruise still stung from where a piece of concrete at hit him.

Mostly everyone.

Jury was still out on them, and he wasn't eager to talk to them, maybe when they were more down to earth, he'd try. But, they wouldn't need his help, no people like him needed help, the common person. Strong as they were, they could be everywhere.

Nor could he, but he could be somewhere, and maybe that would be enough to help.

He slips out the window of his house, hanging from the sill for moment, then falls, bending his knees and then rolls forward in a crouch.

Looking around the yard, he didn't feel anything out of place, or sense anybody around. Not in the mystical kind of sense, but the with his eyes and rest of his sense kind of sense.

The street was quiet and dark. Making him grateful for living so close to city limits, almost outside of it. It about made up for all the nightmares he got because how dark it would get out-here.

But, it made for good night-vision training. He rounded to the woods, and went into it, thankfully the moon was out a little tonight, so it wasn't absolute darkness.

He made his way to a old, mostly dead tree, and dug out a duffle bag, one of many he had started storing.

Jaune stopped for a second. He sure was glad he was alone, if anybody was around, they might think he was some kind of criminal, or druggie.

Then he got to stripping and equipping.

Reinforced coat, a full face helmet, steel-toed boots, reinforce gloves, two belts (One for utility and the other for security), and some heavy-duty jeans.

It wasn't much, but it was the best he could do, and he wasn't expecting to take on the cops, or the military ... Yet. Jaune still didn't know the nature of the shadow monsters, but he hadn't ruled out secret government weapon.

Taking a deep breath, he reached into the hollow, grabbing his weapons of choice.

Ferrum Vis, a hollow metal pipe that had been with him since his first encounter, serving him well in-spite of it's battle scars.

Dragon's Breath. A sawed off shotgun, that he got though... means. Plus he needed it more than some punks, or whoever they were.

And, finally a plain, but well made combat knife, Spite. It more than lived up to it's name, having saved his hindquarter on more than one occasion, no one expects a knife to the eye style.

Taking gearing up his utility belt with a couple surprises, he was done gearing up, and set out into Vale.

Tonight, he would begin his one-man crusade again.

---

Jaune found his first enemy of the night quickly, as he walked through the alleys of Vale. The stench of it made him take a step back, it was always the soonest thing to hit him, the alarm bell in his noggin to wake him to action.

It was impossible to describe without experience, but it was like tar-cloying up the nose with a sickly sweet and humid smell, that was at once thick and fluid, seeming to fill any space around it, and stick to it like a deep infection.

It was bad smell. He had yet to smell worse.

He saw several beady red eyes in the center of a stark-white mask. The mask large, and looked like it was made of bone, or maybe, petrified wood? With a red line down the middle of it all, which was a bit of relief to Jaune, as the more markings on those masks tended to mark them as more dangerous, perhaps older, monsters.

But, most of all, the mask was situated on a pile of garbage that formed a vaguely human form. A dumpy, smelling, and ugly humanoid form.

Still, it was a shadow monster, a type he recognized. A Masker, it's only weak spot being it's mask, everything else was just being controlled. In this case it was controlling garbage, which there was a unfortunately high amount back here.

Jaune took a step back, holding Ferrum Vis defensively, as he made himself a smaller target, and looked around the alleyway for any advantages he could use.

Not anything really, other than making it following him to somewhere lest confined.

The Garbage Masker took a step towards, and then another, then swung down a bag of filth at him. Jaune inched to the side, barely needing to avoid the strike, this monster was clumsy, but he felt the power and weight behind the hit.

He could not take any hits from this thing, it was twice his height, and probably four or five times as heavy, that translated to trip to the hospital he wouldn't be coming back from. If he got to the hospital.

The bag limp slammed against the ground, releashing a utterly terrible smell, that still got in under his helmet, Jaune's eye's water.

He wanted to get as far away as possible now, as he felt his gear get stained by the juices that went flying with the hit.

Steeling himself, Jaune jumped up, and stuck the pipe into the trash heap it called a chest, and pulled himself up in a fractions of a second, then left it there, as he sat on it's headless torso, then brough out Spite, and stuck it under the mask, and levered it off with a sick, wet pop.

He had tried break these masks before, it wouldn't work with his knife, but removing them had the effect of making it lose power over the body.

It resisted him, fought him, the mask, not the trash heap, but it's body fell apart, and Jaune slid down, grabbing Ferrum Vis, then put the mass against the wall, and started bashing.

It cracked, and soon, it was turned into black smoke. Jaune made sure not to breath any just in case. He didn't have any clues on what these thing were, besides the one's he had gathered, which was all conjecture.

Which Jaune was heavily leaning towards being a Government Black Site Project to eliminate the homeless.

Ok, actually that one he got from Nora, not that she knew about this thing he was doing, but she never failed to have a conspiracy theory to tell him.

Taking a deep breath, Jaune then thought for a second, that was bit too easy, and shuttered. This would not be a good night, it was pattern he found. On nights were the first kill was easy, it was would only get harder from here.

---

Jaune hated being right. At least in this case, as he stared down something that was as tall and bulky as the Trash Masker he fought earlier, but much, much more dangerous, and muscular.

Something that could only come out of a tribal hunters nightmare stood on two wolfish legs, but with a mannish torso and arms, but a full lupine face, and four terrible, red eyes.

Crap. A Wolf-Monster. It was also the largest one he had seen to-date.

He just met it as he left the alley, going out into a intersection, then it bounded towards him.

Jaune barely had a moments notice to ready himself, a clawed hand the size of a tennis racket nearly giving his head and neck a divorce. He felt the power behind the blow, as he moved away by sheer reflex pushed to it's limit, feeling the air following the blow nearly pulling him down!

Crap. He watched as it's claws dug into the concrete, leaving scars in it's surface.

Forget a hospital, if he got hit he wasn't going to have a open casket!

It pulled it's arm back, and swung with it's other hand, it was fast, but with the windup it had to do, it wasn't hard to follow. Jaune slid edged away, thinking which weapon to use.

The Wolf-Monster didn't bring it's arms back this time, it jerked it's head at him, mouth agape full of white knife-like teeth and a red inside.

Jaune took a step back, and decide to introduce the Wolf-Monster to a dear friend. Taking aiming, Jaune opened fire at the monster's gaping mouth with Dragon's Breath, a hearty boom echoed down the street, as it kickback into his shoulder, as a lead slug fire out of the double barrel shotgun.

Half of it's head flew off in a spray of black matter and quick evaporating mist and red stuff, taking half of it's mask with it as well.

This did not kill the monster, as Jaune had hoped, as the creature stumbled back, it's other remaining half of it's head looked at him madly.

Stupid monster with no vital organs.

Jaune clenched his teeth, the stock had slammed into his bruised shoulder. He fired again, but failed to take off the monsters head, hitting center mass, leaving a large red hole in it's chest.

It bounded towards him, half-head snapping it's remaining teeth at him, while it swung it's freakishly long arms at him.

Jaune held the shotgun defensively, he didn't have time to reload, and started taking stock of his situation.

He was three steps away from the monster. He was mostly fresh, but had no way to reload his gun, before it tore him apart, and no amount of stabbing and beating at it would kill it before it killed him.

It could reach him in one step, and swing at him before it was half a step to him. It was missing half it's head though, and some of it's chest.

Jaune made a snap decision, sliding to his left, under the arm, and threw himself forward into a run, taking off behind the monster, and out into the intersection, out into the open.

It didn't seem to notice at first, charging where he was into the alley-way.

Jaune gulped, he reload the shotgun with a practiced hand, then reached into his coat for a lighter, then to his utility belt for one of his surprises.

The Wolf-Monster had turned around, was bounding back at him now, some fifteen feet away.

Jaune lit the rag and threw the bottle at it's good side.

Crashing into the monster with all the force of a pro pitcher, the bottle shattered, the oil caught fire, and the monster's head burned.

This did not deter it, not in the least. It continued to charge at him, full force, and now on fire. The heat was insane. Jaune leveled the sawed-off and blew off it's burning head.

It's headless body continued on with all the force of a runaway horse and carriage. Jaune didn't have time to dodge, or move, it was too close, he took the brunt of the force, and was sent flying like a rag-doll, with the body on top of him.

Jaune felt something crack, his eyes swam, and he rolled with the body. Then came to stop as they hit something solid, the body taking the brunt of the blow, but still knocked his breath out.

He was also pinned under it. Jaune was strong. He was not lift several hundred pounds of weight off his chest with his arms pinned strong.

Jaune sighed, he'd have to wait for it to turn to disappear. He'd resigned himself, thinking of it as kind of a break.

Eventually the weight lightened, allowing him to push it off, and he felt everything hurt, he looked down, and saw a piece of glass had introduced itself through his coat, and left him with a nice long, if shallow cut across his waist.

Jaune frowned, that was problematic.

"HALT EVILDOING MONSTER-THING!" A Girl in red floated above the intersection point a red-scythe at him.

That was even more problematic.

"Really, alerting the monster to our presence before we can attack, Red?" Came a snide voice, as Jaune saw a Girl in white came down to float just above the red one.

"Evil-doers, couldn't think of anything more original?" Came a cool, deadpan voice, as a Girl in black floating around the shadows.

"Hey! Ease off, it's not like we can't handle a bit of challenge right?" Came a confident voice from the Girl in yellow who floated above them like a sun.

"Hello, everyone. I see you all are here too?" Came a polite voice of a Crimison Girl who floated away from the rest, coming just out of the sky.

Crap. All of them were here. Why were all of them here? Why were they all here, right now, and pointing they're weapons at him?

What did he do now?

They're hands were glowing, time for action. Jaune moved a inch.

"It's moving!" Red shouted, then came at him like a hurricane of, well, redness.

But, it was incredibly direct and telegraphed, Jaune could see the sycthe move in his head, before she struck. Jaune ducked under he sweep, she looked surprised as Jaune was not there, but below her. He put the shotgun to his shoulder and fired, not a foot away.

She went back a foot, looking more confused then pained, in fact she was completely unharmed by the slug. "You ... shot me?" She sounded out the words, as if trying to figure out what it meant.

Jaune said nothing, holstering his gun and taking out Ferrus Vis.

"Ru-, RED!" Yellow's voice was like thunder, as she came crashing down with a almighty force. Jaune had seconds to react, he grabbed the closest thing next to him, which happens to be a floating girl.

The force rattled him, as Yellow almost hit him, but Jaune pushed Red in front of him as the two super-girls collided. Jaune watching in horror as she barreled through a stone wall.

He then started running.

Just in time to see White shoot some sort of ice beam at him, so he ducked. "Humpf." Did she really expect him to take that?

"Nice shot, Ice Witch." Came from Black.

"I don't see you making any attempts." White already pointing her rapier with at him again, to likely shoot another beam.

