#so being able to draw corvo yelling

[kg-clark-inthedark]

Another short fan comic I made for @uncontrol-freak’s dh fic, Abyssal. This one’s for chapter 16! I was given a few chapters to choose from when I said I wanted to draw more for the fic, and I couldn’t pass up a dramatic Void scene :)

If you like corvosider, dark themes, and fics with regular updates that keep you on your toes, then I highly recommend checking this story out (and leaving nice comments while you’re at it)

[stealingpotatoes]

Something More

Ao3 link

Summary: Emily accidentally finds out Corvo is her father

Emily wasn’t meant to sneak out of her room after she was put to bed, but she had decided that if she wasn’t really meant to sneak out, it wouldn’t have been so easy to do so. She was fairly sure the guards just ignored her, but she preferred to think that she was actually successfully skulking past them and her governesses, the same way Corvo could sneak around silently. She knew she wasn’t quite as stealthy as Corvo -- which Emily didn’t get at all; she was eight and much smaller than him, while he was a lot older than eight and about a million feet tall. But still she’d made it all the way to just outside her mother’s chambers with little to no problem. However, now there was an obstacle; two obstacles, really. The two guards posted outside the door. 

Emily peered at them from behind a pillar. She could try to sneak past them, or just convince them to let her in. The first one was more fun, but the second was easier… She’d do the second one.

Emily breathed in and tried her best to copy the way her mother acted when she was being all Empress-y. She turned from the pillar and walked up to the guards. “I need to see my mother,” Emily said, hoping she sounded commanding. 

“The Empress said she wanted to be left alone-” one guard started.

“Her Majesty meant by her advisors, not her daughter,” the other guard interrupted, speaking quietly to his partner. The guard turned to Emily and started speaking at a normal volume, “Of course, Your Highness.”

He opened the door, and Emily gingerly walked through it. The guard closed the door behind her. Mission: accomplished, Emily thought with a smirk.  

Emily wasn’t sneaking here for a bad reason. She just wanted to listen to her mother play the harp for Corvo, as her mother often did in the evening. 

Emily frowned. Usually by this point, she’d be able to hear some light music. It occurred to her that maybe her mother just wasn’t playing tonight (it wasn’t like she played the harp every night) and that she should just go back to bed, but Emily decided to move towards the inner drawing room anyway. She padded through the outer room, where her mother often received very boring guests that Emily had to smile and be polite to, and definitely not tell them how boring they were. Right now, the room was empty of people bar her, and Emily thought it was much nicer this way. 

Emily reached the door, but still couldn’t hear anything. She put her ear up to it; still no harp. But she could hear muffled talking-sounds… they were in there. She looked through the keyhole. 

The harp was there, but her mother wasn’t sitting by it. Emily glanced to where Corvo usually sat to listen. Corvo was there… with Mother sitting on his lap, her arms draped around his shoulders and with her back against Corvo’s arm on the armrest of the sofa they were on. Mother’s hair was down, and Corvo wasn’t wearing his coat, making them both look uncharacteristically casual.  

Emily furrowed her brow. Why was Mother sitting on Corvo when there was a whole sofa next to him?  Emily shrugged, still looking through the keyhole.

Corvo and Mother’s faces were fairly close, and were talking too quietly for Emily to hear. But they were definitely talking. Corvo said something funny, probably, and Mother laughed. 

They both paused, and Corvo moved his hand to the side of Mother’s face, brushing a lock of stray hair aside and resting his thumb on her cheek. 

Emily held her breath in anticipation behind the door. Come on, come on.  

After a few seconds of silently smiling at each other, Corvo and Mother both leaned to bridge the gap between their lips and started kissing.

Emily put her hand over her mouth to cover her gasp. She pulled away from the keyhole and tried to comprehend what she’d just seen. Corvo and her mother were kissing. Actually kissing! Emily jumped up and down on the spot in celebration. They had finally done it! 

“Yes, yes, yes!” Emily half-whispered, still doing her small celebration dance. She threw her hands in the air. 

The door suddenly opened behind Emily, she stopped and spun around to see Corvo stood in the doorway. At first, he was almost scowling, but his face quickly softened up to a smile when he looked down to see Emily. 

Emily grinned. “You kissed mother!” she said, not giving Corvo the chance to speak. 

Corvo furrowed his brow, “What?” 

Emily walked past Corvo and accusatorily pointed between him and Mother, who was standing next to the sofa, “I saw you! You just kissed each other! I was looking through the keyhole and you two were kissing! On the lips!”

Corvo muttered that one Serkonan word he usually said when things went wrong (but that Emily wasn’t allowed to say) and glanced back at Mother, who looked equally as surprised as him. Corvo shut the door behind him. 

“Uhh…” Corvo trailed off. 

“She’s old enough to know,” Mother tilted her head slightly, looking at Corvo. 

“And to keep it quiet,” Corvo conceded. 

“And I don’t think not telling her is an option now…” Mother said, sounding almost amused. 

“Why are you talking like I’m not here? I can hear you,” Emily said impatiently.

Corvo and Mother stopped talking and both looked at Emily with a smile.

“Are you going to kiss again?” Emily asked. “And you can’t tell me you didn’t kiss, because I know I saw it.”

Her mother and Corvo shared another glance, slightly more sure this time. Mother looked back to Emily, “We did kiss.”

“So…” Emily gestured between her mother and Corvo, “you’re together now!”

