#ic -- main verse

[orangetintedglasses]

@forgivenpunishment // guess we're camping for the night

Traveling while there were outages was something ill-advised all across the planet. Even moreso when it wasn't just some localized thing-- with nearly an entire quadrant just one big question mark in terms of gang activity, weather patterns and a number of other hazards common to a hellish sand planet, no one knew what was going on and most public broadcasts were pretty heavy-handed in reminding everyone to stay safe, and not travel anywhere outside the influence of Octovern and May, labeling the entire area in-between as a dead zone until further notice.

How the cities themselves managed to get away without a scratch, though, no one was sure. But there was quite an uproar building about leaving the active cities and settlements not within their jurisdictions to the wolves...

Especially at the start of sandstorm season.

Vash was doing his part as passenger by keeping an eye out for trouble where Wolfwood couldn't as they went along their merry way, driving across a massive expanse of nothing but sand and half-ruined structures (which he assumed were old rest stops and brave attempts at making camp, torn down by weather and time), headed towards the first set of coordinates given to them by people in the last town. There, they'd said, they could find a couple of Plants who wouldn't see engineers for quite some time still-- and yeah, it was nearly a three hour drive, but get out there, calm them down and get them working again? That would hasten some of the recovery for people and places at least a hundred iles out. Maybe more, if they were willing to share.

So of course Vash-- ever the altruist --insisted that they give it a shot.

They were getting fairly close when the Plant spotted it: the beginnings of a storm gathering on the horizon. A dark smattering of wind, sand and lightning; not directly in front of them, but coming at them from the side, and coming at them fast. They had maybe half an hour, tops, before it caught up to them; Vash relayed this information to Wolfwood and the pair quickly detoured from their course, seeking out the closest structure that had a ceiling and four(ish) walls before the storm could strand them out in the open.

What they found wasn't... perfect, but it was definitely good enough. An old wooden structure with scuffed-up glass in it's windows, and big double doors still firmly on their hinges that Angelina could fit through to keep her out of the storm, too. It... had clearly had more floors at some point in the past, but the floor between the first and former-second floor was still there to provide them coverage, as well.

It was the best they could do on such short notice; the winds were already howling when they rolled up, and kicked up wisps of sand and dirt up and around their legs as they hurried the three of them inside. A bonafide blessing in the middle of nowhere.

"Yeah, this doesn't look like it has plans to let up any time soon..." Vash said idly, frowning out the window. Flashes of lightning and ominous, rumbling thunder overhead appeared to agree with him as he turned to face his companion, walking back into the center of the room.

"Guess we're sandwiched until further notice. Just glad we got here before it got dark..."

[fatumincaelum]

“Am I dead? Oh, sorry. I really thought I was dying. I really did.” 

-Vanitas (hello! forgive me if i'm a bit rusty on my vanitas portrayal)

@not-someones-shadow

@not-someones-shadow

"I-- I kinda thought you were dying too, how..."

He's a little on edge around the other, still a bit off put at the fact that the two of them shared a face. Vanitas was definitely someone he was not expecting to see-- especially not after everything with Xehanort was finally over.

"What are you doing here?"

[nxtahxro]

continued from !!

❝ yeah, and now you kinda gotta learn how to… be a wolf, again. being an alpha is different than what you're used to, man. ❞ stiles has no doubt about the goodness of scott's heart, he never has.

[mugunghwc]

@badheart

Rei stood in front of the mirror, taking in her reflection. Her hair, intricately styled and adorned with delicate kanzashi hairpins, framed her flushed features. The shiromuku kimono she wore was heavy, or perhaps, it were her nerves that kept her feet glued to the ground. Its white silk glowing softly under the room’s warm lighting.

Naomi adjusted the folds of Rei's kimono, ensuring it draped perfectly, her hands moving with the expertise of someone who did this for a living, even on such a special day. Rei's smile was tinged with a hint of guilt, a reminder of her mother's absence. She had chosen not to involve her mother, fearing disapproval of the man she had decided to marry and start a family with.

"I feel I look silly," Rei admitted at last, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. The layers of fabric did help conceal her belly, but the reality of being the centre of attention was finally dawning on her. It wasn't shame or guilt; it was simply the overwhelming thought of all eyes being on them. She reached up, her fingers gingerly touching the headdress, as if tempted to hide her features.

"If I wasn't pregnant, I'd definitely look forward to the sake exchange," she added, an airy laugh escaping her lips in an attempt to ease her nerves with humour. Naomi, ever mellow, pulled out her cellphone and motioned for the others to gather closer. "Let's capture this moment," she said with excitement rising in her voice. "Rei's last moments before becoming a married woman. Who would've thought?"