"Hmm, can't do any worse than you." "Girls, please. He's getting away." Crimson pleaded, pointing at Jaune with her javelin, as he starting running.

Black smirked at White, disappearing, and reappearing in-front of Jaune, shorts word at the ready.

Jaune pulled out a can of something, then sprayed.

Blacks hyper-sensitive nose and eyes were not ready for bear-mace. She fell down clutching her face screaming.

Jaune ducked again, as ice beam almost striking him, and freezing Black.

He needed to do something about her. He reached down to his belt.

"Oh no, you shall not!" She pointed her rapier at him again.

Jaune ducked again, and hid behind the frozen girl, then reloaded his gun again. Using then took aim.

"Do you really think such a weapon will work?" White said haughtily.

Jaune shot out the lights, plunging them into darkness.

"You rogue!" She screeched.

Jaune then took a modified lighter throwing it at her, briefly lighting up her face as it exploded in a splash of light, giving Jaune a very gratifying view of her surprised face, even if he couldn't make out any features, as the light went off.

She screamed, clutching her face.

Jaune didn't savor it, as he ran as fast as he could away from these mad-women.

A glowing crimson girl stopped that notion. "Sorry, I know you're human, but you have committed several crimes against Vale's public order, so I shall be taking you in."

Jaune said nothing, but inside he burned at the sheer hypocrisy at that statement, it though, warred with his urge to laugh at the sheer lack of awareness of that statement.

So, out came Ferrum Vis. He rose the iron rod in a parody of a fencer's stance. He was not going peaceable this night, or any night.

She nodded, but Jaune thought he saw a bit of pity in her eyes.

She flew forward at blinding speed, but like her friend, in telegraphed manner. Jaune inched to the side, his dark-colored clothes blending in well with the lack of light.

He took out Spite.

She looked around for him, as he crept in the shadows. With a twirl she struck at him, her javelin striking the wall behind him, as Jaune struck, Spite was attached into the hollow of Ferrum Vis, to create a makeshift spear.

She wasn't expecting the extra range, his strike hitting the jugular, but sliding off with a crimson glow. It had no effect, but she staggered back like she had been thunder-struck.

Jaune didn't let up, striking her wrist and knocking the Javelin out of her hand, she looked confused, had she never been disarmed before?

Then he kicked her in the jaw, sending her into the wall. Floating didn't really give good support.

Her hand glowed, and Crimson's jaw set, Jaune took off running.

She made too go after him, but Jaune's hand went to his belt, and then threw the object at her.

Crimson remembering what he did to White then covered her eyes.

But, there was no bang or light, just a light force hit her arms. She narrowed her eyes, it was just a pebble.

Then came a metal clang, and her eyes landed a piece of plastic, just as it exploded into light.

------

Crimson unsteadily floated out of the alleyway holding her face, eyes watering.

Her expectant comrades waited around her. Looking away shamefully. "He got away." Crimson admitted.

A chorus of cries came.

"How?" Yellow cried. "We had him, how'd you girls mess up?"

"Us?!" White shrilled. "You're the one who missed him with a clear shot!"

"Yeah, you and Red, are the ones that kept us from getting a drop on him, this is just as much your fault." Black hissed, her eyes red from the bear-mace.

"You girls never had a problem with me doing my hero stuff before!" Red cried. "

Crimson clapped her hands. "It's all our faults! We all missed up." They grumbled.

"I didn't think he would shoot me, or that he was just a guy."

"Yeah, just a guy that clowned on us. I feel so embarrassed." Yellow said sulkily.

White pouted. "How do you think I feel? He was toying with us the whole time, who was he anyway?"

"The Shadow Knight, I think it was him, he matches the description." Black's eyes finally cleared up, and her sharp senses smell iron. Eye's narrowing on the blood on the ground. "He was already injured."

Crimson looked at the stain's aghast. She had fought a injured man!? "Who is the Shadow Knight?"

"A vigilante, who showed up around a year ago."

"Like us." Red realized. "Do you think he's like us?"

Black shook her head. "No, not from what I heard. Apparently, he just targets criminals, and probably Grimm too, considering how much Black Matter he was covered with for us to get confused."

Red shuffled embarrassed, Yellow throwing a arm around her shoulder. "It's find, accidents happen." Then pounded her fists together. "And, we'll show him up next time! Can't have vigilantes running around causing trouble."

White nods. "Yes, I agree. People like him should stay in at night, can't civilians getting hurt. I mean, we're out here most nights to fight evil, and he has the gall to get out here and try to help, like we're not doing enough."

Black was silent in thought, before nodding. "I think we should keep him."

There came a chorus of confusion.

"Think about it, if he's been at this as long as we have, then he might have insights we don't. Plus, we might be able to learn a thing or two."

She got a looks of disinterest from Yellow and White, while Red then mumbled a agreement. "I don't think we made a good impression, he probably doesn't want to anywhere near us again."

"Then we subdue him." Crimson said fiercely, then back-pedaled under her allies stares. "For his own good, I mean. I agree with Black, if he's been at this for a year, as just a man no less, than he's got to be stopped before he gets himself killed. Then we can use him for the greater good against the Grimm."

"Well," Yellow tossed her hair. "If Captain Crimson says we should, then I guess we should."

White looked away haughtily. "Fine. If it means I get to settle the score, fine with me." She began floating away. "It's getting late, anyway. Same time tomorrow?"

The others nodded, and then took off.

With Crimson remaining looking down the blood stained alley. Thoughts coming to her unbidden. When was the last time anything had landed a hit on her, much less disarmed her, toyed with her?

Made her heart beat, give her excitement? The thrill of hunting Grimm she got when she first became Superior to the rest of life? When had these nightly adventures become safe and tame?

It was the first time in a year she had a 'lost' since becoming empowered, and Pyrrha was excited.

-----

Jaune closed and barred the park bathroom. He took off everything from the waist up, getting a good look at his cut.

It was a long bloody gash, at least seven inches long, oozing blood, but it was shallow, as looking into the dark, red mass, he didn't see any bone or muscle tissue, which was a blessing.

It hurt like hell.

It was about to hurt worse.

Taking a deep breathe, Jaune cleared his mind, taking a brief look at his tone, muscled body. SOmething that might be fit for a supermodel, if he could be so arrogant to think.

If not for the tragic amount of scars across his body. It was a miracle that he was alive, perhaps even some beings sick pervsion that kept him moving. That was fine though, as long as he could keep the Shadow-Monsters at bay.

This new wound would scar and fit right in.

-----

Jaune threw up into the sink, as he got done dressing, cleaning, and suturing close his cut.

He didn't even fell pain at his point, it was just a general feeling of unwellness.

Putting back on his clothes and gears, he exited the bathroom. Almost bumping into a green-haired girl with a skateboard.

Her eyes went wide, and Jaune feared he'd have to run and that she'd scream.

"Oh my Brothers! You're the Shadow Knight! Aren't you , right? Dude you totally are! This is like so awesome, you saved my aunt, do you remember her? Cause, like you're the only reason that she's still here, thank you, thank you so much! And-"

Jaune held up a finger to his helmet. The skater-girl's eyes went wide. "Oh, sorry to keep you! You got super-secret Shadow Knight business, um, but could you like sign my board?"

She practically bludgeon him pushing it into his chest.

Jaune nodded. But sighed, as his stitches hurt. Pulling a pen out, he sighed the board.

Then booked it. He really wish he had met her before he got injured, and could afford the time, but he needed to get home before he passed out.

Reese Chloris looked at her board in awe. "Awesome... I should have asked him to sign my boobs."

-------

Jaune slept through first period.

He slept through second period.

Then third, and fourth.

He did not sleep through lunch, in fact he woke up just in time. Much to the surprise of everyone. One second he was sleeping like a stone, the next he was at the door.

No one made to block his passage, not the student or teacher. Anyway one in front of him quickly getting out of his way.

Not because Jaune was forcing them too, but out of a sense of fear, not by Jaune's intention, but as simple cause and effect.

The cause, Jaune's field of being. Not a supernatural effect, but natural effect one might get from being close to a big cat, or a large angry herbivore, such as moose.

The instinctual force telling those around him he was dangerous, a predator.

Everything from the way he carried himself to the way he walked, it resulted in Jaune shining with danger even to the blind.

It did not help how tall he was, how tired and beat up he looked, or the unbroken steel in his eyes that scanned before him like a hawk, or how well built, and swift of movement he moved with.

The effect was in his pursuit of heroism, Jaune had unintentionally made himself into something of thug or bandit to those around him.

Well, to most that is.

Making his way to the lunch table, he brought out a lunch box full of meat and carbs, scafing it down like a hungry dog, empting it completely.

Then went back to sleeping.

Two people then went and sat beside him, on either side.

Ren sighed at his friends unruliness, and slid him the notes for class into his pack, quietly eating his own lunch.

While Nora began babbling to him, about various conspiracy theory, almost certainly subliminally influencing Jaune while he slept.

As long as he had these two, he'd be fine.

-----

Jaune was walking home, went he saw it.

It was a girl a year below him.

And, another it.

This it being Cardin and his gang, bunch of good for nothings, they were cornering her.

"So, my dad bought me this new car after the last one got totaled, due to like bullshit and stuff, he's like super rich, and got me it after I won the trophy for school. You see that? It's huge, like something else I got. So how about it, Rose, want to hang out with me and the boys?"

Ruby tucked herself uncomfortably into her hoodie. "I have plans, will you move?"

"Come on, it can't be that important." Cardin slammed his hand against the wall. "Not more important to me."

"It really is!" Ruby squeak.

Jaune had seen enough.

Walking over, he made eye contact with each of cronies flanking Cardin.

Jaune stared them down with a very direct message. 'Move or be moved.'

They shuffled around looking tough, but did not make eye contact with him.

Pushing pasted them, he sent them stumbling to the floor. Big and strong boys they were, athletic and experienced too. By using normal standards they were quite intimidating.

Jaune did not use normal standard, and they were no match for muscles forged from fighting literal monsters.

Putting one hand on Cardin's shoulder, he gripped and smiled. "Cardin, got room for one more?"

There might have been a time where Cardin had bullied him, Jaune idly remembered.

But going through hunt after hunt, nearly dying over and over again, and still coming to school in the morning, it made Cardin look so small.

He realized that after his first hunt, and stood up to Cardin. He got his ass beat to the infirmary the first time. What happened the second time probably is what kick-started his reputation.

The January 12th Bathroom Beatdown was till talked about when he wasn't around. It was a miracle that he wasn't expelled.

That was over a year ago, and Jaune was strong now, stronger than he had been then.

He pushed down, and Cardin felt as though he had a weight sitting on him shoulder, pinning him, he could move. His gut that he lived by was telling him to move was to die.

