#ic.

[wingherc]

｢𓆄｣ Upon her request, Hawks moved to sit up, placing the spoon in his bowl now.

But, not before stealing a kiss from her.

"Love yoooou~! My bestest friend!"

"I was only kidding anyway, that'd be a waste of food! And who likes doing that?"

"Now get off the floor, I haven't swept today!"

[vierandancer]

@theazureblade - continuing from here

"Aye, you can," Meiko grinned. She wasn't going to really drag Aymeric out of the office against his will. She knew when to take a hint when someone told her to plainly fuck off. But she also knew Aymeric would never leave his office if he wasn't encouraged to do something a wee bit irresponsible. "Feel free to blame me as much as you like."

[the-mocking-robin]

Conspiring with your alternate father's child self to get him to decorate for Halloween.

[fortruechaos]

Oh, right. It was a bit silly for Shadow to have said that. He frowned lightly, mostly chagrined with himself. An unfair comment. "You're right. I didn't mean to imply..." he trailed off, realizing he was reading too much into Volt's comment. It was obvious the hybrid hadn't taken Shadow's comment as an affront to the traumatic experiences he had experienced here in his Zone. He had only meant it to interject as a friend. The way friends do when one got wrapped up on their own world. "You're right." Shadow decided to just settle on that word before he got too involved in the particulars.

His expression softened slightly as Volt kept talking; admittedly Shadow hadn't had great encounters with most of his duplicates either, so it wasn't too difficult for him to imagine Volt found it hard to get along with his Zone's Shadow. No--the Ultimate Lifeform was prickly no matter whom he talked to, other selves included. And while Shadow didn't know the particulars of their past beyond what Volt shared in their hivemind connection, he at least found his personal pride a little warmed by the sentiment. A stupid ego boost for no reason. But Shadow liked to win and best everyone he could, including himself, so... so what if he felt a little proud for being 'better' at the concept of friendship than his variant? "I understand. We were made as cures, but we weren't built for kindness. But thank you. Really." He reached for the mug when Volt mentioned it again and took a sip; the stuff was now lukewarm, not really suitable as a hot drink anymore. Shadow's nose wrinkled as he set the cup back down. "Might be better just turning it into an iced drink now..."

“Are ya, though?” With Shadow letting himself get lost in his thoughts, Volt’s comment was just quick enough that he’d hoped he’d gotten through. One hand raised towards his face, tapping the red marking aside his eye. “Ya might be the only Black Arms left in your Zone, but you’re not alone.”

He might not have had much of a kinship to his Zone’s hedgehog but his friend was a different story. They had common ground and could hold a conversation without it resorting to violence. Not to mention the times he had come to Shadow, just to talk. Violet eyes softened as they watched his friend’s face before offering a smile and the same hand he touched his marking with.

“Shadow, Eclipse, and I are the last o’ the Black Arms bloodline here. But I personally find I've got more o' a kinship with you after all we've done for each other than your alternate.” Whether or not Shadow wanted to believe that remained to be seen, the hybrid still smiled and gestured to the abandoned coffee.

"Think the caffeine might help with the lingering headache."

[chounaifu]

" By the age of six, EVERY child should know how to hot wire a car and steal from government buildings!!! I'm gonna personally give every impressionable six year old a pocket knife and a bag of candy full of red dye for the EXTRA POWERFUL BRAIN CHEMICALS. "

[robotn1k]

@allcfme @h0thed @devilcharge LEAVE ME ALONE.

[wingherc]

@gaiaspoken

｢𓆄｣ Dropping by the flower shop was definitely a surprise. Hawks had wisened up to the girls this go around and managed to sneak around the back going undetected, even with his arms full. Fortunately, he's quiet as he entered the boss lady's office.

And it was finally starting to look like it was all her's now: finally! To make his presence known, he let out an impressed whistle at the decor and smiled.

"It's not stuffy in here, you really livened the place up."

"I would've warned you I was dropping by. But. My phone kinda fell outta my pocket and got smashed to bits. So I'm getting a new one here soon." Hawks warned as he casually sauntered into the office, and pulled Aerith's long insulated winter coat over her.

"Can I steal you away for a little bit?"

[gyokutoll]

I’m tired of being in situations.

[pavlovianpanic]

❝ hey. i don’t want to fight with you. ❞ for nathan.

euphoria sentence starters • accepting • @ncvabcrn

❝ fuck this, i'm tired of pretending this is normal, ❞ he says outright. enough is enough for nathan prescott. i'm ending this stupid shit today. ❝ whatever the fuck you are, you need to stay away from me and this fucking school, got it? i don't know who you are, what you think you want, what you're trying to do, but i know this for sure: you're a fucking freak. look at you. you don't belong here. now, beat it before i really get nasty. [ ... ] holy shit, too dumb to get it yet? that means get out of my face, loser. now. ❞

[pavlovianpanic]

the way warren's touch brings him comfort is something nathan is not used to, almost pulling away. where warren is emulating his own mother, nathan is reminded of his. she does this for him when he's coming undone, which is often in her presence, and she soothes him because he is her child, her only boy, and she bore him, thus she loves him. warren does not have that attachment to nathan; he carries no blood, no bone, and no flesh of prescott to force him to do this.

he's just doing this because he ... what? wants to fuck with nathan? that seems unlikely, even to a racing mind. ... i don't know what to do here. my life is over.

his tears fall too freely, nose becoming snotty as he hiccups. his voice quivers with the admittance of hey, i did something really bad ... can you help me get out of it now?