Corvo nodded.

“Yes, Corvo and I are together,” Mother smiled.

A grin spread across Emily’s face and she squealed, bouncing on her toes in excitement, “FINALLY! I’ve been telling you to get together for years!” Emily paused and gasped dramatically, “When are you going to get married?”

Corvo and Mother gave each other an amused look, and Emily felt like she was missing something.

“We’ve been together for a while, actually,” Corvo glanced back down to Emily.

Emily’s excitement dropped into tentative curiousness, “...how long then?” 

“Twelve years,” Corvo said, with a smirk.

“Twelve years?!” Emily half-yelled. “You’ve been kissing for twelve years and you never told me?!” she asked offendedly. 

“We wanted to, but-” Mother started. 

“Wait!” Emily interrupted, looking pensive, “If you’re…and you’ve been...” Suddenly, she gasped even more dramatically than before and looked up at Corvo, “Does that mean you’re my father?!”

Corvo’s smirk spread into a big smile, “It does.”

Emily squealed and grinned. “This is the best day ever!” she yelled, before she threw herself at Corvo (or more aptly, Corvo’s legs) and hugged him as tightly as she could. Corvo hugged her back. 

“I’m so happy you’re my father! I was worried it would be some boring person, but you’re not boring! You’re the coolest person ever!” Emily said very quickly, still hugging Corvo tightly, “This is the best!”

Corvo gave a low chuckle, “Thank you.”

After a few moments, Emily pulled back and glanced between her mother and Corvo- no, glanced between her parents with a frown, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

Her mother’s smile became a little smaller, “Because it has to be a secret.”

Emily furrowed her brow more, “That’s silly. Why does it have to be a secret?”

“It’s… very complicated,” Mother stated, without the usual sureness in her voice. 

Corvo crouched down to Emily’s height, “But because it’s a secret, you can’t tell anyone. At all.”

“Not even Mrs. Pilsen?” Emily asked, thinking of her favourite doll lying in her bed. 

“Not even Mrs. Pilsen,” Mother repeated seriously, moving closer to Corvo and Emily. 

Emily nodded solemnly and looked down. She wanted to tell everyone that Corvo was her father, and that he and her mother had been kissing for twelve whole years… but if they said it had to be a secret, it had to be a secret. Emily looked at Corvo, still crouched next to her, “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Corvo smiled and stood back up to his full height.

“Can I call you father?” Emily asked, perking up. 

Corvo and Mother looked at each other. Emily had decided long ago that her mother and Corvo could definitely read each other’s minds, because they seemed to be able to talk with just eye contact. They were probably doing that now. 

“It’s probably best if you don’t-” Corvo started, with a sort of apologetic frown to Emily.

“Okay, father,” she said before Corvo could continue, staring up at him with an incredibly smug grin. 

Corvo narrowed his eyes and gave Emily another smile, though he looked like he was trying not to do so. Mother was also smiling a little. 

“What? I think I deserve to say it once. Because you lied to me for twelve years,” Emily said, trying to put on the cutest face she could in an attempt to convince her parents. 

“Twelve years?” Mother asked amusedly, “You’re only eight, my dear.”

Emily made a dismissive motion, making her mother and Corvo both laugh a little.

“She makes a fair argument,” Corvo huffed, folding his arms with a little shrug. 

Emily grinned again and looked Corvo in the eyes, “Father, father, father, father, father!” 

“Oh, now you’re pushing it. Come here,” Corvo grinned, reaching for Emily. 

Emily giggled and started to run off, but was almost immediately caught by Corvo. He picked her up and sat her on his arm. Emily giggled again. Corvo smiled back, adjusting Emily a little.  

Emily looked at her mother and made a grabby hands motion with the hand she wasn’t holding on to Corvo with, “Family hug!” she demanded, with giddy excitement. 

Mother obliged with a smile and moved forward to wrap her arms around Corvo and Emily. Corvo and Emily hugged her back with their free arms. Emily was, admittedly being a little squished by her parents, but she didn’t care. 

“I love you both,” Mother said into the hug.

“I love you too,” Corvo and Emily said in unison.  

[chemicalmagecraft]

The Gamer Hero, Deku Chapter 23

So

I may or may not have forgotten to do this. And then had to do like three essays...

xoxoxo

"Sorry about that again..." I apologized to Tsu, holding a small flame in front of her.

She harrumphed jokingly and leaned a bit more into Uraraka's chest, her arms crossed. She was using Uraraka's new sport uniform jacket like a makeshift blanket. "You're such a hypocrite, Midoriya. You yell at Todoroki for freezing up the audience, then you go just as cold as him when you fight him, kero."

"Sorry, I was hoping Blaise and Pyra working together would be enough to keep everyone from getting cold..."

"Hey," a lazy voice drawled. I turned my head to see a basic fire elemental suddenly sitting on the railing in front of me. His hair and clothes were mostly black with a few orange stripes. He had black cat ears, a black cat tail, and catlike orange eyes with yellow sclera. "I helped too, ya know."

"Oh hi, Charlie!" Uraraka said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Kacchan asked him.

"That's Aizawa-sensei's fire elemental," I said.

"And I'll have you know I helped out," Charlie grumbled.