"Just kidding. I was just coming to get Ruby." That was her name right? "Nora wants to ask her if it's trues her dad is a black-ops super spy for real, and you know I can't say no to Nora."

Cardin nodded, sweat beading down his brow. "Yeah, no problem bro. I'll just go bowling with the boys."

"Good. Now come along Ruby." The red-head looked confused for moment, holding her hands behind her back. The shyly followed along until they were out of site.

Cardin then fell down. "Shit. I thought he was going to use the plunger on me again."

Dove rose off the ground. "Well, Rose is dead. Lets go bowling."

"Yep." Sky Agreed.

Russel. "Better her than us."

---

As Ruby followed along Jaune she kept her hands tense.

She hadn't want to hurt anybody, but she wasn't going to let Cardin push her around either. Now, the schools more feared student was making her follow along, what did her really want with her?

Did... Did he want her that way?! Her face flush.

No, she'd resist his devilish charm, and continue to fight evil!

Ok, maybe she'd wait to resist just little bit.

Smarts flew off her finger-tips.

"Ok, you should be good." The giant blonde said abruptly.

"What?" Ruby said confused, her blush disappearing as she tried to remember what he said earlier. "Weren't you going to take me somewhere?"

"Oh, that was just a white lie to get Cardin to leave you alone. Bye."

Ruby grabbed his arm, and he turn fast, faster than she thought a normie could turn, and for a second her heart stopped.

He looked like he was going to kill her!

"Uh, it's just, I thought that you were... Thanks for protecting me!"

"You're welcome, now let go."

"No! If you protect someone it means you're a good person, I don't care what others say, you look so lonely and mean, but I know you're nice. So, we're going to be best friends forever, now!" Ruby rambled hearfeltly at Jaune.

Jaune looked away. "Ok." He did not know how to deal with gratitue when he wasn't losing blood.

"Yippie! New friend! I can't wait to introduce you to the other girls!"

"Other girls?" Jaune asked nervously.

"Yeah, now that you're my friend, that make you they're friend as well."

Jaune felt the urge to now runaway from this tiny girl and never look back, least she find him.

Oh, Brothers. What has he done?

Ruby let the magic she was holding onto disperse, she wouldn't need it now, Jaune was a big softie, she was sure.

The other would love him!

Now, they just had to catch the Shadow Knight, and make him they're BFF too!

---

[erenspussy420]

Twst Android Au p4

Chapter: Scarabia and Owners

.

.

You stride out of Pomefiore halls with some snags of your clothes from the branches, plucking you to return to the androids you're totally not running from. You'd just rather get the move on of course. The phantom chirping of thuarmarks bills dance around your head, mocking you. The Owner follows after you, jogging in her kitten heels, the faint clicking of metal is soft, but you assume it to be whatever keys she has on her.

Out of the Pomefiore's painted hall and back to the center of the hall and towards the bright sunny hall of rolling sand dunes and bright skies. The magic of Twisted Wonderland is unique, gifted to plenty but not to everyone. Most like you have no magic but can still sense and use magic infused items sort of a consolation prize.

Magicians from hermit humans and boisterous ones, to the magical fae who ruled the spaces of darkness and lights, to the mermaids who from the warmest lf waters and chilliest of oceans floors can use it freely and make wonders. Wanders and wonders that leave you breathless and envious of what can be done.

And now the brilliance of Raven Works magicians and technicians whose androids have left you wanting ... .and earnest to see more than what your friends from college had shown you

Even the hall has its soft winds gracing the loose fabrics of your clothes, the rustle of the Owner's skirt, as she strides past you in the hall, waving her hand," And here my dear customer is the hall of Scarabia. Our models of the beautiful Scalding Sands. "

You nod as you watch the walls of the hall, have grains of sand fly in arcs, as you turn the corner of the hall, the head of the old Sultan's Palace, peeking over the green leaves of palm trees. You had to admit, Raven Works really do live up to its hype. At the end of the hall there are no heavy doors like Pomefiore androids had. There instead were large heavy red curtains open and tied by heavy braided tassels, soft longer fabrics strewn across the ceilings with floating glass candles. As you wonder in bright eyes, the Owner giggling as she follows you a little sing song tone.

"Beautiful right? The androids today in our display are just two. Two legacies of our Al-Asim and Viper collection. Now I see that question in your eyes," The owner tuts tuts as she guides you past the dancing fountain. You follow, amazed how so much can fit into this building, but once again magic has done its course."Why just two? But of course the Grand Vizier and the dear Sultan whom he served."

Soft scent of sandalwood and jasmine wafted across the room, soft smoke curling around your jaw. You let out a soft sigh feeling more relaxed when you left the Pomefiore hall.

Before you could even say anything, the Owner led you into a space where two glass cases stood erect, facing each other. Unlike Pomefiore androids, these two were kept at a distance. Throwing her hands out with a grand laugh,"Tah-dah~!"

 An android with short white hair, tufts sticking out with gold sheen in his hair, stood under the sunlight filtering into the room. His clothes were a pallet of rich hues of red and gold, black making them more bright. Wrapped around his head a red turban-like headband with a red parrot's feathered edged with an azure blue. Gold round beads embroidered and dangled over the fabric, with red like gems that you dearly hope were fake– were sewn on. On its side, the headband tied into a large neat bow. The bow's tail was long, draping over the androids collar and shoulder like a scarf with gold stitches like hearts.

And that's just his head band. You haven't even gotten to his gold large earrings, his gold choker, gold so much on him or the white henna so carefully painted, stark against his skin. This android looked expensive and ornate, this…hm…

"Where is it," you murmur. 

You peer down at the information plate next to the android. Kalim Al-Asim Unit. Oh, this was one of the legacies then. Looking up at him, he seemed to be as tall as the Riddle and Epel Units- short statured and wiry build. Unlike the fair skinned androids, you look back to the other and see he too like Kalim were darker skinned, a warm rich brown tone Kalim had compared to the other. 

Looking over at Kalim, you noticed he seemed more…more…softer somehow. Where the other units do appear human and well crafted, but the Kalim Unit had this warmer feeling, more friendly which is weird seeing he is an android. More sweeter, the neutral set of his mouth curls at his lip. The shape of his eyes would be kind if you could see them open, you weren't much for eye contact but at this point you had the need to peer into them. The dark brown eyeshadow even brought out the shape of his eyes.

In the sunlight he glitters with his gold.

Breathing, you leaned back and waited for the Owner to start talking.

And waited.

And waited some more that you wondered where she went.

Taking a glance around you haven't yet heard the Owner say anything about the Kalim Unit. Glancing back again you see her look adoring the taller android standing in his case behind the curtains shade.

Oh right, the Owners bias.

'A real big fan then', You think as you come closer to it.

Taller, and much sharper features than Kalim's soft looks, the plate name read Jamil Viper Unit. His eye shadow is reddish in tone, and a mouth set firm. He was lean, with a muscular frame like that of a dancer with more definition in his arms. His clothes matched Kalims but a much shorter black vest with a hood than Kalim's longer tailed coat. And baggy black pants with red flames over their legs reminding you of your male cousin's obsession with flames on everything.

Snickering a bit, you look over at him and you have to give it to the Owner. He's beautiful in a more mysterious way. Where the Kalim Unit was warm and sweet, the Jamil Unit is more...cool like. His gold choker, and his dangling red gem earrings suit him, and are less ornate than Kalim's. Gold bangles and a snake like coil around his arm matching the gold tassels and bells in his hair.

And his hair, no wonder the Owner went on and on about it. Long black and silky, half the side of his hair was done in long braids that tied into a low ponytail and over his shoulders. His hair was longer than the Leona Unit's and much more sleek too.

Looking back to Kalim and then to Jamil, you compare how they were like night and day. More so than the other dorms. You felt a little bad comparing them but out of the other androids they were the only ones of their dorm.

Engrossed with your thoughts you didn't hear the familiar clicks of heels.

"Gorgeous right?" Came the voice in your ear.

Screeching you turn to the Owner with your hands thrown up ready to throw hands 

"Stop that! I thought you were still drooling over the Viper Unit," you huffed.

"I finished!" The Owner admittedly easily, she looks over to you through her pink mask, her eyes round yellow dots,"So how do you like them?"

"Well I don't know anything about them yet," You tell her," You haven't even said a single word about them!"

The Owner looked at you blankly until she slapped her cheek in shock.

"Oh dear! Where did my mind go! Right, right, come with me!" The Owner heels click-click on the tiles back to Kalim with her hand slapping the glass.

"This cutie here comes from Al-Asim legacy, as I had said before, those androids tend to be more flashy and more financial oriented from saving and to investments, quite the money makers but please let it be known we here at Raven Works work tirelessly to make sure those are up to date," She said in a matter of fact tone, she leans close to you," however what makes them more famous as they are quite the grand party throwers around. If you hate the idea of creating one then leave it to your Kalim Unit, quite the ball of sunshine."

The Owner sounded fond of Kalim's android and tapped the glass more gently. Unlike you, she had her gloves on and winex at hand so she can touch as she likes. She then adds,"However with the Kalim unit, is more companion than planner if I'm honest. Quite the social butterfly like our Cater Unit."

However there was something that was bugging you."Isn't there a family like that in the Scalding Sands, Al-Asim's? I heard they're pretty rich, like real real rich."

You weren't even joking they could buy out islands and countries and still will never make a dent. Rich enough it would make anyone sick. The posts on Magicam from some particular members of such an elite family would make you weep as you open your bills for the month. 

The Owner hums and makes a sort of noise that reminds you of a cat being forced against its will.

"Yes actually, however due to the android being simply an ... .inspiration, there is no connection to that of the Al-Asim’s. As are all of our Units, inspirations of past figures like our Great Seven. Anything that reminds of such is simply a likeness and not truly that person based on," the Owner answers in a tone that is rehearsed and nothing like her bubbly voice, oddly it sounds rather masculine.

Not that you were going to point it out.

"Riiight," you drawl, and change the subject by nodding to the Viper Unit," so uh what about him?"

The light in the Owner's eyes returns tenfold as she giggles and holds her cheeks. With a quick click of her heels, the faint noise of keys, the Owner claps the sides of the unit’s case with a loud squeal,” So this guy! This guy right here! One of our best bodyguards around!”

“Body guard?” You parroted, eyes wide as you look at the resting unit,”I thought all androids are like that?”

“Sadly, that’s not the case for most androids, while many are certified for human companionship and health, many are not made for the purpose of guarding or fighting. While it is a courtesy to all, your androids will protect you in extreme circumstances.   Few androids have been certified for such positions such as the Rook Unit, the Leech Units, and our Jamil Unit here.”

