#okay i think i have it firmly established that there is GORE AND BODY HORROR IN THIS REPLY

[keikakudori]

                 They were a beast and the heart of a beast. Here, in this moment, they were once more thrust into opposing sides. Here, it was here, in this moment, that Aizen Sousuke had understood one thing; that this Quincy had done something for which SHE COULD NEVER AGAIN FIND HERSELF FORGIVEN.

                 How swift the Hollow that lurched and moved, claws catching flesh but not enough, not nearly enough to satisfy the wrath which howled within vein and bone, a raw sensation that unfurled like vast wings. It subsumed thought into the impulse to sink those rows of fangs into the soft and yielding surface of the girl's throat. How easily it would rip open for his desires if he was to do that very thing here.

                 There was no thought of the viper yet, for he was not as important as the dark-haired girl that had done this.

                 Yet inattention was a compounding thing for the flickering blade was quick to lash at his shoulders, splitting arms from their moorings and making them drop towards the ground. There was a roar that staggered the air, a bellowing of rage and pain, that grinding cry of a Hollow even as the sky seemed to crack above them.

                 For it was true that Hollows could call out for aid, was it not?

                 The dark figure didn't stop, however. Brown swirled like streams of seaweed caught in underwater currents, flowed about the broad shoulders in curling swirls that did nothing to hide the sudden flowing of fresh limbs that burst into view. Naked from bindings, the cut straps were starting to sag even as the beast's head whipped about and a noise almost like a WHINE escaped the Hollow, a sound that was not something made by a human throat.

                 Why are you hurting me? it seemed to say. Why are you hurting me? I am not your foe.

                 Naked arms spanned out to his sides, hands blackened with the color creeping along those forearms until fading once more into the naturally tanned skin that was Aizen's own. Dark talons curled in long points of glassy ink as the monster seemed to hesitate for a second even as the blade rose and was set to that chest. Blank depths of white widened for a second and a thick chirp that was unsettled sounded.

                 Something in the monster seemed to recognize what that stance was.

                 Then the blade became an eruption of pain, plunging again and again and AGAIN through that figure, a torso left punctured time and time again, sending puffs of blood into the air with each protrusion of the weapon through him. It knocked the Hollow back, step by agonized step, the beast letting out snarls of agony as taloned feet flexed and curled to try to grasp at the ground that was not there. The air itself let out a loud metallic SCREECH as those claws raked upon it, seeking to bring him to a proper halt from the motion which had left him hurled back.

                 Yet still the beast did not drop whilst the fang made from sharp-edged carbon steel bit through that body again and again, puncturing organs, nearly tearing the body apart. Every blow left speckles of shards, glistening like an unseen constellation within the flesh. How bright it must have shone to the awareness of the revenant stepping forth to do war upon the figure of the man he had once named his own captain.

                 But neither of them were who they had once been, were they?

                 How the monstrous form hunched forward when the onslaught suddenly ceased, ragged straps of what remained of those bindings sagging where they had not been destroyed entirely, slithering with blood-wet PLOPS upon the ground beneath his feet. And still the monster stood, those pale eyes focused less upon the Quincy and far more upon this figure that he knew. There was an understanding here. He knew who this person was. He knew--- somewhere within that head was a voice, crying out, howling a name that seemed to expel between his fangs.

                 ❝ Gih--... G-... ❞

                 An attempt to vocalize.

                 An attempt that failed.

                 The arm lifted, and those eyes went wide again before a snarl was ripping the air apart and the half-clad monster was moving again, less than a blur and more of a thought, distance put between them. Yet not fast enough. Not enough, even as the shards of blade were left to obey the command of the one who wielded that wakizashi. Flesh cratered and grew void in the impact of poison that raced through his torso, one shard, then another and another, all expanding outwards like supernovae, the hearts of stars bursting asunder and devouring the flesh they were embedded within. It grew, like poisonous flowers speeding through the gestalt nature of bud to blossom, eradicating the housing of meat and bone alike.

                 The sound was grotesque, more akin to a balloon engorged with blood being slammed into a flat surface and exploding on impact. What had once been the form of Aizen Sousuke -- his body, at least -- was left being DEVOURED BY THAT POISON.

                 How that day echoed endlessly between them, bouncing ever in a Moebius strip between them both.

                 From the waist up did not remain much of the proud man's body, not with those pieces flung aside; regrown arms and head flying to separate landing points even as the lower portion of his form was left to collapse down upon itself. The remnants of organs were left to slew across the ground, the raw septic stink of ruptured bowels rising to the air while blood flooded outwards. The slick red-purple containers of the body's secrets were left to disgorge themselves upon the terrain at hand, thick heavy slops of organic matter a spewing mess of ruin, ragged edges fleshy and bright with coloration that seemed somehow wrong from where they spilled out. Gobbets of meat were scattered about from where the devouring bursts of that poison had hurled them like fleshy shrapnel here and there upon the landscape and they still quivered with the force of impact that had left them decorating their current housing. Red-glossed shards of bone could be picked out here and there, if one looked close enough, yet so much had been devoured by the poison contained within those fragments.

                 But not enough.

                 It was not enough to stop him.

                 Had that not been established on that day two years ago when Gin had reached his hand out, just as he did now, and commanded that poison to consume Aizen's heart?

                 Did he not own it? He had owned it for so long. It only made a certain sense that the one who was Aizen's right hand had the right to devour that heart.