"Only because you were forced to, niichan," another voice said. A girl with sky-blue hair in a sort of bowl cut that covered her eyes appeared in midair. Upside-down. She had very pale, actually outright just white skin and two weird red horns that formed a sort of deformed heart shape when seen from the side. She had a simple white dress, almost exactly the same color as her skin.

Tsu waved at her. "Hey, Cass. Kero."

"Hey, Tsu-chan," Cassiopeia, Aizawa-sensei's gravity elemental, said. "Are you and my aunt finally dating yet?" Tsu and Uraraka both spluttered, now blushing. "Iiii'll take that as a no, then." She smirked, and with a momentary glow of her horns Tsu's head was suddenly shoved into Uraraka's chest by an unseen force that was probably gravity. "C'mon, you guys've obviously noticed the attraction between you two~"

"Th-that's because you're literally making Tsu-chan gravitate towards me!" Uraraka shouted, blushing heavily. Tsu said something that was probably agreeing with Uraraka, but it was muffled so I couldn't tell for sure.

"I have no idea what you're talking about~" Cass taunted. She cheekily stuck out her tongue.

Even though I wasn't the direct target of it, I could feel Aizawa-sensei's glare from all the way over in the announcer's box. Was that what Enji felt when I used Fear on him?

Good.

Tsu and Uraraka stopped being attracted to each other. By gravity, at least. "H-hey, look at the time!" Cass said. "G-gotta go!"

"That girl..." Tsu muttered, still blushing heavily.

"Tsu do you need me to heal you?" I asked. "Your nose is bleeding a little."

She felt her nose. "Oh. Yeah please do that, kero. Sorry, sometimes my nose bleeds a little easy." I placed my hand on her face and cast Healing Hands.

"Do I have to beat up a child?" Kacchan offered.

"D-don't worry about Cass," Uraraka said. "She doesn't do stuff anything as bad as that a lot, and she always apologizes later after Shō gives her a lecture."

"And this is the first time she drew blood, kero," Tsu commented.

"I feel kinda bad for Aizawa-sensei," I said. "Some of my elementals are, no offense, a little hard to manage..."

"Hey!" Rayne shouted.

"...but at least my other elementals help keep them grounded." Blaise put Rayne in a headlock despite the fact that they were both immaterial. "Aizawa-sensei, on the other hand, only has those two."

"Yeah, lazy elementals are annoying to deal with," Kacchan said. I looked at him. "I am assuming," he added suspiciously quickly.

"Alright, then," I said. "Hey, shouldn't you be heading for the waiting room, Kacchan?"

He shrugged. "I trust Birdface and Sparkles-"

"Tokoyami and Aoyama."

"-Birdface and Sparkles to give each other a good fight. Unfortunately I won't be able to watch their fight, directly anyway, but at least I can watch Glasses'."

"His name is Iida, problem child," Aizawa-sensei said over the speaker.

"Thaaaat's right folks!" Mic-sensei shouted. "It's Iida Tenya! Versus! Shiozaki Ibara! Who will win, technology or nature? Let's find out!"

"Start!" Midnight-sensei announced.

And then it was over. Iida was really fast.

"Damn, that was quick," Kacchan said disappointedly.

"That's what she said," Tsu muttered.

"I'll kill you, Frog," Kacchan threatened flatly.

"That's also what she said," I joked.

Kacchan twitched. "That one doesn't even make sense!"

"Maybe you should go now?" Uraraka suggested. "Iida's fight's over."

He sighed. "Fine, just tell me what happens in... Tokoyama and Aoyami's fight?" He glared at what appeared to be thin air. "Did I fucking ask, Pyra!?" Kacchan grunted and stomped off, grumbling about fires and... leaves for some reason?

A few minutes after Kacchan left, Tokoyami and Aoyama walked onto the arena. "Get ready!" Midnight-sensei said after Aizawa-sensei and Mic-sensei said their part. At her command, motes of dark magic started to emanate from Tokoyami. At the same time, Aoyama started to sparkle with light magic. It occurred to me that Tokoyami and Aoyama were both, in their own ways, among the most showy people in our class...

"I wonder which one of us shall win?," Tokoyami remarked. "Your holy light, or my curséd shadow?"

"Hey!" Dark Shadow protested. "I have feelings too!"

"Shall we see, mon ami?" Aoyama replied. "But do keep in mind that I won't go easy on you!"

"I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Start!"

Aoyama shot first, all of his sparkles turning to lasers at once. It seemed that Tokoyami anticipated that, because just before the lasers hit him a shroud of darkness spread out in front of him. Dark Shadow shot out from behind the shroud, slightly enhanced by spending a few moments in darkness, but was blown back easily by Aoyama using a sparkling light bomb. Aoyama tried to hit Dark Shadow with a few more lasers, but was thwarted by Tokoyami shooting them with bolts of darkness. Dark Shadow lashed out at Aoyama again, but he dodged out of the way, hitting Dark Shadow with yet another point-blank burst of light.

"Tres magnifique!" Aoyama said, striking a pose that reminded me of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. "Your desire to win shines bright in your fighting!"

"Of course!" Tokoyami agreed, and that was definitely a JoJo pose. "What student of Yuuei would I be if I didn't give this fight my all!?"