Her white gloves touch over the glass again, a shimmer of magic gloss over the android,” As you can see, this unit is well guarded from theft as it is a very valuable unit. Not only does it have a guarding mode, but as well as a caretaker. Ever need a gorgeous house husband? Look no further, the Jamil Unit is the best around!”

“Best and expensive too,” You mutter.

“Exactly!” The Owner nods,” Well my dear customer this ends our tour, now if there is any android you have interest in-”

Whoa! You shake your head quickly at the Owner, shake your hands at her and you say,” Wait, I heard there are two more floors here! Can’t we see the other androids? You can’t just try to sell me a unit if you haven’t shown the others!”

No way at this point were you going to leave! There were two more fours and you knew that. Seeing so many units and the halls of the rooms, you didn’t want to leave yet. Not even if you had seen Vil, being so close to him sate your desire for now for the android, but the rest. The rest you want to see…

The Owner hums and touches her chin tapping it with her gloves in thought,”I don’t know if I can. My Boss would be so–”

‘Wait she isn’t the Owner?’ You were surprised but shook your head. Focus! 

“But I want to see the others! Of course I be…uhhh….willing to take a loan,” You gritted the last words out with some pain.

The manager, downgraded from her reveal, still hesitates.

Then out of nowhere a loud gracious caw came from everywhere and nowhere. Boisterous and loud, dripping with a tone that triggers your past life.

“Dear precious customer! We at Raven Works would be so proud to make sure you are financially ready to take an android home today!” A loud bang and dark feathers in a whirl snap at the air, your arms holding up to shield your face as the air dies down. You slowly open your eyes, your hair a mess, taking in the sight before you a tall pale man dressed in a long dark feathered cloak. His dark wavy hair touches his jaw, his pointed low ears show his fae blood. The clack of his cane against the tiles, a bundle of mirrors on his dark slacks and even his dark top hat. But what brought you to him was his dotted yellow eyes peeking down at you from behind his long beaked mask.

You peeked over to the manager and saw she had bowed lowly to him. Her hands pressed down on her skirts as her hair threatened to topple out of its bun.

“Master Crowley, may I say how handsome you loo—oo…k,” her voice dulls and she stays like that still.

“H-Hey!” Concerned, you touched the manager’s back but immediately drew back your mouth gaping. Her body! It was hard as steel! Even the soft cloth of her dress didn’t hide the undeniable steel beneath it. 

“Well! Well Customer! You seem to have gotten acquainted with our dear little manager unit,” The man dubbed Crowley, caws in delight his nails were decorated with golden talons as he brushes the fake hair of the manager fondly,”One of our earliest androids now retired. Quite the lively one but rest assured our newer lines are more warm! Life-like and as obedient as they could be!” 

Your brows furrow as you look at your previous tour guide,”Uh, is…is she going to turn on again?”

“Hm? Oh yes, yes,” He waves his hand casually at the manager as he now turns to you with a delighted look,”Now I hear you want to see our newer lines! I’d be glad to show it to such a willing and dedicated owner such as yourself!”

He strides by you, not waiting for you to catch up as he leads out of Scarabia’s grand case room. You jogged after him, as he talked and talked about loans and interest rates and how long it would be for approval and of course choosing and delivery. You leave behind the grand room, and leave the androids behind.

[acim-ed-ortsac]

Ruler of the End - 5

Twisted Wonderland x Ender Dragon Male reader

Tenebris looks at the giant hole on the wall, its debris on the other side with concrete dust dirtying the floor. “… What in the Three Realms did that!?”

“From what I heard, they were messing around with a spell they found in the forbidden section of the library and BOOM! A hole appeared.They really put the N in newbies.”

The dragon made no comment on the strange word at the end as he inspected the hole, frowning. “Your leader must have gotten very angry.”

Cater laughed, “Yeah, you should’ve seen it! He got so red he didn’t hesitate to ‘Off with their Heads!’”

While Tenebris got started on the wall, he and Cater talked for a while of what happened so far. The man asked him questions regarding his world and species, ( “I mean, magic is not that normal for you?” “ Well, they mostly used it to enchant weapons and armour while the potions were used for combat or some trivial things.”) while the dragon asked him simple things like his favorite food, what’s his favorite animal, etc.

When the topic of the tiny metal box came around, Cater looked shocked to the core. “You don’t have a phone in your world!?”

“Phone? Is that what you call them? And to answer your question, no. The players in the Overworld have something called a Chat where they’re able to communicate through a digital system. Though, I’m not very much familiar with it.”

“Then how do you communicate with others far away!?”

“I usually fly over to them.”

“. . .You’re an endangered species, I need to teach you so you won’t get left behind!”

“Ctaer, the Ender Dragon species isn’t endangered.”

However, their time was interrupted when a bell sounded and Cater hurriedly left, saying that that’s the warning bell before class starts. Leaving Tenebris alone to work.

The wall wasn’t a difficult task since he has a load of concrete in the same colours, but he noticed some trinkets scattered around the destruction. Were these someone’s personal belongings? 

Shaking off the sympathy and pity he felt, he added the finishing touches to the wall. 

*-*

Tenebris is confused.

The ruler of the End looks dumbly at the two tall people in front of him, who oddly have the same characteristics as the other - minus some minor differences such as the eyes and direction of the black streak-

A laugh blinked him into focus as one of the similar people seemed to glide towards him and get into his personal space, leaning despite the height differences.

(Tenebris is sure he’s an inch taller than them in his human form)

“Jade look! He looks like another sea slug!”

. . . He’s insulting me, isn’t he? Tenebris frowned.

The calmer and more dignified-looking person chuckled, “Please do not take any offense, my brother, Floyd, has a habit of calling affectionate nicknames to people he likes.”

This did not make it any better, “You two don’t even know me, so how can he like me when we just met?”

“Eh?” The one beside the dragon, Floyd seems like it, made a somewhat confused face. “I don’t need to meet you to like you,” He then grinned, leaning back as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. “I heard that you went crazy during the Entrance Ceremony! Everyone was running around like a school of fish getting hunted!”

Tenebris snorted, “Of course I would, who wouldn’t be after suddenly being transported into another world after dying? You?”

“Hmm, maybe.”

A sigh from the dragon, “Don’t you have classes to attend?”

“We’re currently on lunch break right now so we’re waiting till the period ends.” Answers the calm look-a-like name Jade.

Tenebris hummed, looking blankly at them, “Alright, then enjoy your lunch.” He then makes an attempt to walk away from them. Key word, attempt.

Sadly, something latched onto his arm as he tried to turn away. “Aww, why go so soon? Isn’t fixing things boring?”

The dragon arched a brow as he looked at Floyd, who was pouting at him. A chuckle was heard behind him, “I apologize again, but I suggest for you to follow his whims for the moment. . . You may never know when his moods might act up and break things.”

“. . .”

For the sake of less things to fix, Tenebris lets them tag along for the moment.

“Alright, let's go Jade and Floyd.”

“Pardon, but may I ask for your name.”

“It’s Tenebris.”

*-*

Tenebris has seen plenty of attractive men so far in this world.

And at this moment, the young boy in front of him was no exception.

Choppy silver hair falling to tresses on the grass, a strand on his owners’ fair skin face that was beautifully sculpted. His lips parted to release gentle puffs of air as his long lashes were feather-like. Behind the school uniform he wore, the dragon could tell he was built with muscles.

Animals seemed to gather around this sleeping human, taking a liking to the beauty. Birds were perched on branches that were above the human and little squirrels and rabbits gathered at his sides.

While the ruler would hate to disturb the peaceful rest of the human. . .the lunch period had just finished and classes were continuing. And he had enough beautiful faces for one day.

Crouching, he gently shakes the slumbering human. “Excuse me, please wake up.”

After a few shakes, the strangers’ eyes fluttered open to reveal the most unusual yet attractive colour of blue and purple eyes. Tenebris had to keep himself from gaping - or was it gawking - at the beauty. “Lunch just ended and you’re late for class.”

“Hmm,” the human mumbled sleepily before blinking himself awake. “Oh, thank you for waking me up. I must have dozed off again.”

The dragon hummed, “You should get going now if you don’t want to get in trouble.”

“I will, thank you Mr.?”

“Tenebris.”

Just as Tenebris starts standing up, the human starts to do the same. “Thank you for waking me up, Mr. Tenebris.”

“You’re quite beautiful, by the way.”

“Beautiful!?” The human’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s the first time someone said that to me. And with no context.”

The dragon blinked at him, “Why? Is it wrong for me to compliment you?”

The human flushed, “Ah, no. There’s nothing wrong with complimenting me. . .when you’re supposed to be the one getting complimented.” he said the last part quietly, making Tenebris strain his ears.

“Come again?”

“It’s nothing,” Shaking his head, the human gave the dragon a smile of appreciation. “Anyway, I must get back to my class.”

“It was nice meeting you. . .”

“Silver. My name is Silver.”

*-*

Yuu was going to die.

They stared up at the scary - but very sexy - lion man in front of them who was glaring down at them with annoyance. Grim was cowering behind them, using them as a shield.

The traitor! Yuu internally screamed while they stared wide-eyed at the lion man. “You have the nerve to step on my tail, omnivore.”

“Ah, yeah, I’m really sorry about that. Can you just forgive and forget?” a weak chuckle left them in an attempt to lighten the mood.

The lion-man wrinkled his nose, “As if I, Leona Kingscholar, can take this without getting a tooth from you.” And with a stance, he rears in for a punch.

“Let’s get out of here!” Grim shrieks.

Before Yuu can even let out a yelp, something large, tall, and with black leathery wings and a tail blocked them from the path. Blinking out of shock, they glanced up to see long dark hair and pointed horns that went up to the sky. Tenebris!

The dragon in front of them sighs, “Leona, I’d appreciate it if you don’t injure my friend.”

“Hey, they started it.”

“Senior Leona!” a new voice entered the chat.

Yuu glanced to see a scrawny yet cute boy with dirty blonde hair that’s brown at the roots, fair skin, lax blue eyes, and two large ears that reminds them of a dog - or some kind of animal. He was shorter compared to the two towering beings here.

“Agh,” the lion man let out an exasperated sigh. “You led him here!?”

“He was asking for you.” Tenebris replied.

“And I’m thankful for your help!” The shorter male grinned. “And you,” he turned to the lion man named Leona with an annoyed frown. “We got after-school classes today, you know!”

“Ugh, thanks to you, I’ve got this guy on my tail.”

Yuu can only cry in joy. I’m in pretty boy heaven!

Sadly, their joy was short lived when Leona and the shorter animal man left and Tenebris turned to them with a look that made them feel ashamed. “Our third day in this world and you almost got beaten up? And it was just yesterday that you broke the chandelier and charred a statue.”

“It was not my fault! Grim was the culprit in most of these!”