                 It began with the spine.

                 The jagged ends began to move and close, forming a complete vertebrae before it was stretching out like a growing snake, from lumbar vertebrae to cervical, a bud swelling at the tip into a proper skull. Ribs suddenly swept upwards and around to complete the latticework of anatomical foundation stones, conjoining into the bone of the sternum. Yellow fibrous filaments of nerves were next, slithering through the vertebrae, followed next by the tissues which were part of the spine, sacks of fluid that cushioned each one in visible nature. One bone was left stacked atop another until the skull began to grow in a strange inversion of Rudobon's own ability where those endless soldiers would be born from the so-called fruits of the skulls. How quickly if formed, teeth visible from sharper canines to bright molars, gleaming brightly and sharply in that moment.

                 Clavicles beget shoulders, arm bones extruding like the branches of a tree's branches and forming the groundwork for those limbs. Then came the sudden engulfing of muscle fibres, rising along the established bones, skin growing over it and sweeping to conceal the bones which had been left so naked. Accompanying those muscle fibres were the branching network of veins sliding alongside the nervous system that grew, waving about and then laying flat against the body, forming the network of arteries and capillaries bound by tubes of further tissue. An unwinding, an undoing, fueled by the power of the Hogyoku itself for it would not permit that to last. All in breathless heartbeats, organs starting to repair themselves even as that immortal body knitted itself together. Strands of hair began to sprout from that bald pate as muscle and tendon and skin all covered it, thick spools of brown sprouting and extending outwards, brows and lashes coming in like grass rising through the lingering snows of winter.

                 Perhaps most unsettling had been the fact that the Hogyoku had indeed dropped to the ground as well, but even in the midst of the body rebuilding itself, it rose and flared with a brilliant incandescence. How it vibrated, glowing with an inner fire akin to that of a newborn sun. How it echoed that day in its own right, glossy red-white muscles vanishing beneath the expanse of skin and still that orb glowed as if to remind them both of the bridge that they shared, the connection, intricate bonds that were unable to be spoken of with any coherence that others might understand. Was the crumbling orb now the heart of this monstrous immortal?

                 Once, Gin himself had held that very thing before everything had changed. He had known it for years. And it had known him.

                 Now that sphere was sinking into a chest left bared, the bindings no longer wrapping around that body, hiding nothing of that moment as it nested into that portion of his chest where it had once been housed. How it returned, pressing against skin before melding into it and still it pulsed, flickering like a star caught against the velvet throat of night.

                 That black mask came next, into a shield of coal-dark hardness, whilst the void in his chest suddenly manifested once more.

                 The air suddenly crackled with a sudden swelling of power before it split with a ROAR. Once more, the jaws were agape and the screaming of the Hollow could not be denied this time, a rising howl cresting like the height of a wave as the ground beneath them TREMBLED. On and on and ON the sound went, the screaming of a soul bared and naked, which had sunk into a rage which could not be so easily stopped. How the earth shook, as if the world itself quaked in terror at the birth of the creature which had once more returned.

                 Had there been a vague sensation of hope and victory for the Quincy? Surely not. Not with the fact that Aizen had already gotten back up once already. A blade through his head and how he had dropped. No one else could claim this life but the silver-scaled snake that had long ago been given a home within that rib cage. Who better than him to take that life again? Who better than this serpent that had been allowed to sink into a place no one else had ever occupied in the life of the traitor? Gin had ever been given a place no one else ever had. And never would Aizen permit another soul to get so close again.

                 Losing Gin meant he would ever be closed off to others. He would never trust another soul in that way. He would never give anyone else what he had given freely to the viper that had ever been at his side.

                 There was no help, no aid. That body launched itself from the ground, taloned feet left to grasp upon a chunk of fallen masonry as another of those howls bulged upwards throughout the atmosphere, a cascading roaring filling the air.

                 It was the outcry of a wounded heart, broken, broken--- a terrible sound. That sound was the cry of one who had struggled for their whole life and were filled with a sense of loss that cut beyond flesh and bone. The wound was one which bled with no sign of healing ever have begun. How could it have? How could he ever hope to heal with the understanding that the fault LAID UPON HIS OWN SHOULDERS? And thus that howling, a raging noise that laid everything out in those moments.

                 In that noise was howled all of the grief, the anguish, the sheer PAIN that had been left to consume Aizen Sousuke in those two years hence. Words could not have conveyed the depth of LOSS that came through in that sound, an agony that was worse than the poison which had once more consumed the heart of the man who dwelt beneath the Hollow's mask. It was the screaming of the man's soul, a scream that had been echoing on and on, an endless refrain that had left him steeped in the deepest of sorrows. That loss could bring tears to the eyes, a scream that had bubbled up in his throat and remained caught for two years from that awful day finally being unleashed now, a scream of horror and of wounding, of unutterable emotions that could only be conveyed in this singular moment. It was a scream that could make many flinch back from what the sound held so tightly; a suffering, an awareness of one's own suffering.

                 A grieving that had no parallel. No healing. No path forward.

                 It was a sound that echoed something that made whatever the Quincy think was felt pale into insignificance.

                 There was love in that sound, an echoing of it even now. If one were to but cock their head and listen closely enough, perhaps one might hear something beneath the howling. A love that was of such boundless depths that it might startle those that had known him, to comprehend that Aizen Sousuke was not so heartless as all of that. Were the masks of Hollow not there to protect their heart, though? Was he not seeking to protect his own heart?