[starrymused]

@lannamused

This place was mad creepy and for what? Just because it was the location of the biggest Pokémon graveyard in the region didn't mean the entire town had to have this weird vibe. It didn't help that the locals 100% played into it all, ready to tell some random ghost story to any traveller that stopped to listen. Just a few minutes ago, some lady tried to tell him he had a ghost hand on his shoulder! The hell? It reminded Blue of that place in America that heavily leaned into alien shit just because there might have been a UFO crash there back in, like, the 60s or whatever.

"Eh?" Blue turned his attention back to Nurse Joy who'd just handed back his tray of Pokéballs. "What did you say?"

"I asked if you were going to stay the night in the inn? The rooms here in the center have all been rented for the next few days because of the memorial event being held in the tower."

"Nah, I was just gonna keep going."

Nurse Joy glanced at the clock, which read that it was now 8pm, which wasn't all that late but not the best time to continue on with a journey either. Blue waved a dismissive hand as her gaze returned to him (how she could even look away from him in the first place?) and started for the door.

"It's cute for you to worry about me but I ain't scared of whatever ghosts you people say creep about this place." Obviously, there were ghost Pokémon. It was literally a type of Pokémon! He even had one currently on his team!

"Anyway, catch ya later, don't go missing me now— AHH!" Just as he turned around to open the door leading back out to Lavender Town, Blue ran right into a shadow person in the doorway! Shit! Nobody said anything about shadow people! He immediately grabbed a magazine from one of the holders nearby, rolled it up, and raised it to bash the being over the head with. Okay, so maybe smacking a supernatural entity from the beyond with a flimsy magazine wasn't the best idea in the world but it could work!

Until he realized that the figure standing before him wasn't a ghost at all and was actually just—

"You." He growled as the other person lowered their hood and revealed themselves to be none other than his arch-nemesis. "What are you doing creeping about in a weird cloak?!" Okay, on closer look he could see that it was just a normal rain jacket but it had looked like some freaky cloak in the moment! "Little old ladies live in this town, you know! You could have sent one of them to their grave!"

[therainbowinhell]

@hellsmayflower liked for a starter! [X]

Charlie was curious- she swore she's seen this woman before, a friend of Angel or Alastor, maybe? With how busy she's been with her own stuff, she wasn't so sure.

Nevertheless, it's not like the demon princess has formally presented herself to the other, so maybe it was about time. Besides, didn't the woman look too much like a...human? That caught her attention even more so, make her heart skip a beat, even.

"Hello! Can I help you with something? I swear it's not the first time I see you, but I thought it was about time I presented myself to you."

[mxthbladed]

Something that a lot of people didn't consider about having wings was that, unless they were very specifically for hovering, they were not that great for trying to reach things without causing a bigger disturbance. So it was that she had to use a ladder as she hung new curtains.

She had just finished as she heard the door open and she called out, "Welcome! I'll be just a second!" For a moment, Vaggie contemplated just leaping down and using her wings to break the fall but decided against it. Not everyone and their brother needed to know her status. Instead, she slid down the ladder and turned to the newcomer, only to pause; this was most definitely not a sinner demon. "What's a hellborn doing here at the hotel?" she asked slowly, clearly ready to go on the defensive.

@keeperofquestions

[smilingmxsk]

Starter for @therxtking

It was just the final week of her recovery period. She was able to finally get up and walk and able to use her shadow jumping abilities, but to a certain extent. She was still prone to losing her balance.

So she figured, during her final week of recovery, she might as well go find her multitool again. It was likely still back in Gordon's realm, so she left to go find a shadow, transports right through it, and...

Wait. This isn't Gordon's home. Something with the teleportation fucked up.

The Fixer finds herself in the middle of a settlement, unlike the Retchen settlement she was used to. These were humans. From nearby, there's a shout, and the Fixer turns to see one pointing a weapon in her direction. The others are quick to turn as well, drawing their swords and guns, closing in on Margaret’s location. They spoke a language she didn't understand.

Oh fuck... these were the humans Gordon hated so vehemently. And the worst part about it? Shade wasn't up for battle yet. She was still quiet back there, coiled away, while Margaret was doomed to stumble this way and that trying to keep an eye on all of them as they neared. Circling her.

"Fuckin' hell..."

She fumbled with the bat on her back to wield it, but... she wasn't so sure that her odds here were very great.

[scarletbellatrix]

@raiiryuu sent: "We will survive and afterwards, we'll… get some ice cream. or go to a nice restaurant."