“Don’t drag me into this! The Great Grim-“

“Great Grim my ass, you’re literally a child right now!”

A sigh cut through their impending argument as Tenebris placed a hand to his head and asked with a half-lidded tired look, “What happened this time?”

*-*

“Either your senses are really bad or it was intentional for your dorm head to hear you.”

“As if I would try to get myself into trouble!”

Tenebris deadpanned at the still collared Ace who scowled in return after the dragon’s comment. Deuce glanced at them nervously before picking more chestnuts, “It’s not that bad, all we have to do is replace the tart and let Ace apologize.” “And what kind of tart are you gonna make?” The dragon asked.

“A mont blanc,” Yuu replied, plopping chestnuts in the basket with tweezers. “ Senior Trey is gonna help us when we get back.”

“Trey?”

“One of the seniors in our dorm,” Ace answered, stretching. “I think we got enough.”

“Then let’s head to the kitchen, I think Senior Trey is waiting there.” Deuce said, also standing up.

“Yes!” Grim fist-bump the air, “Time to make that Mont blanc!”

… I should follow them. Just in case.

When he met the senior, Tenebris had thought:

Trey is a nice guy.

When they got to the school’s kitchen, awaiting them was a tall bespectacled man - but not taller than the dragon - with a shade of green choppy short hair with a pair of black square glasses, behind them were a pair of amber gold eyes. A clover mark painted on the side of his cheek. The man wasn’ muscular but the dragon could see a hint of telltale muscles under his long sleeves. 

When he first entered with Yuu and their friends, Trey looked at him in surprise, not expecting a new person with them. “ Ah, you’re the dragon at the Entrance Ceremony…Tenebris, Yuu called you?”

“That’s my name. And you’re Trey I’m assuming.”

“In the flesh.” the human said with a friendly smile.

“You’re quite attractive,” The dragon then eyed the three other humans. “A necessity in this school, I see”

Tenebris ignored the bright blush on the bespectacled man’s face and the squawks from the other two, opting to take a look around the kitchen. Grim hopped on one of the many tables near him, “Hey, what’s wrong with their faces?” the cat asked.

“Not sure, don’t think too hard on it.”

“Alright,”

After Trey had checked the amount of chestnuts, they went to work on the tart. The dragon watched on the sidelines as they prepared the ingredients before mixing them, step by step, layer by layer. He never made a tart before, he wasn’t sure if he ever tasted one in his old world. . .Maybe he could try one later. They were on the last step which is adding the whip cream on the tart, which shouldn’t be a problem until Trey made a noise of realization: “You got too many chestnuts, I don’t have enough whip cream.”

Ah, how unfortunate

So Trey suggested one of them buy some extra ingredients to make more whip cream. Deuce volunteered, but after taking a look at the list, he asked Yuu for their help. The otherworldly human agreed followed by Grim who wanted to come along. “I’m coming too! I’m getting tired of this baking-“

Tenebris snatched the monster in his hands before he could jump down from the table, “Nope, you’re helping them here. In the kitchen.”

“Aww, come on!” Grim squirmed in his hold, trying to get out.

“Escape and I’ll cut your tuna supply.”

“WHAT!”

“I’ll also lessen your portion of meals if you continue to misbehave.”

“…”

After that delightful conversation, Yuu and Deuce headed out, leaving two humans, a dragon, and a monster in the kitchen. Heaving a chuckle, Trey turned to the dragon with a friendly albeit awkward smile. “So, wanna help?”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

Helping in the tart was fun for Tenebris, he had his experience with cooking and baking, but there were things he hadn’t tried. Though the skill wasn’t needed in becoming a ruler - or something powerful enough to protect his realm - he liked the calmness and steady flow it brought to him. Away from the stress of being the most powerful. Away from the pain he had to endure and witness. Away from the evilness and corruption that wasn’t visible but present in his world. . .

He should really stop thinking about that, he has a new life to make here.

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4

Ao3

[soaringonblackwings]

Title: Tail-fin

Summary: Crow gains his wings.

Chapters: 1/1

Crow breached his head out of the water. He climbed onto the rocky ground and looked up to the ceiling. This place was a cave. There was an opening at the top where the sky was visible. From above his trusty friend Gale flew into the cave with him. Right now, the full moon was partially visible from the opening above. Crow could see a quarter of it. This place was called a moon pool by mermaids. It is a gathering place for mermaids. Especially if they needed to do something related to magic. Which is precisely why Crow is here today.

There was an opening to the cave on the ground too. From the entrance his human friend, Brave, walked in. “Heya!”

“Did you bring everything?” Crow asked excitedly.

Brave opened his messenger bag and pulled out a mason jar, a metal straw, and he pulled out some long plastic gloves too.

“I came prepared.” Braved smiled.

Crow smiled, the tip of his tail fin shaking with joy. He looks up at the ceiling. The moon was slowly inching across the sky.

“Excited?” Brave asks.

“Very. I researched everything. All i need is to ingest the water powered by the full moon with what animal I want.” Crow looks at Gale. “That is where you come in Gale. I’ll need one of your feathers.”

Gale flaps his wings, agreeing to help.

“I hope you don’t need to swallow the feather.” Brave cringed at the thought.

“If I must.” Crow was determined to get his wings. “I don’t want your help to go to waste.”

“Ha ha! Oh, don’t worry about that.” Brave waves. “I’m just happy to help a friend.”

The began to reach the center of the viewfinder. Crow backed away from the pool as it began to glow and bubble. This was the only time a mermaid being near the Moon Pool was bad. This would turn them fully human and they wouldn’t be able to turn back until the next full moon in a Moon Pool. So Crow was very anxious about any drop of water getting on him.

Brave threw him a pair of gloves and put on a pair himself. He collects the bubbling water into the mason jar. Gale plucks off a feather and puts it into the jar. The three look on as the feather dissolves in the bubbling water. Brave stirs the concoction before handing it off to Crow.

The ginger mermaid gulps down the concoction in one go. His body began to glow. He rolled over onto his stomach as his body shook. From his lower back, where the human skin and mermaid tail met, small protrusion began to form. It increased forming wings that grew glistening black feathers like Gale’s own feathers. The wings contoured to the lower half of Crow’s body. Once the transformation was Donne, Crow was breathing heavily.

“How do they look?” Crow mumbled, his breath ragged. Brave ran over to him.

“They are shiny.” Brave says, patting the wings. “And fluffy!”

Crow turned over with what little energy he had. He attempted to move the right wing only to smack Brave back with the sporadic movement.

“I’m sorry! I guess I need to practice controlling them.”

“You think!” There was no malice in his voice, not even slight annoyance. He was enjoying himself.

Crow was examining his wing. He had a childlike gleam in his eyes. Like he had gotten the gift he was begging for.

“Thank you Brave! Thanks Gale! I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Crow gave the duo a hug. Above the moon was passing by. The Moon Pool had began to still. Now that it was safe, Crow was going to fly. He gestured for Brave and Gale to give him space. He spread out his wings and began to flap. Gusts of wind formed in the cave and crow slowly became airborne. His flight wasn’t perfect. But it was enough to hover in place.

“Cool! Try moving towards the pool.” Brave said.

Crow nods and tilts his body to the right. He was very stiff with his movements, but made it above the water. The moon had fully passed and now the Moon Pool was back to normal. Crow could fall into the water safely. He drops himself into the pool.

“That was amazing!” Crow yelled. His wings were curled around him. He dived underwater and swam around. He still retained his ability to swim. “I can still swim. I was worried about that.”

“It’s getting late, we should go home.” Brave said.

“Yeah. I can’t wait to see what my brothers say. Can you still meet up here later this week?” Crow said.

The duo went their separate ways. Now that Crow has his wings, he can fly like he always wanted to.

[whiskey-bumblebee]

Omg I can't tell you how many times a day I think about sugar daddy hotch

I think my dream gift from him would be just a whole hoke library all for myself. I love my books so so so much and books from Aaron?? ugh I'd melt

I am going to blatantly borrow from Age of Adaline here, so if you haven't seen it, slight spoilers for that (and I really recommend watching it!). Hope you enjoy this! I have an excessive collection of books myself so I get it lol <3

Also I mention some books by name here, I picked them randomly and they are NOT recommendations by me. I have no idea what they're about and I've never read any of them.

Divider credit: @tommyytalks

You can't keep the grin from your face as you slide the ladder across the floor, the wheels sending it flying across the freshly-waxed wood. The shelves reach the ceiling, and you and Hotch have decided to spend your weekend populating them. Your collection had been packed into boxes in preparation for moving them to the new, purpose-built room that would be their home, so now you were unpacking them, after a long debate about whether to alphabetize them by author, or to organize them by colour.

The hours pass, and you appreciate the way the golden accent wall catches the light at the different times of day. Now, at sunset, it sends golden, orange, and red glimmering through the room, reflecting the shades of the sky. The brass details in the room look stunning too, like some form of long-forgotten magic is creeping back into the room through the metal.

Aside from the shelves and the golden wall, which visually dominate the space, there's a portable electric fireplace in the centre of the room, around which two armchairs and a chaise longue are arranged.

A large landscape painting hangs on the wall nearest the door, and a smaller bookshelf sits beneath it, this one with glass doors. Hotch had explained that this bookshelf was designed to hold the more sensitive parts of your collection; the books that were older than any living person, the antique maps, the manuscripts with unique bindings.

You might have felt heat blossom in your chest when he said "sensitive parts", but that's irrelevant.

Once it's all unpacked, he comments that you can decide if you want to fill all of the shelves with books, or leave space for trinkets, busts, small sculptures, trophies, et cetera. That's part of the gift, of course, the promise that he'll take you to your favourite independent bookstore and you can fill the shelves with whatever you like.

You think that must be it. A whole room, dedicated to your books, freshly renovated? A rolling ladder like in Beauty and the Beast? The promise of taking you to buy anything else you'd like to fill the room with? The Hermes throw that made you panic and close the page when you saw how much it cost?

You run your hands over your jeans and smile at Aaron, about to thank him, when he extends you a pile of books.

Violets - Kyung-sook Shin Red Roses for My Love - Edgar Holmes Sunflowers - Sheramy Bundrick The Black Tulip - Alexandre Dumas Orchid Blues - Stuart Woods A Hundred White Daffodils - Jane Kenyon "Flowers that will never wilt," He explains after you've looked at each of the titles. You roll your eyes playfully. "I love you."

He rests his head against yours, taking a moment to share a breath.

"I love you too."

[chickensoup-4-mysoul]

herculean (drrr x f!reader) - chapter 34

chapter 34 - found

synopsis: you're home.

word count: 4,856

warnings:

“i may never ever rise above you i may stumble as i lose my way i may never find the words to tell you oh, believe me oh my heart, i want you to be strong, i need you to be all i believe in,, all i believe in - the magic numbers

It’s…oddly warm.