                 Yet how that voice seemed to echo in the sound, how it seemed to reach out, imploring, pleading for recognition, for the man who had come to eclipse and predominate so much of his outlook on life, who had become something that he had ever sought in his life -- who was the sole recipient of all that guilt and remorse, who was proof of the self-loathing and hatred that was directed at the would-be god. How he hated himself.

                 How this encounter pained him.

                 Gin--! Gin, please...! Gin! I'm sorry, Gin!

                 But that was if one knew what they were listening for.

                 Then the sound was cut off and the beast was snarling again. Bared from the waist now, with strands of hair draping across broad shoulders, power now unbound was left to blanket the area in a swelling tidal wave of immense pressure. He had always been powerful and had ever kept restraints on himself. Yet this was a power that could perhaps stagger even Gin in this moment, for he had only grown in strength in those two years, outclassing his already prodigious power that had swelled to new heights on that cold winter's day. So it was left to blanket this place and the Hollow was charging, moving without warning. The lack of the restraints meant that power was left to be a restraint its own.

                 Between one moment and the next, he was there before Gin.

                 Black-clawed hand lashing out, he was quick to grasp that slim wrist and twisted his grip with such quick speed that there was no chance for bones and tendons to withstand the pressure or the torque involved and a deep HISS erupted as the Hollow was quick to yank in the same motion with enough force to dislocate that arm from its anchor point from the shoulder. Then he was turning and the transformed godling was HURLING Gin with ferocity towards that plane of flattened terrain with such force that the air itself might be ripped from those lungs which held only a parody of breath. It'd be a miracle if those fingers retained their grip on Shinso and, if the blade had dropped in the wake of that break, the head of the Hollow tilted to look down towards the wakizashi before it was stooping, crouching to slide fingers out to the pale blue hilt with a sharp keening of sound.

                 With great care, the hand scooped up the blade before he rose and turned that pale stare towards the Quincy. Another snarling of sound before the beast began to pace towards her, each step wooden and dreadful in its gait. This was not the civilized, courteous man that had likely drawn the focus of Yhwach. This was a monster unleashed, the Hogyoku's brilliance contained in the chest which had once more formed that empty void within his chest, holding it suspended in that Hollow's hole.

                 He was going to kill her.

GIGI'S ORDERS TO DEFEND HER STILL REMAINED, RESONATING IN HIS HEAD. The moment that beast emerged, lunging forth to fling the Quincy from Gin's midst and into a pale tall tower reduced quickly to rubble, Gin was firing his Bankai-active blade once more to skewer into that deformed flesh. He aimed for the shoulders, both, rapid-succession swipes seeking to render the feral beast armless and incapable of mauling his master outright. He'd have to use teeth, fangs, that strange mask upon the face which once resided there in wide-eyed and distraught emotions, Gin seemed so distant and yet aware of the fact that he was cutting down Aizen Sousuke again and again, causing that evolution to surge forth tirelessly.

Such was the nature of this new and improved dance of theirs, death again and again, both of them lifeless and both of them incapable of truly dying. YET GIGI CALLED OUT TO HIM NOW, NEAR-BEGGING HIM TO STAY ALIVE. It seemed funny, almost enough to make Gin spit out a laugh so hoarse and empty it could be mistaken for a sob. Stay alive, don't let that thing kill him? He was already dead, he wasn't alive, and this thing had already killed him once before.

Aizen's rampaging called for heightened measures, and that restraint which once had Gin willing to forget, or pretend he forgot, about the poison which ran deep inside each particle of his blade... well, it was slipping. Slipping, perhaps, thanks to the fact that Gigi's thoughts also alluded towards poison of a different nature; the inherent opposites of Hollow and Quincy called for a rather poisonous encounter when Hollow inflicted Quincy with a wound seeped in their tainting reiatsu. Gigi was in pain, poisoned, so Gin sought to return the favor.

He couldn't stop himself, after all. HE HAD TO STOP AIZEN FROM HURTING HER ANY FURTHER. Shinso moved, aligning itself with the hilt placed at the center of his chest, both hands bracing around the weapon to firmly keep it steady. Aiming towards Aizen, Gin uttered a simple command.

❝ Buto: Renjin. ❞

An eruption. That was the best way to describe the immediate storm of blades so tightly plunging together that they were indiscernible from one another, a mass that was not visible in motion -- only in the brief split-millisecond moment that they spent skewering every inch of Aizen's body. Roaring, the sound barrier snapped at the same time as the blades receded, invisible in motion save for the delayed woosh of air as it was blown via force of the unfathomable speed. Stabbed over hundreds of times within the span of the same fraction of a millisecond, Gin also relinquished several pieces of his poison-laced blade whilst Kamishini No Yari delivered its grueling strikes. The terrain that stretched eight miles beyond Aizen Sousuke's husk was now terraformed, flattened, and pulverized into rubble.

Gin lowered Shinso, wakizashi-length once more and notably missing a sizable sliver of steel from the center of its now-bloodied length. Onwards he stepped, needing to near himself to properly activate what awaited within the hundreds of wounds freshly afflicted to the Hollowfied beast. Limb outstretched, yet did not touch, as a empty reenactment commenced with the vacant-spoken words drifting into the air between them.