Aoyama's grin widened. It faltered for a moment when his stomach started to glow, but then went even wider. He clutched his stomach, but in a confident way and not just nausea. His hand glowed and he twisted it, drawing a ball of sparkling blue light out of his stomach. I couldn't be certain, but it looked like he removed the light his Navel Laser was building up before it fired out and hurt him. Dark Shadow lunged at him again, so he shaped the ball into a sort of spear shape and tossed it at him. "SPARKLING SPEAR!" he shouted as the javelin pierced into Dark Shadow and then exploded in a bright light. Dark Shadow shrank down and retreated back into Tokoyami, muttering something about it being too bright out.

"Impressive, you managed to defeat my Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami said. "But don't think this means you've won!" To back up his threat, Tokoyami made two balls of darkness.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Aoyama shouted. He created another spear from his Navel Laser to match Tokoyami's shadow balls. Tokoyami threw one of the shadow balls at Tokoyami, but Aoyama threw his Sparkling Spear at it. The spear pierced through the shadow ball, not even slowing down, then exploded right in front of Tokoyami. He was knocked back, landing near the eadge of the ring.

He groaned, then summoned Corvo. Now that I could see him properly it looked like he'd ranked up, as he looked older than the last time I'd seen him not in a shroud of oppressive darkness. "It seems I'll need more than just my own power to best you," Tokoyami said as he got up. "I shall defeat you with the power of shadows!" As Corvo charged at Aoyama, Tokoyami created and fired several feather-shaped projectiles. Aoyama created yet another Sparkling Spear, which he used to slice through all of the black feathers. He then caught Corvo's sword when he tried to swing at him.

"Splendide!" Aoyama beamed. "Two knights crossing blades! How I wish I were wearing my armor! But wait!" Aoyama jumped back and released his spear, which floated in front of him and then unraveled into ribbons of silvery light. I used Eye for Magic while watching him do an entire magical girl transformation sequence, except instead of a cute dress he made himself a suit of armor similar to his hero costume out of light. Honestly there need to be more magical girl transformation sequences into full plate armor. While he still had some of his Sparkling Spear left over, it looked more like a Radiant Rapier than anything. That didn't seem to bother him at all. In fact, he seemed delighted that he had a vaguely sword-like object to wave around. He grabbed the rapier and thrusted at Corvo.

Corvo blocked with his shield, then swung at him with a shadow-enhanced sword. Aoyama dodged nimbly, only the tip of the sword scraping off of his armor and taking a few motes of light with it. Aoyama riposted with a series of thrusts. Corvo blocked the first two, but the third touched him in the chest. Aoyama caused the rapier to shoot forward as a laser, pushing Corvo with it. Tokoyami shot some more feathers at Aoyama, but his starry cape curled in front of him in defense. The cape was destroyed in the attack, but before it could fully dissipate Aoyama's stomach started to glow. With no warning, a Navel Laser shot out at Tokoyami. In a last-ditch attempt to block it, Tokoyami summoned Dark Shadow again. Dark Shadow tried his best, but he was still weakened from earlier, so he basically evaporated when the laser hit him. Tokoyami was hit, punched out of the ring. Aoyama, meanwhile, collapsed to the ground from the backlash of using his Quirk. His armor dissolved in a flash of light.

"Tokoyami is out of bounds! The winner is Aoyama Yuga!" Midnight-sensei announced.

"Well fought, my friend," Tokoyami congratulated him.

Aoyama gave himself a few moments before saying, "Same to you. It was un match difficile." Then he retched. "Excuse-moi. Quirk backlash..."

Tokoyami nodded. "I know how it is."

xoxoxo

A few minutes later, Tokoyami and Aoyama had left, replaced by Kacchan and Kirishima. "Heck yeah!" Kirishima shouted with a big, toothy grin. "This fight is gonna be so manly!"

Kacchan grinned and punched his palm, exploding it slightly for intimidation factor. "You're pretty damn manly yourself. Try to keep up."

"Start!"

Kacchan blasted himself towards Kirishima, aiming a firey kick at him. Kirishima raised his hands in a block and activated his Quirk. Kacchan responded by using his fire and explosions to pivot in midair while keeping his momentum, then exploding in Kirishima's face right before he could ram into him. They were both knocked back by the explosion, and Kacchan naturally recovered easier because he was used to being thrown around by his explosions. Kirishima wasn't too fazed after he landed, though. He skidded along the ground for a bit before creating a rock wall to stop himself. "Not bad," Kirishima said as he got up.

"Not bad yourself," Kacchan responded. "That was a pretty powerful explosion."

Kirishima's grin widened and he showed off his hardened arms, which were still steaming. "It'll take a bigger blast than that to take me down!" Then he stomped the ground. Spears of concrete shot from the ground, aimed at Kacchan. He exploded upward, then destroyed the spears with a second blast when they followed him. The blast propelled Kacchan forwards, over Kirishima.

"DIE!" he shouted, then put his hands together for a big blast. He waited until Kirishima hardened to hit him with a blast hard enough to drive his feet into the ground.

"That's so manly!" Kirishima shouted as he used earth magic to eject himself out of the concrete.

And right into Kacchan's trap. "DIE!" he shouted, then placed his hands on Kirishima's back while he was still in midair. Kirishima was sent flying, and just barely managed to erect an earth wall to crash into before he sailed over the arena boundary entirely.

Kirishima laughed as he peeled himself out of the Kirishima-shaped indentation in the cracked wall. "That was a good one, man!" he said as he turned to face Kacchan. "Getting me into the air like that? Manly!" His grin widened as the rock wall broke apart, though the pieces didn't fall. "Guess I'll have to up the ante!" Kirishima pointed at Kacchan, and the rocks from the wall shot at him. Kirishima's rocks blocked off all angles of escape aside from dodging back, which would make Kacchan ring out.