IT'S ONE WAR AFTER ANOTHER, and the fighting just never ends. She wonders if it's going to be the narrative of her life until the end of time. Constantly in battle, survive, and repeat. The guild, her family, had always been worth fighting for. They are her source of strength, giving her the drive to never give up. She'll always be a warrior until her last breath.

        But even with her determination, that doesn't mean she's fearless. And it's time like this, when she's alone with her thoughts, that she gets to ponder. She considers this as a possibility to be her last battle. She will give her all. She intends to win, but with their odds at this moment, there is no guarantee. If they are defeated, she just hopes that she'll be taken out first. She doesn't want to experience the loss of comrades and go through that heartbreak.

        She's seated by the grass, her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms around them. Deep in thoughts, her guard completely down, until she senses his presence and hears his familiar voice. She snaps out of her cogitation and looks up at him, her lips quirking into an amused smile. ❝That sounds like a great plan.❞ A very hopeful one, assuming there's a tomorrow for them. ❝I didn't peg you to be the type with a sweet tooth, though. Then again, maybe the rumors are true. . .❞ She ends the statement with a teasing lilt to her tone.

[orangetintedglasses]

@forgivenpunishment replied to your post “He's looking a bit distracted today... and a bit...”:

"Hey, I've been lookin' all over for you... you didn't say anything when you left. Wasn't sure if you were pullin' a fast one on me." Wolfwood puts a hand on Vash's shoulder and shakes him playfully. He doesn't figure that Vash will run away from him again, but the distant way he's been acting is odd, to say the least.

"Ah...!"

The contact ripped through him like a shockwave, and it took every synapse in his brain to keep from crying out (in pain? In surprise? Something else?). Crap, r-right, he... should've said something, went back and said... but he hadn't been thinking...

The blond made himself perk up all the same, though, trying to ignore the way his stomach flipped and surged now that Wolfwood was close-- "s-sorry! Sorry-- n-no, just needed some air, and... kind of wandered off."

[timeclipsed]

(✯) @scumbag-the-hedgehog — run on gasoline

— ;; Ascertaining how exactly his cogent coordinates had wound up being thrown so far off-course, landing both him and the Doctor in anomalous territory is just one of his many problems right now. Cloudburst assaults his mess of fiery-hued tangles, forcing him to take refuge beneath the nearest awning. Structurally ancient, stony— and seemingly abandoned. Based on its decrepit appearance, at least.

— ;; Lours from vaguely familiar denizens are enough to make him abandon the darkened streets splotched with gelid puddles, slipping into the tenebrous quiet behind him without much of a second thought. Trespassing, breaking and entering, violating private property— jeez, abandoned or not, he’s made himself very welcome very quickly, wringing out his jacket in the doorway as he tries to warm up.

Which probably isn’t the nicest thing for the homeowner to stumble into.

❝Shit,❞ voice a hushed whisper, Tails’ eyes meets the gaze of the other, his dark spines like a hanging garden of moss around his shoulders. Hands immediately in front of him defensively, he takes a step back. ❝Hey, sorry. Thought this place was empty. I swear I’m not here to rob you or anything, I was just trying to get out of the rain.❞

[frost-eyed-autumn]

He heard the word Physical come out of Mori's mouth and if you see him skulking around? No you don't. He doesn't exist. He's off somewhere in an undisclosed location on a totally top secret job all week. Who needs a physical anyway when you're a fast-healing human wrecking ball?

[mugunghwc]

@badheart cont. x

He could have picked that voice out from a sea of people speaking. It had been stuck in his head ever since that first time he visited the club. She had lulled him to sleep that night, and like the call of a siren, he had fallen victim to it—captured by its beauty. Shintaro had told himself that it must've been the timing, finally reaching his breaking point mixed with the alcohol that he had consumed on that day. However, before he could test that theory, she was not there on the next night. That's where he learned that her performance were more of a rarity rather than a commonalty.

Seeing her here, of all places, confused him greatly, making him for a moment believe that he had hit his head after being tossed away. A hand was subconsciously placed against the back of his head when he finally turned his body towards her, meeting her stare with half a smile. Shintaro wasn't even aware of it.

"Ah, it's you," He first acknowledged before glancing over in the direction she was referring to. Even he knew that room was occupied by that Han guy, but why would she suggest it after letting him know that trying his luck with Fukuhara's men was a bad idea? Was she really concerned over the 'bad energy' that came from that room? Shintaro appeared curious, but even more-so, about her. "I didn't know you were a nurse," he confessed, looking rather sceptical about it considering the kind of make up that she was wearing. It didn't fit her profile, even if it could explain why she wasn't a regular at that club, it wasn't enough to convince him that something wasn't off about her being here. After all, she worked at a club owned by Endo's people. It was why he had even bothered with checking it out—to find any kind of info. "Xiao Li, was it?" Acting aloof just to see how she'd be in return.