YOU'RE GONNA DIE WITH A HOLE IN YOUR HEART, JUST LIKE YOU ALWAYS WANTED.

❝ Kill, Kamishini No Yari. ❞

[himarifuruya]

Diamond Light [ That's the Tea ]

Preface: Diamond Light is a non-linear series of stories based around my OC Himari Furuya and her relationship with Tamaki Amajiki or Suneater.

TW: Chapters may contain Rated M [18+] content, such as graphic sexual content, canon typical violence and gore, body horror and explicit language.

Chapter Summary: Tamaki catches up with his friends and gains some unexpected insight.

Tamaki was in burnout.

Over these past weeks, he had been so exhausted. Ever since his work study had begun, he wanted to do nothing but go home and sleep. If he wasn’t on patrols, training, or studying for his classes, he was a living vegetable. His tired, aching body didn’t want to do anything besides lay in bed and waste the hours away.

It hadn’t been an unpleasant time though, working in Fat Gum’s agency had been a highlight in many ways. Though his mentor could be a tad overwhelming for his taste, he couldn’t have asked for a better one. He especially didn’t mind the partnership he formed with the ghostly hero, Wraith - who had despite her eccentric nature, provided valuable support during their missions.

Still, he could use a break.

On one of his free days, he agreed to go out with his friends. Nejire opted that the three of them should go to her favorite tea shop, saying that they have some of the best and most flavorful blends. He couldn’t deny that it sounded refreshing, especially after such a demanding week.

Lately, their schedules hadn’t been matching up, which had made hanging out difficult. Even at school, it seemed like they were always on the go. For Tamaki, it had been a little lonely, but he was happy to know that his friends felt the same. When the opportunity rose for them to get together, they immediately took advantage of it, like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

Once seated at the booth with their drinks, they began to play catch up.

He listened quietly as his friends chatted animatedly about their progress in their work study. Despite the hard work they endured, they both sounded happy with their respective agencies. Mirio spoke proudly of his mentor that he called “Sir,” with high enthusiasm, while Nejire couldn’t keep herself from gushing about the dragon hero Ryukyu. It made him smile fondly, knowing that they were having such a good time.

“How about you, Tamaki? How’s your work study going?” Mirio asked suddenly, nudging him with his elbow, causing the chimera hero to gulp on his drink loudly,

“It’s been okay…I guess…” He wanted to stop there, but he could feel his friends’ prying eyes on him, expecting further exposition.

Letting out a reluctant sigh, he continued. “Fat Gum is great and has been really helpful over these past few weeks. He’s always giving advice and loads of encouragement...perhaps a little too much praise from my perspective, but I─ really shouldn’t be complaining. We’ve been learning quite a bit.”

“We?” Mirio questioned.

A wave of warmth rose to his cheeks. “Uh…yeah, th-there’s a-a really nice girl there too she’s uh…um…o-oh no…” He face-planted into the wall beside him miserably. “…I’m such an idiot that I-I never got her real name.”

Mirio and Nejire exchanged sly looks.

"Is she cute?" they blurted in unison, catching the young Amajiki offguard.

“Don’t ask me that…” He grumbled. “All I know is that her hero name is Wraith…”

“Oh, you mean Himari Furuya?”

Tamaki’s head lifted. “Wait… You know her?”

“Yep! She was at the Sports Festival, don’t you remember?” Nejire asked

“E-eh - I g-guess I should, but I - well - I was kind of busy having a panic attack,” he mumbled.

“Oh yeah…” Nejire hummed softly with a tilt of the head, her laissez faire tone and relaxed expression easing the discomfort of admitting such a thing.

“Isn’t she also the daughter of Monochrome?” Mirio inquired.

“Monochrome…?” Tamaki was vaguely familiar with that name from some tabloids. If he recalled correctly, Monochrome was one of the more elusive heroes that stayed out of the public eye for the most part. Very few have ever met him in person.

Nejire bobbed her head. “Yeah, crazy right? They look nothing alike too, like night and day.”

“There’s a lot of rumors about that guy too...like really morbid ones.” Mirio remarked, scratching his chin. “I don’t know how true they are, but even some heroes are leery of him.”

“Why’s that?” Tamaki asked.

Mirio’s brows drew together, trying to find the right words to explain. “His quirk…he can absorb negative energies and use that to manipulate the things around him.”

Tamaki leaned in, growing more curious. “That’s quite the ability.”

“But how is that a bad thing? If he’s removing negativity, isn’t that beneficial? Wouldn’t that make any bad occurrence into a good one?” Nejire wondered aloud with her teacup held between her hands methodically.

“It does sound like a positive thing, doesn’t it? But, sadly, it isn’t that simple.” Mirio’s smile weakened as he went on. “Unfortunately, he can only store so much of that energy, so if he isn’t using it consistently, there can be some severe consequences if it leaks out. To put it simply, he isn’t exactly a lucky charm.”

Tamaki frowned deeply. “That’s pretty awful… I don’t even want to imagine the burden that could bring…”

Mirio hummed in accordance. “As long as he keeps it in check, there isn’t much to worry about, but that liability is always there.”

“I guess that makes sense, there’s pros and const to every quirk.” Nejire said, lowering her cup from her lips. “One way or another, we all have to figure out how to use the cards we are delt.”

"Oh!" Mirio suddenly blurted. "He can levitate, too."