Kacchan stood his ground. Before the rocks reached him, he burst into flames. Kirishima winced as the rocks... went through him? I focused my eye-enhancing skills on Kacchan just as the last dregs of the spell wore off. It looked like it was still unpolished, considering the fact that Kacchan's clothes were burned in areas and his skin was red and steaming, but that was definitely Fire Embodiment! Kacchan charged with an explosive dash while Kirishima was still in shock, punching him in the gut. Kacchan followed up with a small explosion that pushed Kirishima out of bounds.

"Kirishima is out of bounds! The winner is Bakugou Katsuki!"

Kirishima laughed again. "Damn, that was manly!" He hopped back onto the arena and clapped Kacchan on the back. Kacchan frowned a bit, but... was that a blush? "The way you just went through my rocks! I've seen that spell before and I still didn't see that coming!"

"You weren't a slouch yourself, Kirishima," Kacchan said. "If I didn't pull a stupidly advanced spell out of my ass you might have won there. Just remember not to gawk the next time someone does something like that and you should do fine."

Kirishima beamed. "You mean it?"

"Yeah, you're good."

I got up from my seat. "I should probably get ready for the next round. Bye!"

"Bye, Midoriya," Tsu said.

"Good luck, Deku!"

xoxoxo

"That match was awesome, Aoyama!" I told Aoyama when I saw him in the hall. "That armor trick was pretty great!"

He grinned. "Merci. I suppose it's a good idea to use it on Bakugou?"

I nodded. "You didn't hear it from me, but you should probably think of some offensive magic for your next fight as well." I winked. "Wish me luck!"

xoxoxo

Iida got into a ready stance on the opposite side of the arena. "Midoriya. I hope we will have a pleasant match."

"Me too, Iida."

"Begin!"

I Flash Stepped to the side when Iida charged at me. He turned back around to face me and continued his charge. When I Flash Stepped again, I was tripped by a raised rock that wasn't there a moment before. Apparently having a mutation that gives you metal engines in your legs gives you earth affinity. Who knew? "You won't be able to dodge this! Reciproburst!" I stood up just in time for Iida to slam into me. My physical defenses may have meant that that didn't hurt, but he was still pushing me back easily. I tried to use magic to grip to the ground and...

Ping! Ping!

My feet stuck to the ground. No, my shoes stuck to the ground, first from the spell Grip and then because of my new Quirk, Magnetize. Even though Iida was pushing me as hard as he could, and with a special move at that, my shoes were not just gripping the ground better but also strongly magnetized, as was the ground under them. The good news was that Iida was nowhere near strong enough to uproot that combination. The bad news was that Magnetize was one of those Quirks that the user can't exactly turn off once it's applied to something, and instead wears off after time, so I was stuck for about five minutes or until I set my shoes on fire, and it would probably look suspicious if I did that.

Wait, no it wouldn't.

"Well... you certainly didn't dodge..." Iida muttered as his engines stalled. I figured that was what took his Quirk out in the cavalry battle. Now that he couldn't push me off the edge, I punched him in the stomach with a sonic-enhanced fist. While he was knocked back I coated myself in Fire Aura, concentrating it on my legs. The heat burned off the magnetization on the cement completely, but only weakened my shoes because I didn't want to melt them. I Flash Stepped at Iida, leaving behind footprints of fire. He blocked my kick with some basic defensive magic and pushed me away. I landed on the ground in front of him. "Impressive, Midoriya!" Iida shouted. Then he grinned. He also set on fire, though it looked like he couldn't quite focus it on his legs as well because he wasn't nearly as skilled with Fire Aura as me.

"Oh right," I said. "Internal combustion engine."

"That's right. I won't just let you win."

"I wasn't planning on it."

Iida used fire magic to compensate for his lack of Engine when he charged me. I dropped on my hand and kicked at him. It wasn't perfect, but my DEX made up for that. Iida countered with a kick of his own, creating a small wave of heat. I grabbed Iida's leg between my legs, using it and a fire jet to pivot and launch myself upward. I had Halitus create an air platform, which I kicked off of. I flipped in midair to axe kick Iida. He dodged backwards, which was to be expected with how much wind-up that attack had, but that wasn't its point. "LIMIT BREAK!" I shouted when my heel hit the ground. "EARTH SURGE!" Iida's eyes widened as the ground rose up in a wave. He was pushed all the way out of the arena, which was mangled beyond recognition.

"Iida is out of bounds! Midoriya wins!"

I stared at the aftermath of Earth Surge. "Um... I can probably fix that," I offered Cementoss.

He waved me off with a smile. "You're fine, I'll do it."

I walked around the wall of rock I'd made. "You okay, Iida? I might have overdone it a bit."

He sighed as he got up. "I'm fine. I... suppose I still have some training to do before I'm able to catch up to you."

"If you want I could spar with you sometime," I offered. "I could really use some experience with pure physical fighting."

He nodded. "I'd love to."

[rayesketchit42]

When you befriend the king part 3. 

“Unsettling ”

Oc Fic| DarkWing Duck 91’ universe| Zeke Corvo and Dave “dorky” Curant belongs to @dorky-crow

Mentioning of bullying.