Not the blistering kind of warmth that stings your skin, or the thick and sweltering warmth that conjures sweat from your brow. A gentle, comforting warmth--paired with softness. It surrounds you, but doesn’t suffocate. A contented sigh brushes past your lower lip. Your body burrows deeper into the feeling, relishing in silky cotton. 

Cotton…?

Awareness slowly catches up with the sensation, struggling to put any puzzle pieces together. Most of your fuzzy consciousness continues to seek comfort over comprehension. However, the fuzziness is fleeting--chased away by your gradually sharpening senses.

The feeling of cushion goes hand in hand with the smell of linen, fresh and warm. You’re suddenly aware of your own tongue, pressed against the roof of your mouth. As it runs against your bottom teeth, the stale and cottony flavor almost makes you grimace.

A soft rustling pulls you outward. It could almost be from your shifting, but it’s too far away--that is, until it grows closer. A tinny clattering, like metal against metal. A soft exhale--a human sound. The clattering resounds once more, this time uncomfortably close to your ears.

The indignant noise rises from you involuntarily. A sharp breath follows closely after it--once again, not from you. You register the tension between your knit brows. Underneath, your eyelids begin to flutter, claiming sight as the final piece of the puzzle.

An array of warm neutrals blur together. The abstract sight is almost pleasant. Calming. A tilt of your head fills the picture with bright white. It makes you squint, stark against the muddy colors. The blob of white fluctuates, oddly unable to keep still. You blink once. Twice. Three times, trying to will the obtrusion out of your peaceful picture.

“....ou’re…wake!”

The sound startles you awake as if you’d been dropped into ice water. Suddenly, all of the warm blurs become sharp and bright. Too bright. The stark white takes the specific shape of long arms and lanky torso. You look up and see a mop of mousy hair atop a pair of black frames.

Your heart begins pounding and your brain moves too slowly to understand why. A cry tries to tumble out of you, but dies in your crackled throat. You don’t realize you’ve been lying down until your torso shoots up, abandoning cotton and comfort. 

A dull throbbing echoes through your head, immediately punishing you for the sudden movement. You hiss, hands flying up to cradle your temples. There’s a pressure on your shoulders, willing you to lie back down. You start to panic again, until you further register the touch. It’s gentle, executed by lithe, cautious hands.

“Woah, easy…you oughta be gentle with yourself right now.”

The voice that had so quickly roused you now mirrored the touch that accompanied it. Light. Soothing. 

Under the mop of hair, you see gray eyes. Under the black frames, you see a pacifying smile. A lab coat. A blue necktie.

“Shinra…?” Your voice is weak from lack of use, but the gleam of recognition in the man’s eyes indicates that he heard you.

“Ah good, looks like your memory’s in one piece! At least of me…Hold on while I grab Celty.”

You stare at the man’s retreating back before your gaze drifts up to the ceiling. The color was very familiar, but you’re not sure where you’d seen it before. You glance to your right at the nightstand beside you. A tray occupies the space, piled with various items. You can only point out a few folded cloths, a thermometer, and two glasses of water. Right beside it, a small picture frame is perched on the corner. 

Shinra beams at you from behind the frame, shadows wrapped around him as Celty stands in the background, arms crossed shyly.

You could only surmise that this was a room within their home.

That’s right, Shinra and Celty…your friends. Er, acquaintances. The former, an acquaintance, and the latter, a friend. Shinra was plenty nice, but you weren’t quite as close to him as your other friends.

As your train of thought continues, a foreboding feeling creeps up the back of your neck.

Other friends.

Something invisible looms over you, and you can’t help but feel like you’re missing something. You squint your eyes again, willing yourself to think just a little more clearly.

Why am I here again?

The nagging feeling grows stronger.

How did I even get here?

You barely notice the door opening again.

What hap…

It’s the sight of Celty’s bright yellow helmet that slams you fully into reality. You slowly sit up, eyes wide and jaw gaping. Clarity floods your brain in the form of memories and snapshots. Izaya’s apartment. Your apartment. Your father…your captor. The rooftop. Hoisting him into the night sky. Your friends watching. 

The mattress sinks a little beside you. A bright screen appears in your vision, and it takes you a few bewildered blinks before you can read it.

“How are you feeling?”

The words ground you before your mind can spiral too far out of proportion. Your eyes move to Celty, catching your reflection in the glass of her helmet. Your lips twitch with the impulse to answer, but something holds you back. Celty pulls the screen back, quickly typing something else.

“That’s okay, I’m sure you're tired. Shinra’s gonna check on you for a bit, okay?”

You glance at Shinra, who seems to take it as a signal. He grabs a few things from the tray beside you and approaches the bed. You notice, gratefully, that he doesn’t join Celty in sitting next to you. The doctor only leans forward, prompting you to take a thermometer between your lips. Leaving the gadget in your mouth, he flashes a small light into your left, then right eye. He removes the thermometer and places a stethoscope on your chest in one swift motion. You plainly comply with each little test. 

“She’s looking pretty good!” Shinra happily reassures Celty, more concerned with her peace of mind than yours. Celty’s shoulders drop in relief. Another message appears before you.

“Thank goodness. The others will be glad to know you’re okay.”

The words briefly confuse you, and then you notice it. Quiet murmurs, dampened by the closed door. It had to be several different voices. They were out there. Unease swirls in your stomach. Celty seems to notice immediately.

“I won’t tell them you’re awake yet. Not until you’re ready. But they’ll be happy to see you. I know I am.”

“Celty even took it upon herself to get you cleaned up and into some comfy clothes! Don’t worry, I didn’t peek or anything…I’m more into the pale and headless typ--”

Shinra’s face is overtaken by pure blackness. Through strands of shadows, you can still make out the crooked smile and amused flush on his face. Celty stands and slugs the man’s shoulder.

The corners of your mouth turn upward, a small huff of laughter sneaking through without your permission. The sound instantly draws their attention back to you. Your lips snap shut into a thin line. You stare down at the duvet as embarrassment warms your face. A light weight on your shoulder pulls you from your internal scolding.

Celty’s touch is soft against your clothed skin. 

“We’ll leave you alone for now. Just call for us if you need anything.”

She watches you take in the message. Pulling the screen back to her chest, she briefly considers something. She decisively produces another message.

“You’re going to be okay. We’re all on your side, no matter what.”

Once she’s sure you’ve finished reading, she beckons for Shinra to follow her. You want to respond so, so badly. Tell them thank you, ask them to stay--but you can’t find the courage. Their forms disappear, the door shutting softly behind them. 

It’s instantly worse. You’re fully awake and coherent now. You can hear every soft step down the hall and hushed voice in the living room. Longing swirls in the pits of your stomach. Your friends were at an arms reach, after you’d hid from them for so long.

How were you supposed to face them?

Panic and anxiety muddle with the longing--a painful cocktail that steals the breath from your lungs.

How were you supposed to explain everything?

“You’re going to be okay. We’re all on your side, no matter what.”

No matter what.

The words sink deeper into your brain. They slip down to the base of your skull, down your spine. They warm your arms all the way to the tips of your fingers. 

I can’t keep doing this.

You force a watery inhale, resolve intermingling with the oxygen. You remember the dreams you’d had. You remember their kind faces and words to match--all a figment of your imagination, yet so tangible. There was no fighting it anymore.

I can’t keep hiding.

You needed them.

I…

Your legs are surprisingly steady underneath you. The softness of the gray rug tickles your feet. It turns into cold tiled floor as you reach for the bedroom door. The click of the door is quiet against the loud pounding in your ears.

I am worth saving.

...

For the first few hours, it had been silent.

The tension was too thick. They could only sit there, staring at each other. More restless ones, like Saburo, would pace around the room, unable to stay still. The patient ones, like Anri, never left their spot, only breaking concentration to spare a hopeful glance at the bedroom door. Shizuo was right in the middle, unable to sit, but never daring to stray from his spot against the wall.

What was there to say? There was so much to process after everything they’d witnessed. Many questions were left unanswered, leaving them with the horror of filling in the blanks. They’re scared. They’re angry. They’re relieved that they found you.

It was Erika who finally broke the silence.

“Saburo, how much gas you got left?”

The man was startled hearing his name after such a long period of silence. He tilted his head at Erika dumbly.

“Uh…”

“There’s gotta be some good takeout nearby.” Saburo straightened with understanding. Everyone stirred, roused by the mention of food. Erika took in the reaction, standing decisively. 

“We shouldn’t all starve waiting here, and I’m not gonna make Shinra and Celty cook. We’ll have something ready for (Y/N), too.”

They watched as she picked up her bag and made her way to the door, motioning at Saburo. Suddenly, Mikado stood, quickly following her.

“I-I’ll help, too! It’ll be a lot to carry.” Erika gave him an affirmative nod.

“Here,” Shizuo suddenly said as she passed him. He digs in his pocket before pulling out a clump of bills. The man’s eyes were unreadable through his glasses, but Erika only smiled, accepting the money.

“We’ll be back!” She regarded the room with a secure smile before exiting. 

The three returned an hour later, each hauling large paper bags that admittedly smelled divine. Small boxes were slowly arranged across the coffee table, holding a myriad of noodles, rice, vegetables, and meats. Erika took it upon herself to personally hand each person a packet of napkins and chopsticks. Without needing to say it, the woman sternly made it clear that everyone would be eating. Everyone tentatively began to make their selections, unfolding the boxes of their choosing and digging in.

Tension melts from Anri’s shoulders as she chews her first bite. Her anxiety had pulled a blanket over how hungry she was. The girl was not alone, the room slowly filling with the sound of chewing and contented hums and sighs. The takeout boxes rapidly disappeared as everyone had their fill. Mikado leans over the few remaining boxes.

“I hope there’s something here that (Y/N) likes,” he admits quietly. Erika smiles victoriously at him.

“There should be! There’s a good bit of curry left, she’ll love that. I got plenty of fried rice too.”

“Let’s put the rest away, then,” Kyohei nods. “I’m sure she’ll be hungry.”

“Do you think we could make some tea…?” Anri asks no one in particular. She gazes down at her empty to-go box, fiddling with her chopsticks. “I think…she might like some. It’d be nice to have it ready for her.”

“That’s a great idea, Anri.” Mikado reassures her with a smile. It quivers from his nerves, but comes from a genuine place.

“I’m on it!” Shinra sings. Ever the house husband, he’d already begun clearing discarded containers and bags.

The silence had been cracked open with a hammer, the tension dissipating along with it. Unease still bubbled under the surface, but everyone decided to fight through it. You couldn’t wake up to such a heavy atmosphere.