"O-oh," Tamaki uttered in response. He glanced away for a moment, before a thought came to mind. He turned back to the blonde, uttering, "how do you know all this?"

"I heard about it at Nighteye's agency," Mirio replied brightly.

"I see," Tamaki replied softly, looking down at his tea again. It seemed that Nejire had refilled it while he wasn't looking.

"Does..." Tamaki began, trailing off as he mentally debated if he wanted to utter such a thought aloud. Furuya was a peer, someone he admired in her heroism, but who he barely knew. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder-

"...that mean he's often away, o-on missions?" Tamaki finished softly, glancing between his friends.

Nejire hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose so..."

Mirio added on more firmly, "I've heard he works a lot."

Tamaki looked back down, his lips pulled tight. So, then, did that mean Furuya was alone a lot...?

As if reading his mind, Mirio raised his cup and continued. “But, there’s a lot of unknowns, so we should be careful not to jump to conclusions.” There was a liveliness beaming in his blue irises, he looked at Tamaki, saying pointedly. “It’s better to get the information straight for the source.”

The color in the hero’s face drained. “L-Like – ask her d-directly? I-I don’t think I have the courage to do that…”

“I think he’s implying that it would be good to befriend her,” Nejire suggested kindly. Her expression lit up with a jovial smile. “Seems like it could be fun.”

Mirio nodded, following her statement with, “she’s in the other class, so it might not be as easy to meet up, but I’m sure we could work around it. What do you think, Tamaki?”

“I-I don’t know, I do like working with her…but – but I don’t want to m-make her feel uncomfortable - or think w-we only doing it out of p-pity.” While he appreciated their eagerness, he didn’t want to take Mirio’s warning lightly.

“Hm, that’s true too…” Nejire mused aloud, she leaned back into the cushion of the booth, twirling a periwinkle curl around her finger. “But, it doesn’t have to be forced either.”

“Exactly, it can happen organically – I mean, you want to be closer to her, right?” Mirio drawled.

The suggestiveness in his tone sent a blistering heat to Tamaki’s face. “E-Eh …? W-Well…y-yes, but w-why do y-you have to make it weird, Mirio!”

The blond chuckled, “sorry, but you left yourself open, dude.”

“Anyway…,” Nejire began, bringing them back on topic, “I’ve been wanting to get to know more people from class B, so this will be a great way to do that!”

“For sure, they are our future comrades after all,” Mirio agreed. “So, don’t think too hard about it, buddy.”

Tamaki’s shoulders slumped, pressing his lips together into a wobbly line. “Urk…w-when you point it out like that, i-it only makes it harder not to… - b-but, I’ll try.”

The trio polished off a few more pots of tea before going their separate ways. On his jaunt home, Tamaki could feel the brew sloshing in his belly, but he had to admit, he came out of their meeting feeling rejuvenated. If he hadn’t known better, he could have sworn his friends had a superpower for restoring energy on top of their established quirks.

Although he was still pretty worn out, he was more prepared to face the new week ahead.

In the back of his mind, he was still thinking about their discussion about the ghostly hero, Wraith. He wondered about the rumors that circulated around her family. Mirio hadn’t gone into detail about them, which left plenty of room for mystery, but maybe that was for the best.

For now, he was fine with not knowing – he was in no rush and there was no need to tarnish a clean slate.

[ericsonclan]

Until Dawn

Summary: Clementine invites her friends over for a sleepover and they decide to play a game: Until Dawn.

Read on A03:

Everything was set up and ready to go. The title screen for Until Dawn was displayed on the TV screen. A face moved on the screen as it waited for the game to begin. Clementine looked around the room. Popcorn and bowls of candy were on the living room table as well as an assortment of drinks. She glanced down at her watch.

Everyone should be here soon.

Just as she finished the thought, a knock was heard on the door. Running over to the door, she opened it to find Brody and Ruby standing out front.

“Hey guys, come in.” Clementine stepped away to make room for her friends to enter.

“Thanks,” Brody said as she and Ruby entered first, followed closely behind by Violet and Prisha while Sophie, Minnie and Renata brought up the rear.

“You guys ready for jumpscares and gore galore?” Renata asked excitedly, jumping down on the couch to join Minnie who had already taken her spot.

“I hope it’s not too gory,” Brody sighed, taking a spot beside Renata.

“Well I’m sure it will be fine,” Sophie gave a reassuring smile as she sat on the couch arm beside her twin. “We’ll all be taking turns so together we can survive the night.”

“Soph’s right,” Ruby took one of the available chairs while Prisha took the last spot on the couch. “It’ll be fun,”

“How long is the game anyway? Violet sat down on the remaining couch arm by Prisha.

“Usually it’s ten to twelve hours,” Renata stated, grabbing a handful of popcorn before shoving it in her mouth.

“So we’ll be playing Until Dawn… until dawn.” Clementine said with an enthusiastic smile. Grabbing the controller, she took a seat by Sophie and selected the new game option. The game opened up with a still image of a butterfly warning the girls that their choices would affect the story and they should choose wisely.

“Who wants to go first?” Clementine held up the controller.

“Oh, I do!” Sophie shot her arm up quickly, snatching the controller as the opening shot of the cabin was shown. It became abundantly clear to the girls what type of characters they would be playing as when the prologue started.

“So we’re just following some idiotic teenagers?” Violet asked, leaning back with her arms crossed.

“Yeah, that seems about right.” Renata replied, grabbing a bowl of candy before leaning against Minnie’s shoulder.