A/N I ended up spilting this bit up so in theory there is 3 more parts to this to come. 

____________________________________________________________________________

"Zeke!" Was suddenly yelled out across the hall Zeke couldn't see him in the crowd but knew that Dave was making his way over to himself.

The guy was so small you never could see him among the other kids when the hallways were full. Dave managed to break through and made his way to Zeke where the crowd was always the least dense. Slightly tripping over someone who just happened to hold out thier foot a little too farnoit. Zeke held out his arm for Dave to grab on to and shot a glare towards the kid who did it. 

"Oh thanks!" Dave said completely unaware of what happened. "I made some cookies the other day and figured you might like some so I" 

This kid just never let's up. Though despite that thought Zeke couldn't help but smile as Dave talked to him. He was always just so open about the way he did. He never trembled around Zeke, he always used the same tone when speaking and he was never scared of looking at Zeke directly. This has become a normal occurrence over the week. The little black bird always found him. Either before school , to hang out around him. Or to talk to him in the hallways between class and even joined him for lunch where he usually was giving Zeke whatever baked goods he made the day before. 

It's nice.

"Hey zeke you going to go to math today?" Dave suddenly asked grabbing Zeke's attetion 

Zeke thought about it a moment able to see the stares the two of them were getting as kids walked by them. 

“Hm no not today.” 

“Oh then I’ll see you during lunch today!” Dave said happily before heading off back into the crowd. 

Zeke smiled again when the little bird jumped up suddenly to wave goodbye to him.

It was easy to see why that kid got bullied. He was nice so it seemed he was often taken advantage of. He was too nice is what Zeke also thought, always being nice to someone like himself. Maybe he felt he owed Zeke? That could be possible but bullies still did stuff to him. Or, maybe he was using Zeke to keep bullies away? No that sounded stupid the moment he thought it. Maybe that little bird was just scared of Zeke? Yeah that was also dumb to think with how easily he appoarches him. 

Zeke decided to not worry about it as he rested his head on the table he was sitting at in the library. He was trying to hide, it was the one place he figured Dave wouldn’t think to look for him. Least that was the idea. That kid was always flocking to him lately and just wanting to talk or he would just sit quietly next to Zeke. He just didn’t get it. Most kids didn’t do these things. They either stayed away or did what Zeke said to be on his good side, not that either reaction wasn’t justified of course. It was just hard to understand why he didn’t. Zeke groaned and finally lifted his head,  eyes widening when seeing the same black bird he was thinking about in front of him.

“Zeke are you okay?”

“Am I what?” Zeke could only think to ask 

Dave moved closer attempting to touch Zeke’s forehead but then stopped 

“Y you seemed a bit out of it just now and you were goaning so I thought maybe you were feeling sick that’s why you were in here today.” He said once again fumbling with his hands as he spoke. 

“No I was just thinking that’s all” Zeke said, unable to think of a lie as he just opted to rest his head on the table again. 

And of course the dork just smiled and sat with him, he seemed to work on something letting Zeke rest. Zeke just sighed and finally sat up Dave seeming to give him his attention when he did. Zeke was about to speak when seeing some kids at the table behind Dave, started to whisper to each other. As they set sights on them.

“Zeke, do you need to see the nurse maybe? You really don’t seem too well?” 

That warmth again.

Zeke just nodded in response as he moved up to his feet, Dave packed up his stuff and took the lead this time as Zeke couldn’t help but pay attention to the looks from the kids in the library to even the librarian herself. The nurse had the same expression once seeing Zeke and Dave walk into her office together.

“Hi Miss.Crimson”  Dave spoke up in his dorky cheerful tone drawing the eldly ducks, attention away from Zeke as she looked down to the little black bird. She offered him a warm smile before she went to speak to him.

“Hello Dave, what brings you in? Not feeling well? Wanting to help out? Or something else?” It wasn’t lost on Zeke the way she looked back at him with the last question.

“Nope my friend isn’t feeling good and I think he might just need to rest a bit. I was just worried about him though and thought it might be okay if I stayed with him?” 

“You sure? I can watch over him so you can go to class.” She said emphasizing a bit like she was offering the black bird a way out. 

“It’s fine I know you have to make sure you are stocked on stuff today and if I explain to my parents later they won’t mind me missing class, besides I can work on some homework in the meantime too.” 

She seemed unable to say anything against that and just gave in with a smile “Well alright you keep an eye on your, friend.” She told Dave then picked up her clipboard to get back to checking her stock in the small walk in closet of her office. 

“See all good you can rest now.” Dave stopped speaking when seeing Zeke was already laying down. He just smiled and left him be so he could rest up.

But Zeke couldn't ’r. Those same buzzing thoughts just kept growing and getting more and more irritating to deal with. Those looks from everyone the way this stupid duck spoke like Zeke was going todo something or was up to something. It all just piled on and soured his mood. And yet.

My friend.

That kept repeating in the back of his mind. Friends, that wasn’t something he had. Zeke had ‘family’ he had those in the family who were related to their dealings he even knew some other kids of associations of the Crovo family. And had some extended family around his age as well. That wasn't the same thing though. Zeke tossed a bit on the small bed that was offered to students to rest in if they needed it. He just couldn’t take it anymore, soon he just gave up altogether and got out of the bed not stopping to say anything as he made his way out of the nurses office. 