❝ i'm so fucked, warren. you don't understand. i wish i could tell you, but i can't. he'll kill me. i'm so scared all the time, and i just want to ... god, i just want to get out of here so fucking bad. but she's still here, warren, so i can't just leave her. ❞

the world stops whirring, blurred scenery pulling to a close at the side of the road. where a relieved breath should be is instead stillness, filled with relief from the motion and worry towards the dread. this is so outside of his wheelhouse - warren didn't have experience with mental illness outside of theories, his lack of field studies desperate for well-researched applications.

❝ nathan, if you need to talk...i'm here. whatever's going on, this doesn't seem...healthy to keep bottled up, ❞ he keeps his speech slow, searching for the words to make things better. the hand from his arm moves to his back, rubbing large circles around the spine, motions learned from his mother's supportive touch.

nathan's face is buried between the steering wheel and his arms, but warren can feel the hitched breaths pressed beneath his palm, the shaking sobs of someone who's overwhelmed. it would help, warren thinks, if he knew the source. this isn't the time to probe, yet the logical mind within him longs for answers - questions lead to answers, and answers beget solutions.

[vierandancer]

@starrymused

After everything that had gone on with Garlean Empire, Meiko had felt her stomach sink at the rumors of another mysterious magitek machine accompanying an equally mysterious man in black.

"Not fuckin' the day," she muttered as she made her way out into Thanalan. Despite the potential danger of yet another Asican making trouble, however, she hadn't reached for her Linkpearl to alert the others. Not even her brother. She would, of course, if the rumors proved true...but people were sometimes blind. Or paranoid. Or stupid (herself included). And if it truly were a threat worth investigating, someone would've come running into town screaming already. So, hopefully...

...

Huh.

It wasn't all that hard to spot the strange magitek vehicle from a distance, but she nearly missed the lad curled up in front of it looking like how she oft did after too many firewaters. Perhaps that was why she didn't draw her weapons as she approached, albeit cautiously.

"Y...You all right, lad?"

[the-mocking-robin]

The answer is "your mom," case closed, we figured it out.

[pavlovianpanic]

ah, shit. i hate rolling jays.

but he does, and admittedly, he's gotten better. a new friend has oddly steady hands, which steady nathan's shaking ones. is that what we are? friends? ... whatever.

he begrudgingly removes himself from her bed top (he was just getting comfortable), gathers his shit (bud, papers, got it), and leans over a part of the flattest surface he can find (dresser, desk) to grind up enough bud for about a half-gram joint. there's a texture, almost cool under his fingernails, that he can't describe but enjoys.

❝ beach? why didn't you invite me? ❞ an almost piggish snort, licking closed the seam he's managed to bring together to close. ❝ i miss the beach. a real one. this one sucks. ❞

warmer waters are more nathan's speed. he doesn't enjoy how harsh the shoreline feels on his feet, how cold the sand is under his toes, or how he often has to wear a sweater when strolling somberly (and alone).

❝ miss? nothing worth remembering. the usual bullshit. lotta drama about where you were though, girl. can't keep your name outta their mouths. ❞

he stands straighter, stretching out his aching back. shoulders rolling, he fetches a lighter from his pocket. moving to the open window, he sparks up easily.

❝ ... even he asked about you. ❞ another expression of contempt. ❝ who were you with today? at the beach? ❞

Whilst the other prattled on and on, the thespian rummaged through the drawers of her dresser, eventually lifting out a couple pieces of rolling paper, which she handed off to Nathan as she made herself comfortable opposite him, pillows propped against the headboard of her bed to lean against. In response to his question, she nodded. “Yeah—needed a beach day. You must have missed me, to notice I was gone.” She smirked.

In blonde tresses, saltwater was clinging and entwined with nicotine, but barely perceptible now that she had been indulging in Nathan's supply, which has left in a state of bliss.

With her arms folded across her chest, she asks, “I miss anything?” If she had to guess, she would guess not, only because nothing happens in their seaside town, aside from the same drama getting re-hashed, or a break up and make up happening within the same hour from one of the school's notorious couples.

[z0mburger]

CONT'D. @sillymuses

💀 — “ Oh, no, no. I hear ya, sister! You're preaching to the choir here. ”

[ though the undead isn't ' evil ' enough to wish any ... extreme harm upon the living, the scrambling firemen have it under control. that's what they're paid for! once that moral quandary is settled, he's good to justify the other one.]

“ I've had my share of ' accidents ' involving some property damage. People get on my ass about it! But if a layman had access to the Necronomicon or some shit, potion of fiery explosion – ? They'd do the same. Good to get it out in one go; you feel better now, don't 'cha? ”

[mystalwartheart]

"I saw you out there, fighting for your life." Kelpie hissed out. They was stalking after the women. Not knowing if she was part of the BSAA or any of the groups that were hunting them.

Jill spins on her heels to find the source of the voice addressing her, and sees someone standing before her. They look human, but not...exactly, and it's clear by their physical condition they've been through hell themselves. She's cautious, sizing the stranger up, but not yet reaching for her weapon.

"You've been watching me," Jill observes plainly and calmly. Evidently, there are other actors at play here. She wonders if the stranger might be an undercover operative, or a B.O.W. sent to kill her by Los Illuminados, the KGB or some remnant of the Spencer family or Umbrella Corporation, but she's never seen a B.O.W. display such obvious sapience before: Typically they're uncontrollable shambling monstrosities, or soldiers programed to obey orders without question with no free will of their own.

She decides to take a chance, slowly beginning to raise her hands, but not keeping them far from her holster.

"May I ask who you are, and why you're following me?" Jill asks carefully and politely.