“We’re playing as a twin,” Minnie seemed more invested now, leaning forward in her seat as she watched.

“Oh no, don’t fall for it,” Brody whispered as she saw Hannah go along with what Mike wanted, falling further into the teenagers’ prank. Soon it became clear to Hannah that she had been pranked, causing her to run out into the cold winter night alone.

“That was brutal,” Clementine whispered, taking a sip from her drink.

“Don’t worry, Sophie and Minnie, we would never pull a prank like that on either of you.” Ruby declared firmly.

Sophie and Minnie shared a confused look before looking back at their friend.

“Thanks, Ruby,” Sophie gave a small smile as her attention turned back to the screen.

“It was just a prank, Han!” Renata mimicked Emily’s voice, making the others look over both impressed and confused by it.

“Well, it’s time to save my twin!” Sophie declared as she controlled Beth who slowly made her way through the dark forest. Brody hugged a pillow closer to her, jumping slightly as the deer jumped out. Soon Sophie came across a totem and picked it up, revealing some sort of vision.

“I feel like this is cultural appropriation,” Prisha looked annoyed by the game’s choice of item.

“What it is is scary,” Renata said in her best spooky voice. After a few minutes Sophie was able to find Hannah, but they weren’t alone. A stranger appeared behind them, causing them to slip and fall. The first major decision popped up. Beth could either let go of Hannah or choose to drop both of them. Sophie and Minnie locked eyes and nodded in unison.

“We’re going out together!” Sophie yelled as she moved the analog stick over the choice, causing the twins to fall to their deaths. As the opening song played, Sophie passed along the controller to Prisha. She began her turn by getting all the characters intros to which everyone had different responses. After a while she was in control of Sam who looked at a phone sticking out of the bag.

“I don’t think you should be snooping,” Ruby said in a soft voice.

“Yeah, it’s not nice.” Brody agreed.

“Snoop! Snoop! Snoop! Snoop!” Renata chanted to which Sophie immediately joined in, the two smiling at each other as they chanted. Prisha moved the character forward and snatched up the phone, her curiosity getting the better of her. Soon Chris appeared behind her, causing Ruby and Brody to jump. Some more establishing scenes played out and Prisha decided to pass the controller on to someone else. As she continued to watch the game her hand wandered over to Violet’s, taking it in her own. Her thumb gently brushed against Violet’s, causing a warm feeling to shoot through Violet’s body. She glanced up at Prisha with a small smile.

A fight broke out between Emily and Jessica over what all the girls had agreed was a semi petty reason.

“They’re splitting up,” Minnie’s eyebrow raised, confused by their choice.

“They really are idiots. They're all gonna die.” Violet replied from her side of the couch.

“It’s horror movie 101: don’t split up,” Clementine added, moving Mike forward as the couple bantered. The sound of the doorbell ringing in real life caused Clem to pause the game. Jumping up from her seat, she made her way over to the door where the pizza man waited.

“Thanks,” Her voice was muffled as she held the boxes of pizza and closed the door with her foot. Ruby immediately made her way over and offered her help, placing down the pizzas as

Clementine disappeared into the kitchen to get some paper plates. Soon they returned to the game. Mike and Jessica were in the safety of the cabin after running away from an unknown threat in the woods. Brody let out a sigh, glad that they were safe. Her eyes widened when she realized it was her turn to play. Reluctantly she took the controller and began to get the cabin warm for Jessica when suddenly she got a call from Mitch.

“Hey, Prisha, can you grab my phone and hold it up to my ear?” Brody asked as she navigated Mike around the room.

“Sure,” Prisha answered the call and held it up to Brodys’ ear.

“Hey, Mitch,” Brody answered, a small smile appearing on her face when she heard her boyfriend’s voice. “Everything’s fine, just playing the game. Yeah I’m fine. I’m just-” Brody let out a small shriek when Jessica got pulled through the door, causing the other girls who weren’t frightened by the scare to also react. “No, Mitch, it was just a jumpscare. Yeah, I’m okay. Oh shit, Mike, triangle! It's triangle!” Brody desperately mashed the button as Mike struggled to get to Jessica. “I have to go.” Brody used her nose to stop the call, turning her full attention back on the screen.

“Ummm, ummm which way?” She looked frantically at the options.

“Just fucking jump it!” Violet leaned forward, her eyes glued to the screen.

“Square!” Clementine yelled, pointing to the screen as Mike moved forward.

“Thanks,” Brody replied, mashing the buttons that appeared on the screen. It wasn’t over as Mike made his way down to the mines. Mike looked around desperately for his girlfriend who was nowhere to be seen.

“Did we get her killed?” Ruby asked with a concerned expression on her face.

“No, she’s there!” Sophie pointed at the TV as Mike made his way over. After an unclear shot of whether Jessica was alive or not, Brody shakily handed the controller to Renata whose eyes lit up as she grasped it. Brody’s attention fell back on her phone as she sent a quick text to let Mitch know that she really was okay.

“Watch the expert!” Renata gave a confident smile as she made her way outside of the elevator shaft to climb it. Immediately she missed the first button prompt, causing Mike to fall down in an overly dramatic way. Sophie let out a snort.

“That was just a warm up,” Renata’s tongue stuck out slightly as she concentrated on the buttons only to fail again and again. Sophie slowly devolved into a fit of giggles as her friend continued to miss the prompts. The others weren’t too much help as they smiled and laughed as well.