[starrymused]

@lannamused

The hunger was destroying me. That was the mantra that Joji repeated in his head as if it somehow justified his reckless actions. He was usually far more careful than this, taking his time to scope out a victim, an area, and the best approach. It was always done in seclusion with a trash bag at the ready; an effective method to transport the body back to his van. He hadn't been caught once in the five years he'd been doing this.

But now that was about to change all because the hunger was too much. It was killing me, it was making me crazy. I couldn't help it. I couldn't help it. He recalled old memories best left forgotten, his small hands covered with animal blood and flesh desperately trying to cling to his mother's leg as she shoved him away in horror.

I couldn't help it, mommy. I was so hungry.

He heard the footsteps right outside the door. It would be over in a few moments. Would it be a family member? He sort of hoped it was. They'd kill him for doing this to their loved one and he didn't blame them. He needed to be put down like the rabid dog he was. How much longer could he continue to live like this?

And yet he still didn't stop, even as the door to the kitchen opened. It was a fancy house, this one. Somewhere Joji shouldn't have been, but he'd always been the curious sort. He should have drove past, but he saw the man through the window and just knew he needed to sate his desire. Getting in was easy — the door to the backyard was unlocked and that was that.

It was his fault. He should have been more careful. Why didn't he lock the door?

Lifting his head, a string of flesh connecting his teeth to the man's neck, he made eye contact with the person stood in the darkened doorway. Another man. Taller. Well-dressed. Didn't at all look related to this one, but maybe the new arrival was considered the handsome brother of the two.

Hands grabbed his victim (now nothing more than his meal) and dragged him across the stained kitchen tiles until he was backed in the corner, using the body as a shield. If his time was up, couldn't he at least have his last meal? That was what happened on Death Row, right? This was his Death Row and Joji wanted to hold onto the moment until it was inevitably ripped away from him.

[silentbutsadistic]

"You look like a refined woman who enjoys a nice tea party. Quite exquisite taste in fashion as well. It's so difficult to find someone polished in a place like this." Remilia is currently on visit to Hell, but has decided to abandon her royal chaperone for a bit and explore with her human servant guarding her.

"You've sparked my curiosity, would you mind telling me your name?"

One of Neo's ears twitched when hearing the voice of the vampire. At first, she didn't know if she was referring to her, but all in all, she was the only one with some class around this neighborhood.

Cannibal Town was another story.

The small fallen angel raised an eyebrow once facing Remilia better, eyeing the other from top to bottom, and letting her wings flap a few times, specially as she took notice of...the...human? That accompanied her.

This felt so out of place for some reason...

After narrowing her eyes a little, she then smiled, and let out a soft hum before offering the vampire a business card that now rested between index and middle fingers.

In this one, 'Neo' could be read. And just right under her name, 'Assassin', her profession. If the vampire was to turn it around, she would also find her phone number...or at least one phone number, and the address.

[eventyrlys-moved]

@inhcritance

It's been a really rough and really long day. She started it off at Oscorp - doing some tests and research for yet another couple. To make them happy and help them achieve their dreams. Her dreams. Because even with all the money, knowledge and resources in the world... they haven't succeeded in doing it themselves and honestly.. it just got quite disheartening sometimes.

After Oscorp, she went on to the hospital to tell he happy couple the good news and went on to the next patient to start helping them. It used to be fulfilling work. Freya's specialized in fertility and helping people who struggle finally achieve their dreams? Yeah it absolutely used to make her happy too. But now, after trying for two years already with no results, after having WAITED trying for another two years because they weren't sure they'd be able to have a healthy baby with Harry's genetics into the mix.. That happiness had turned into envy. Not that she'd ever show it to anyone but her husband - or that she'd ever even mention it to anyone else.

And it wasn't bad every day. Some days she was doing rather alright about it. Today wasn't that kind of day. It was rough, long and exhausting.

So.. when she got home from work today - instead of taking a quick shower or heading into the kitchen to prepare dinner as she always liked to do to keep her mind off of things.. she heads over to the couch - where her husband is working on something on his laptop. Something she didn't know the importance of - but quickly decided it wasn't important enough as she takes the laptop and sets it on the coffee table, lying down on the couch, on her side, with her head in his lap instead, a pout on her lips. She doesn't say anything. Doesn't greet him. For a moment? All she needs and wants is to be near him, breathe him in and be comforted.

There's more time for conversation later. Not now.