No, you deserved to wake up somewhere safe, and be welcomed with food, tea, and open arms.

Time stretched into the early evening, the group sipping on tea and making small talk. Under different circumstances, it might’ve been a pleasant get together. This group was familiar with each other, but nothing had brought them together in a circumstance like this. The only thing that would make it even better…was your presence.

Celty and Shinra had just returned from their routine check-up. The latter simply says that you’re still resting. The perceptive ones are suspicious of the vague statement, but bite their tongues. Why had Shinra come to get Celty this time? The group makes an effort to be quiet and maintain the peace. However, the murmurs are just loud enough that no one detects the padding of bare feet against the hardwood floor. A dark T-shirt and sweatpants blend in against the neutral tones of the walls.

It’s Shizuo who shifts from his position against the wall. He suddenly becomes alert, crossed arms dropping to his sides. His jaw falls open, eyes trained towards the bedroom where you had laid.

Then Erika notices Shizuo. Following his gaze, she spares a glance over her shoulder. Others then follow suit, looking over their own shoulders or leaning to the side to see what people were looking at.

Despite their previous efforts, the room suddenly goes still.

You shrink as everyone’s eyes fall on you.

“U-um…hey…”

A lump clogs your throat, preventing you from saying anything further. Your hands flex and clench into fists at your sides. Wherever you look, you make eye contact with the next person. You finally decide to stare at the floor, unable to meet anyone’s eyes.

It occurred to you that you probably should have made a plan before bolting out here. What the hell were you supposed to say…? How do you act? Like yourself? Or…. 

For a moment, you attempt to muster a cheerful smile--a smile that the former you would have. However, it quickly drops, your muscles too weak to hold it up. It feels almost painful. Your heartbeat speeds as you fumble for something to do.

A sudden movement pulls you, and everyone else, out of focus. Anri stands abruptly. You all stare at her as she tiptoes into the kitchen. Her back briefly faces the room before she turns again, holding something hefty in her hands. The girl's face is soft as she tips the kettle towards a small tea cup, filling it to the top. 

You take in a sharp breath as she approaches you. A small instinct inside you wants to run away, but you stay planted. Anri holds the tea cup in front of your chest. You stare at it dumbly before realizing she’s offering it to you. You slowly accept it, the porcelain warming the palms of your hands. She doesn’t stop there, looping her hand around your arm and gently guiding you deeper into the living room.

Your heart pounds as you’re forced to come closer to the group. She leads you to the couch, taking a seat and gazing at you expectantly. It’s the last open spot in the living room, and as you gaze at various people standing or sitting on the floor, you wonder if they had left it open for you.

The weight in your chest subsides slightly at the thought. You comply with Anri’s silent request, sitting on the soft cushion. You stare at the cup of tea in your hands. The green liquid swirls against the ivory, sending floral-scented steam into your face. Your hands move on your own, bringing the teacup to your nose and taking a long inhale. The sweet smell calms you further. Your subsequent gulp of the liquid is embarrassingly large, like the last gulp of whiskey after a long night at the bar. 

Grounded by the earthy taste, you finally face everyone again. They’re clearly anticipating your words. 

“It’s…good to see you…All of you.” The words float from your lips, weightless with the truth that they carried. You see several smiles light up. You soak in each and every one, your fear of eye contact dissipating. It’s the whole group. Anri sits to your right, and Mikado to your left. The van gang sits at the table across from you, Kyohei and Erika seated in scattered chairs, Saburo standing over them, and Walker cross-legged on the floor. Celty sits in the loveseat while Shinra perches beside her on the armrest. Furthest from everyone, Shizuo stands by the wall.

“How are you feeling?” Erika is the first to respond. Her torso is leaned forward, attuned and attentive to you. You don’t know where to start in response to the question--but unlike when Celty had asked, you find it within you to answer.

“Honestly? I’m…a little nervous.” Shitting bricks. “But physically I’m pretty okay. A little groggy.” 

They seem pleased with that, but no one says anything else. You can sense it, the overwhelming question hanging in the air. They’re too polite to ask, they care about you too much--you hope. You take another gulp of tea.

“...I owe you all an explanation.” 

“You don’t owe us anything.” Kyohei stops you from continuing. Your fingers briefly clench around your coffee cup. “I won’t lie, I’m sure we’re all wondering, but only because we care about you. Your safety is more than enough for us.”

His brazen words bring an embarrassing feeling in your gut. Others nod in agreement.

“If you do explain anything, I’d want it to be so that we can support you.” Erika assents. “You don’t have to tell us if you’re not comfortable.”

Through the embarrassment, you find relief washing over you. They were understanding, of course they were. But…would they be understanding of the whole truth? You shake away the thought, gathering your courage instead.

“I want to tell you. I want you guys to know.” You decide. The declaration hangs in the air. There’s no response, but the others stare at you expectantly. They supportively waited, surrendering their full attention. You map everything out in your head, unsure of where to start. Sifting through all your memories, it feels as though you’re remembering from an omniscient perspective. It feels detached, as if history had occurred to a body that wasn’t your own.

In a way, you guess it had.

“...My name is (Y/N) (L/N).” 

There’s no sputter of surprise, or astonished movement. They only wait patiently for you to continue. So, you grant their wish.

You start with what you’re not. You are not Brigall. You’re not 19. You’re not the adopted daughter of a rich scientist. You explain that you were born in America 23 years ago. You grew up there with your mom. As you approach the major turning point of your life, you pause. You almost omit it all together, in fear of how they would react.

“No.” Your eyebrows furrow decisively. “They deserve the truth.”

“I made a huge mistake. I…hurt people.” To finally say the words felt like throwing up. “The damage I did was…irreversible. I’m not proud of it. I ran away from home because of it.”

The words came out vague, but the gravity with which you spoke held many implications. You couldn’t help but search for their reactions. They’re trying to keep them at bay, but the small impulses are there. Kyohei’s brow raises ever so slightly. Saburo’s lips grow a little tighter. Anri’s jaw slackens. Shizuo’s head drops a centimeter. They’ve clearly taken in the information, but the horror and hate that you’re searching for is not there. 

You move on to your abduction. How you were hit by a car and woke up in a strange place. A voice had filled the room, explaining that he intended to keep you there for experiments. He’d kept that promise.

“That day…Th-that video of me. It’s real. He did this. For some sick, twisted experiment.” With each word, you become less detached from the memories. A burning nestles into your chest and works its way up to your nostrils, then your eyes. A mixture of anger and sadness manifests in the form of gathered tears, threatening to fall from your lashes. “He fucked with my memories of everything he did to me, molded me into a different person…and I hadn’t even known until that day.”

You furiously rubbed at your eyes. You’re sure you’ve cried in front of some of them before, but it felt inappropriate right now. You wanted to be stronger. 

You don’t realize how much you had been squeezing the tea cup until it’s pulled from your hands. Soft, pale fingers take its place, running over your palms. Anri’s body is soft beside yours, pulling you back to Earth. She looks at you reassuringly, thumb rubbing over your knuckles. It occurs to you that, ages ago, the roles had been reversed. The thought brings a weak smile to your face.

“You won’t have to worry about him.” Kyohei says.

When you look at him, you’re surprised to see it: thinly veiled anger. His eyebrows knit together and jaw tight. His sleeve wrinkles under the tight grip of his own arm. The disgust you had previously searched for was now visible on everyone's face, their horrors now confirmed.

“What do you mean…?” You ask him slowly. Then the image flashes through you again. Brigall, hoisted up by his neck, dangling over a fatal height.  Horror wracks your body. Your fingers grip Anri’s painfully. “I-I didn’t--!”

“Celty captured you both with her shadows.” Erika dissuades your anxieties quickly. You heave a hefty breath, releasing Anri’s hands. 

“We didn’t know what to do with ‘im besides rip ‘im to shreds!” Saburo gripes, fists stuffed into his pockets.

“The idea was really tempting, but we didn’t want to be too rash without knowing the whole story,” Walker explains. “So we brought him back here.”

...

Celty threw several glances back at your sleeping form as Shinra slowly closed the door. He rubbed her back affectionately, leading her down the hall.

“She’ll be okay, Celty, promise. There’s not a scratch on her.” The white lie dances from Shinra’s smiling lips. Technically, the track mark on your neck wasn’t exactly a scratch. You were okay externally, but there was no telling what you had been injected with. Still, he meant it when he said you’d be okay. He’d make sure of it, for Celty.

“Now, what are we gonna do with this guy?” He asks as they enter the living room. Everyone else is already gathered there, huddled around the front atrium. Shinra peeks through numerous limbs and shoulders at the trembling man on the floor. The man reminded him of his father, sickly pale and a little bit greasy.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Kyohei grumbles. 

“You could’ve at least let me and Yumaach at him on the way here,” Erika pouts. She’s crouched down to his level, staring him down inquisitively.

“We don’t like you doing that shit with us around!” Saburo responds.

“Well, how ‘bout I just take him downstairs and kill ‘im!?” Shizuo interjects, shoulders hunched like a true predator. In spite of all the frivolous death threats he’s made before, no one doubted that he truly meant it this time. 

“Is that really a good idea, though?” Mikado’s protests are reluctant. “M-Maybe there’s another way…”

“Maybe there is, Mikado!” Shinra’s voice takes everyone off guard. The group parts as he approaches, fully revealing Brigall to him. 

Brigall, encaptured mouth to toe by Celty’s shadows, takes in Shinra’s white lab coat. For a moment, his eyes shine hopefully at the prospect of an ally. Shinra bends at the waist to meet his level.

“It’s nice to formally meet you, doctor! My name is Shinra Kishitani.” The hope in Brigall’s eyes quickly dims at the name. “I’m sure you recognize my father’s name. He’s told me so much about you!”

Shinra tauntingly pauses, as if waiting for a response. Obviously, he gets none, thanks to the black gag covering Brigall’s mouth.

“Listen, as a fellow scientist, I’m going to help you out. These guys aren’t feeling too friendly right now…but I’m going to have them let you go!” The bound man perks up at that, hope returning to his face. He nods his head emphatically. “Oh, but we’re going to have to set up a few conditions.”

Everyone watches the exchange with confusion. They bristle at the idea of letting the man go unscathed, but Shinra was clearly hiding something up his sleeve. They allow him to continue.

“You see, my father isn’t the biggest fan of yours. Between you and me, I think it’s because he sees you as a threat, so you should feel flattered. That being said, he’d be more than happy to see you taken down in every way possible.” Shinra straightens, taking the high ground between the two of them. “If he had dirt on you? Let’s say, if he knew you were sneaking around like this behind the board’s back? Man, he’d be all over that!”

The mood of the room shifts quickly. The group begins to understand what Shinra is getting at. This includes Brigall, whose eyes widen in realization. Shinra’s smile suddenly takes a sinister turn. The light catches his glasses, obscuring his eyes. 