“You’ve got this,” Minnie gave a reassuring smile, causing Renata to get a newly found drive. Eventually Renata passed the climbing challenge, but it seemed that the game knew she had taken too long, forcing her to take a darker path. Renata swiped her finger across the controller, hoping that the lighter would turn on. After a few tries it lit up. A pair of eyes appeared, hiding behind the planks of wood. Everyone seemed to get caught in this jumpscare except for Sophie who had sneezed right when it happened. She seemed pretty bummed at this fact but moved on as Minnie got the controller.

Minnie was back with the majority of the characters and ended up playing as Chris as he made his way to what was surely his worst nightmare. There tied up was Josh, Chris’ best friend, and Ashley his crush.

“This is cruel,” Ruby’s tone was a mixture of sad and fearful as she heard the killer’s voice telling Chris he had to choose. The others weren’t sure how Minnie was going to decide this one. But it ended up being pretty easy for her. She moved the saw towards Josh.

“That was fast,” Clementine looked back over her shoulder at Minnie who shrugged. “He creeped me out.”

“That’s fair,” Violet agreed as she took another slice of pizza. Soon they were back in the shoes of Mike and it was Violet’s turn to play. She guided the character through what looked like an abandoned asylum until she opened a door and a wolf jumped out and started barking at her. The option to hit it was brought up, but instead Violet waited for the time to run out. She ended up finding a treat for the wolf and befriending it. A silent agreement was made amongst the players: the wolf had to survive the night. Violet soon approached a box with a fake hand swaying back and forth, a note attached to it. Without a second thought Violet reached for the tag, causing Mike’s hand to get caught in a bear trap.

“Shit!” Violet was not expecting this. The camera changed to another’s viewpoint, approaching the room that Mike was in. The option to try the bear trap or to cut off his fingers appeared.

“Cut off his fingers,” Minnie suggested to which Sophie immediately agreed.

“No, try the trap!” Brody begged, hoping not to see one of the characters she had become most attached to get hurt.

“That may not work though,” Prisha tried to think both options through but time was running out.

“Fuck it,” Violet pushed the analog stick towards one of the options. Mike let out a painful cry as he held his now maimed hand. Brody hid her face behind the pillow as Ruby stated facts about how he should treat it so it didn’t get worse.

Clementine was next for the controller, playing a character they hadn’t seen in a while: Sam. She was busy still chilling in her bath when the killer stood behind her.

“That’s so creepy,” Brody winced at the screen.

“It’s fucking digusting,” Minnie added in agreement. The others tried to warn Sam to look around but to no avail. Instead Sam was forced to watch a brutal tape of Josh getting killed. Suddenly the killer burst through the door, walking towards her.

“Throw the vase!” Sophie yelled, jumping her seat. Clementine did just that before running down the hallway. The option to hide or to run appeared, causing the girls to split on the option. Clementine chose to keep running, avoiding each time to hide until she reached the final room in which she chose to hide. The don’t move warning appeared as Clementine froze, barely breathing while she hoped she wouldn’t get Sam caught. When she had succeeded everyone let out sighs of relief.

The controller got passed around before it landed in Prisha’s hands again. This time they were in control of Emily who tried her best to call for help and was successful but they wouldn’t arrive until dawn.

“Roll credits!” Sophie and Renata said at the same time. A hand appeared, creepily moving across the screen as it sliced the cable causing the tower to fall. Soon Emily was in quite the predicament as she held on desperately for her life. Prisha was now in control of Matt as he decided between jumping to safety or helping his girlfriend.

“You should help her,” Brody looked over at Prisha. “She’s your girlfriend.”

“It would be pretty shitty to leave your girlfriend,” Clementine added, looking back at the group.

“But she’s a pretty shitty girlfriend,” Violet grumbled from her spot.

“Doesn’t mean she deserves to die,” Ruby’s counterpoint caused Prisha to pause. Moving the analog stick, she tried once to help Emily who continued to whine and diss Matt as he tried to help her.

“Forget you,” Prisha shot the analog stick over to jump to safety, an annoyed expression on her face which turned slightly happier as Emily fell.

Brody felt her heartbeat race as she held the controller. She played through a few scenes before arriving at one she dreaded. Chris and Ashley had been tied to chairs and a gun was placed on the table. The killer’s voice told Chris he had two choices: to kill Ashley or himself. Brody frantically moved the gun back and forth unsure what to do.

“You gotta pick, Brody,” Sophie stated as she opened up another drink.

“I-I can’t!” Brody’s voice wavered as she continued to move the gun back and forth when suddenly the time ran out. When she realized she had chosen an option that meant neither had to die, she fell back further into her spot in relief. Suddenly a big reveal happened, showing that Josh was the killer and was just pulling a big prank on the friends as payment for what happened a year ago.

“See, I told you he was creepy!’ Minnie gestured to the screen.

“Yep, you were right!” Renata smiled up at her girlfriend.

Everyone seemed to be done with Josh after that point. Although they all seemed somewhat sympathetic to him that only went so far. They were soon back with Emily who seemed just as whiny as ever. Suddenly a creature appeared to chase her.

“What is that!” Brody hid further behind her pillow.

“Whatever it is, you better move your ass!” Violet commanded Emily as she moved her forward. Soon a don’t move prompt appeared, causing Violet to turn into stone.