Zeke was almost out the front doors of the school when he felt the gentle hold of Dave’s hands on his arm. Zeke felt himself come to a full stop but was unable to look at Dave. He felt Dave slowly let go once seeing Zeke had stopped.

“Z Zeke you should lie down you” He trailed off a moment “What’s wrong you seem so off today you can tell me if you too.”

Zeke groaned internally then looked at the little black bird. Dave just smiled a bit at him like he was expecting some answer from Zeke. Zeke didn’t have one. Just some thoughts that were running through his mind that he didn’t know how to comphered. Expect one.

“I’m not your friend.” Zeke simply stated

“What?” Dave asked softly. 

“I said I am not your friend. You don’t need to lie like that you paid what you owned so you can stop hanging around me already. Alright?” 

“B but I wasn’t I that isn’t why I” Dave tried to speak but couldn’t seem to put together his words well enough.

Zeke adovied looking at him as he pushed opened the the door in front of him.

“Look, I did what I did because I wanted to. There is no reason for you to stick around me, You can go back to whatever it is you did before. Hang out with your friends and I’ll leave you be so you don’t have to keep dealing with those stares and concern from everyone.”

“The what? Zeke what are you talking about?” Dave said

“Just forget it okay” Zeke huffed out then left. 

[onewhoturns]

pt 4 - Weakness

Another short section, but an important one. Credit to @kaldwinqueen for the Outsider. Part four of The Void Devours, feel free to leave it some love over on AO3. To start from the beginning on Tumblr. 

Oliver's morning was filled with its usual occurrences, despite the night being so incredibly unusual. He sat at his desk after a fair amount of bickering with Billie and an entire bowl of porridge, plus some fruit and a few nuts. She had confronted him head on, but she typically did, barking at him about how he hadn't shown up, how the guards had gone searching for him, dragging her around the halls sniffing around for him like bloodhounds.

She stopped though, when she realized that something was off about him. Even after he'd eaten he wore an expression that she'd never seen on him before, eyes averted, lips dropped, not in a frown but in defeat. So she stopped prying and prodding because Billie Lurk knew far too well how annoying it could be to have someone shoving their nose where they didn't belong. That didn't mean she wasn't concerned, though -- or that she wouldn't be asking about it more later.

He appreciated her ability to read the mood; he appreciated her in every aspect. She was a wonder of a woman.

By the time he'd finished writing his letters there was an entire stack beside him. He'd received news back from the man in Karnaca, thanking him for his help, assuring him that the money would only be used for the good of the people, the rest would be donated to the Addermire Institute, where natural philosophers were now flocking after the incident with the Crown Killer had cleared up. He knew that things would get better there. It would take time, as all things did, but it brightened his mood a bit to know that his efforts weren't in vain.

He began sealing envelopes off with hot wax, using his own cufflink symbol. It was a diamond with small divots and a rather intricate inner design. He liked it, even if he never really understood why they were apart of the ensemble the Void had left him with.

It hadn’t been the simplest of negotiations, but it had be thorough. Emily had assured her father that nothing untoward had happened between herself and who Corvo was now calling Oliver (so she would as well, if she could remember it). It didn’t quite feel right on him, but she would learn to compromise. She explained that she’d made a conscious choice of her own free will, that he’d offered her plenty of chances to say no. He hadn’t coerced her, hadn’t tricked her; it had been a small consensual kiss. The aftermath was unexpected. She doubted the Outsider had had any clue what he’d been doing as it happened.

Corvo was calmed by her patient straightforward explanation. He shook his head with an exasperated sigh, dryly mentioning the unnecessary details the man had shared. Emily had winced. His words, she explained… He liked words. He may not be the best at using them plainly. She herself was still getting used to interpreting his prose.

She shamed her father for keeping the Outsider a secret from her. He explained his wariness over the risks the man may have posed, and sheepishly admitted to the recently received negative results from Dr. Hypatia, who seemed to think he was perfectly fine.

Emily noticed the way her father would refer to the Outsider as ‘the kid,’ and she found it disproportionately amusing.

He explained how Oliver (and Billie Lurk) had arrived at Dunwall Tower, and the work he intended to bring Oliver in on -- investigating the recent unexplained deaths around the Academy of Natural Philosophy.

She, in turn, explained the unsettling pull of the Void. Carefully. She had to remind him multiple times that it wasn’t the Outsider’s fault -- or, at least, not intentionally. She was only just starting to forgive him herself, now that she’d finally managed some rest and a brief respite from its endless hunger. Even as she explained she felt it on the edge of her mind. It was coming for her. She didn’t know how long it would take to return, but she knew it was coming. A thin ringing in her ears had begun about half an hour after the Outsider had left her side, and it remained a constant noise in her head, steadily growing louder throughout the day. His presence fended it off, but didn’t destroy it. She wondered if she ever could. Killing the Outsider was one thing. Killing the Void was laughable. They wouldn’t destroy it - they didn’t need to, didn’t want to - but there must be a way to sever her ties.

Finally, after long hours of discussing, explaining, and occasionally arguing, a resolution was reached. They would have tower staff help rearrange things in her bedroom, as inconvenient as it might be. Corvo himself set to arranging sleeping quarters closer to the door inside the safe room, placing a temporary cot in place of the current sofa. They would be close, but not quite rooming together. He wouldn’t interfere, wouldn’t sleep in the room with them - it was her choice to interact with the man, and he grudgingly trusted her judgment, knowing she knew how important the man was as an ally - but he expected them to each have their own privacy. If Oliver ever got out of line, Emily knew what to do. She, meanwhile, was fairly sure it wouldn’t be an issue. His words could lash at her all he wanted, but he’d never strike her, never try to physically force her into anything she didn’t want. And if she fell to temptation it was her own damn fault. She didn’t say that to her father, however; he trusted her, but he didn’t need to know details.