“They might be understanding if you’d had a finished product to show them…but with the lack of results you’ve got now? There’d be serious consequences. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

...

You can only stare back in shock as they recount the events to you. When they explain what Shinra had done, you turn to him. The man only sits there with a simple smile on his face. You had always sensed something peculiar about him. Admittedly, it distanced you from him in comparison to the others. Of course, the man was capable of pulling off such a clever plan--but to do such a thing for you ? You were indebted to him.

“I told him if I heard any complaint on your part, I’d be running to my dad. I imagine he’ll continue to support you financially, so you’ll be living pretty cozy for a while! As long as you want, of course.” Shinra explains breezily. You catch how Celty places a hand on his forearm, staring up at him with adoration. His smile quirks into a pleased little smirk.

“Wow, I…don’t know what to say.” You immediately scold yourself. “Th-thank you! All of you…so much. I owe you everything.”

“Keep sticking around, and we’ll call it even.” Walker says.

“No more going off the grid.” Saburo adds. Many people hum their approval of the statement. It makes your heart sink a little. You had left them in the dark to worry about you. You were so caught up in your own angst, you hadn’t considered the pain you caused to other people. 

Your eyes meet Shizuo’s, as much as they can through his glasses. He had been silent the whole time, but you hadn’t minded. You were just happy that he was there to hear you explain everything. You wondered what he was thinking, how he felt. You’d undoubtedly hurt him too. Yet here they were, welcoming you like nothing had happened. The realization breaks a dam within you.

“I’m not the person you all thought I was…or who I thought I was. I might be a bit different from before, but if you’ll have me,” You choke a little on the words. “Y-you're my friends…! I won’t go anywhere!”

There are too many tears to wipe away, so you just let them fall. With each salty drop, your insides feel lighter. A weight lifts from your shoulders and you feel like you could float away. You had held on to this burden alone for so long. You were finally unloading it, bearing your heart to those you most loved, and feared. Your vision blurs, but you can make out moving figures. Soft warmth envelopes you. You register a black sleeve of Erika’s dress and the blue cuff of Anri’s uniform. You lean into the embrace, switching between wet mutters of ‘sorry’s and ‘thank you’s. 

The others look on as the women cradle you affectionately. It’s admittedly awkward to idly stand by such a display, but the discomfort is outweighed by satisfaction and relief.

You’re here. You’re safe.

You’re home.

[boyakishantrinity]

Clasping the pieces together. Checking for wrinkles, the human stretched her neck. Scowling. Bandages wrapped around my neck as I opened the door for the third time.

"YOU FUCKING-"

Only to be shoved in the face with his phone. Spluttering, dropping it to the floor, I pulled my hair back as I walked out.

"So, good tip. Next time you tell me there's a fucking MEETING."

Catching up, glaring as she spoke over his opened mouth. Grabbing the bear by the neck, pulling him in to see her flickering red eyes. Did she-

"Give me at least ten minutes ESPECIALLY WHEN I'M DEALING WITH A FUCKING BANDIT KING."

Throwing him back, magic power curling up her arms as she twisted a piece of her neck. The small thing clicked, liquid metal curling out into a ring on her finger. Scowling, hand gripping not a fist. A bottle of whiskey appearing in her hand, nanomachines flying out of the ring, far too many to fit. Some kind of suit of armour, a cape and a mask grew over her.

Scoffing, a wolf insignia appearing over the front of the suit.

"... What-"

"Y'know when they sent out civilians in a raffle. I really didn't wanna go."

She was rambling. Pissed off, annoyed as she pulled the large man up. Lights flowed across her moving liquid body. Raw energy, like the matter itself were heating near a fire. But there was no heat.

"I just finished a load of shit."

Turning, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. A buzzing sensation, like standing before. Massive explosion, something. That could knock you off your feet, but something within me that made my heart's pound.

"And now I've got to fucking deal with this bandit fucker."

Cocking the shotgun as it appeared in her hand, eyes wide as she marched past. A plate opening, glowing as the air seemed to magnate. Float, fly up. Switches, buttons, all pressing, tossing the gun into the air, vanishing. A black cylinder appeared in her hand. Pulling it out, locking it in place. She took a seat.

"... Eleanor, what-"

"Black ops, I've been trained under black ops operations, high class shit for Earth affairs."

She'd begun talking, checking firearms, weapons, throwing each other as they flickered piece by piece into reality.

"... But humans technology-"

"If it wasn't obvious. This ain't tech Captain Ursa."

Red eyes looked up to him. Flickering with magic. Mask over her face, harsher. Sharper. Cutting, blunt. All accented as she stripped her voice of any of the personality. A professional voice. Metal floating with her face, allowing for movements and changes, but none of the identification that came with that.

"... What do you mean none of this-"

"Ok, so. Half is tech, but nothing you'll ever achieve."

Drawing swords, sheathing the weapons as she drew out a blue bottle. Clear, no precipitates, like dyed water.

"... Our technology-"

"Are you aware of the dimensions our reality is composed of?"

"... Like, space and time?"

"Yeah. And the fourth one?"

"..."

"Matter, energy, what else do you need?"

"... Water?"

"Eternius. Or, eternity. Infinity. It's not something we can properly comprehend as it's the stuff between energy, matter. If energy is the pure stuff that's not matter from something. Eternius is the stuff that's not matter or energy. In a word, it's void."

Then she stopped. Stopped talking. Stopped walking.

"Don't follow me."

Snapping her fingers. Liquid metal sludging, sliming the control. The airlock. I looked to my left. Her suit was still stuffed inside, I looked back.

"Wait-"

He faltered. It didn't matter what he said. Whatever human tech, it didn't last long without their tech. Size for efficiency, human suits could not last more than a 5:1 ratio of suit. In other words, something like forty minutes worth of space time. Even if her thin suit had breathing capabilities, the scanner showed no signs of any atmosphere. Except for what should be inside the suit.

And there, with a window that didn't alter anything. Stood Eleanor. Reloading a shotgun, laser field dropping and coated in mystical energy. Walking forward, magnetic fields resonating off of her as she jumps off the ledge. The door closed off, cocking the gun behind her. Firing, a pair of wings grew out her back. Radio flickering at his side. A voice coming out clear, like she stood on a planet's surface without her suit.

"This is a secret that will get you killed if you tell anyone. I'm under orders to silence any and all people who know this and can compromise our situation. Until then, you're to act like I've been kidnapped by pirates."

"... And how will I do that?"

Then the wings revealed themselves to him. Crushing against the ship, scraping along, like a massive ship has fallen out of it's drive. Striking along the side. Steam pulling out towards her mouth as she crackled over the radio.

"Tell anyone the truth, I will terminate both this ship and your crew with or without mercy."

Dropping to his knees, sirens blaring as he took it in.

"... I thought. We friends?"

"... Cute. I only truly care for a few people these days, everything else is just my standards, or a lie."

Slicing a door open, cameras glitching as a massive shape broke out of reality.

Do we continue?

Yes? Or No?

[mintdragonnerd]

LONG POST AHEAD ABOUT DRAGONS

So, in my lovely headworld, dragons are super powerful, intelligent beings. There are several different kinds, all being related to elements(sorta). There are water, fire, earth, air, light, and darkness dragons. These are the base six, with light and darkness being more rare. Then there are lava, ice, space, and shadow dragons. Then there are storm, crystal, and nature dragons. Then there are death and life dragons. There are also western style and eastern style dragons. Anyways, dragons are typically affectionate creatures, having complex social behaviors. They have great respect for their elders and are very protective of fledglings(babies). Dragons are massive creatures, as huge to us as we would be to ants. In some places, they are considered to be giants. They are immortal and can choose when they want to die.

Dragons are usually vain creatures, taking pride in their appearance. They have the ability to shift into a human form or whatever is around(elves, faes, etc). Dragons spend centuries honing their mind, being able to sense energies around them without actually looking and are able to use telepathy and telekinesis quite well. They also have the ability to sense danger and if someone is on their territory. If a human tried to look into their mind, they would go insane because dragons have a lot of knowledge that we aren't supposed to know. Their minds feel very alien to us. Dragons usually have scales covering their entire body except for their wings. They do not have bellyplates, but the scales do get bigger on the belly and back. Their facial scales are slightly translucent and have a lot of blood vessels in them, allowing them to blush. In furred dragons, the fur grows from the end of the scale. All dragons have big fins or feathers jutting from their hips and continuing a little bit down their tail and a big fin or fan on the end of the tail to assist with flight. Most dragons have horns and water dragons have fins where the horns would be. Eastern style dragons do not have wings and instead fly with help of magic.

Dragon scales are impenetrable and have traces of metals in them. Dragons use their scales to store energy in a process where they cycle old energy into the earth and absorb new energy from the sun(basically photosynthesis). This process helps to keep the dragon alive as the amount of food they would consume otherwise would be a lot. Dragons still need to eat physical food, however, and they typically eat trees, large bushes, other supernaturals occasionally, and wyverns. Wyverns are a vital food source as they are quite large themselves. Dragons are the only creature capable of eating a wyvern as their green blood is exceptionally poisonous. This hunting helps keep their population in check and keeps the dragons fed. The biggest threats to a dragon are another dragon, divine beasts, godlike entities, and gods. Although dragon scales are impenetrable, a dragon can still be crushed by another's bite, and the wings can be torn off with enough force. There is a major artery running through the arm of the wing and if cut or torn can mean certain death. A dragon who loses its wings and survives the ordeal will typically die anyways because of the loss of the freedom that comes with flying. Storm dragons spit lightning and can electrocute other dragons. If imprisoned in a lightless area, a dragon will slowly die from lack of energy unless they turn to 'stone' in a form of hibernation that is really a last resort because sometimes the dragon will never come out of hibernation.

All dragons have some type of breath weapon. Water dragons spit boiling water and can breathe a poison mist, crystal dragons spit liquefied crystal that hardens on contact with air, death dragons spit acid, fire dragons breathe fire, earth dragons (just now realizing i never figured out what they breathe 😅), nature dragons also spit acid, um there a lot more but this list is getting long. Dragons have a second stomach that stores their breath weapon, and it takes a few minutes to actually breathe it cause usually it has to heat up first. This process sometimes makes the dragon's belly and neck glow if it's fire or something that gives off light. In some cases, the dragon will feed energy from its scales into whatever it's breathing to make it worse. Anyways, you have a few minutes to run before your day gets ruined. That is, if you didn't get stomped on, or flung into the stratosphere, or simply wished out of existence or eaten. Good thing dragons are rare(and usually ignore other beings). Um, there may be more, but I don't remember right now. Thanks for listening to my extremely long rant, lol