“Hey, Brody, hot or not?” Renata nudged Brody’s arm with a playful smile. Brody wasn’t even paying attention, her eyes averted from the screen and her ears plugged.

“That’s a wendigo, Renata,” Prisha stated, looking over at Renata who didn’t seem fazed by the statement.

“So?”

“Shut up, Renata!’ Violet hissed, whispering through her teeth. After a moment Violet had passed the prompt and moved forward towards her escape.

“All I’m saying is I would get with a wendigo if it was a matter of life and death,”

Minnie looked over at her girlfriend. “You’d be dead though,”

Renata gave a shrug. “Sophie knows what I’m talking about,”

“No, I really don’t,” Sophie shook her head though she smiled towards her friend. When Violet had safely gotten Emily out of trouble everyone cheered, proud of her achievement. Soon more information was revealed back at the cabin and Chris had to go off with the stranger to get Josh back into the cabin only for the stranger’s head to get taken clean off by a wendigo. Ruby was on the controls now and bravely ran forward to make it back to the cabin.

“Not today, you creepy weirdos!” Ruby yelled as she aimed for a wendigo, shooting it all the way back.

“Way to go, Ruby!” Sophie cheered before stopping when Ruby missed the next one, causing Chris to die. Ruby’s eyes fell, upset that she was the only one so far to get a character killed.

“It’s okay, Ruby,” Clementine looked over at her with a sympathetic smile.

Ruby returned the smile and decided to extend her turn. The scene changed when the group argued whether Emily would turn because she was bitten.

“Don’t shoot her,” Prisha warned, leaning forward. “The stranger told us that it wasn’t transferred through bites.”

“Prisha’s smart. Let’s listen to her,” Renata nodded in agreement. Everyone seemed to agree automatically; Prisha was rarely wrong. Emily didn’t seem appreciative of the decision though, slapping Ashley afterwards. The girls took a quick break to stretch their legs and take a bathroom break. Everyone seemed eager to continue the game as they talked excitedly amongst themselves about the progress so far. Minnie had offered to take the controller next, playing as Mike as he made his way through the abandoned asylum once more.

“Wolfy!” Minnie exclaimed excitedly as the wolf rejoined her. “I’m gonna keep you safe, don’t worry.” Minnie continued to go through the building until she ran into more wendigos which she was able to fend off thanks to her quick reflexes.

“That was so badass!” Sophie’s eyes shone proudly at her sister while she made her way to safety. When she entered a room she quickly jumped down the hole, hoping that the wolf would join her but instead it got taken out by a wendigo.

“No!” Minnie cried out, her hands dropping the controller. Renata moved closer to Minnie, giving her a warm hug.

“Dammit,” Violet’s eyes fell. Prisha’s hand wrapped around Violet’s to which Violet gave a small smile. Everyone seemed upset by the death but decided to soldier on. They still needed to save the others.

Brody bravely took the controls once again this time as Sam. Walking through the cold water of the cave she moved the character to the glowing spot that signaled that an item was there. Leaning over to pick it up the girls soon realized what it was: Hannah’s diary. Since Clementine was closest to the TV she volunteered to read it. Narrating out the diary entries, a horrible truth came to light.

“What? Hannah ate Beth!?!” Sophie nearly fell out of her seat at the revelation. She looked over at Minnie, her eyes slightly teary due to a mixture of the news and the fact that it was nearing four in the morning. “Minnie, I would never!”

Minnie reached out and took Sophie’s hand, giving a reassuring smile. “I know Soph.”

“Wait, you know what this means don’t you?” Prisha’s voice drew everyone’s attention towards her. “This means that Hannah committed cannibalism which means she’s a wendigo, likely one of the ones we faced.”

Everyone’s eyes widened at the realization.

“Holy shit,” Minnie whispered shocked by Prisha’s words. The twins shared a look with each other before letting the others know it was okay to continue on.

Soon they were at the end of the game and Sophie was in charge. She felt her heart tighten at the responsibility on her shoulders. She was in charge of Sam as she tried to let the others escape, refusing to leave until everyone was out but each time she had to deal with a wendigo. Suddenly a wendigo jumped and collided with another, tearing off its head.

“Buff!” Renata yelled in time with the wendigo’s attack. Soon a Don’t Move prompt showed up, causing Sophie to become still.

The wendigo moved towards Sam’s face and screamed into her face.

“Me when I make Sophie do a breath check,” Renata joked with a playful smile. Sophie tried not to laugh at the joke.

“Ren, Sophie’s trying to concentrate,” Minnie looked over at Renata.

“Right, right, sorry.”

Sophie took a shaky breath. “I can’t do another wendigo attack.”

“Oh, here,” Renata snatched the controller and placed it on the table. “This way we won’t lose.”

“Cheater,” Violet grumbled with her arms crossed.

Everyone didn’t seem to care though as they just wanted to get everyone to safety. As soon as the last don’t move section was done, Renata tossed the controller to Clementine.

“Bring home the win!” Renata yelled as Clementine caught the controller, moving Sam towards the light switch.

"Hit the switch! Hit the switch!” they all yelled in unison.

Everyone was cheering when she was successful and the wendigos were toast. As they watched the end credits roll everyone felt the tiredness in their bones.

The light shining through the curtains showed that they really had played until dawn. They all got caught up in their discussion of the game before sleep overtook each one of them.