The move had been rather simple, though he still didn't particularly feel "accepted" he at least felt just the slightest bit better than he had earlier. He tried to keep his mouth shut as he followed the guards, as he followed Corvo, but like a child his eyes wandered, taking everything in, counting all of the sensations he felt, analyzing every painting, every fiber of the carpet. It was jarring really, to be so educated on the history of most things but so very inexperienced simultaneously. He knew grass, he knew it was green, he knew it was cold on spring mornings and dried to a crisp on summer nights, but it'd been from the memories of others that he knew these things. Dim sensations as he remembered them when he was human. 

His senses were buzzing now, which made him fidget, overwhelmed still. He wasn't sure he'd ever get use to being able to understand things so deeply. He was human but he still felt different, isolated.

An Outsider.

No one would truly understand him.

He glanced up at Corvo, the wisps of salt and pepper hair, hardened Serkonan features, piercing dark eyes. He promised himself he would draw the man later, not as he remembered seeing him in the Void, but as he saw him now. He found he enjoyed poring himself over quill and parchment, sketching the things he could see now, with his own eyes, his own perception. Him.

He avoided speaking much to Emily, found himself averting his gaze, tufts of wavy obsidian falling against his forehead each time he bowed his head. He listened, nodding along to instructions barked out by Corvo -- not that Corvo was yelling but mostly because his gravelly Protector tones were very demanding. But he understood, and he took note of the tone he used, the way he moved. He didn't seem angry anymore, only slightly irritated, inconvenienced and riddled with fatherly concern. Which seemed like progress. He couldn't help but wonder how their conversation went, now that he couldn't look back at the things he wasn't present for.

By the end of the night he was settled, equipped with several jars of ink (he very much enjoyed writing by quill rather than typewriter), many stacks of papers, envelopes, and a few other luxuries. He'd have a ring made for him later, which he wasn't very pleased with but he wasn't one to complain.

He was so very tired of wearing rings, especially those of silver.

There were a few candles lit in the royal safe room, flickers of light casting dancing shadows against the walls as they moved. He sat against the back of the chair, a glass cup at his side that was only half filled with dark, honey colored liquor. He liked the burn at the back of his throat and the sweet, spicy aftertaste. It helped him loosen up, which was something he direly needed after the day's events.

It was a new and heartening experience to actually look forward to sleeping. After a day of steadily growing Void noise, Emily found it a relief when she felt that the Outsider - Oliver - was near. The fading noise settled to a beautiful silence. She could even hear the sea outside. She actually got into bed with a smile on her face. She hadn’t gone to sleep this early in -- well, ever. No, probably since she was a child. But even her ten hours last night hadn’t made up for a week’s worth of missed sleep, and every moment spent with the Void’s maddening hum drilling into her ears was exhausting. It hadn’t been too bad early in the day, but around dinner time it had come back with a vengeance. But then - now - here she was, and she could hear the world around her once more. Her heart was free of ice, her mind free of clinging sludge.

She burrowed into the soft sheets, sighing, nightgown tangling around her thighs as she pulled the blankets from their neatly-tucked corners. Rolling onto her back, she let out another long sigh, letting the day hit her like a train all at once. Her carefully built structures, always holding her up, keeping her energy going, crumbled to dust and she let the exhaustion roll over her, sinking into slumber.

He spent the first hour or so with ink on paper, sketching out little things: the cats in Karnaca's damp, dingy alleyways; hounds in the pub; the beaks of bloodflies. But then he turned the page and he began to start on Emily's structure; the line of her jaw, the bow to her lips -- his attention to every intimate detail was unparalleled. He wished he had paints, a soft frown washing over him as he imagined the flecks of gold in her irises, the hues of pink playing across her tanned cheeks, the furrow of her bold, sharp brows.

He set it to the side when his head began to buzz. He needed to lay back on the brandy but the taste brought a certain bittersweet nostalgia that he inexplicably clung to. He needed air. He stood, perhaps a bit wobbly as he made his way out of the safe room back door, into the cluttered hallway, and finally onto one of the two symmetrical balconies overlooking the main street. The stars above blinked in and out like dots on a black canvas, clouds lingering a little ways off, signaling a coming storm.

He took a deep breath and leaned against the edge, hands gripping the stone loosely as he mumbled the words of a whaler's song under his raspy breath, letting his thoughts drift off, not realizing that he was most definitely just a tad bit out of radius.

Emily’s dreams had taken a turn. Or rather, she’d begun to dream.

It started in her throat, it always did: black claws crawling into her mouth, forcing their way down her throat, pumping her lungs full of smoke until she felt they might burst, ribs aching and cracking. From there it spread like disease, poisoning her blood. She felt the stab in her sternum as Daud’s blade pierced her as it had her mother -- a throwback from her old nightmares, made fresh by the way the blade curved out of her on the other side, wrapping around her, wrenching her open inch by excruciating inch, pulling skin tighter and tighter until it burned and split.

The Void seeped into her dreams with abandon - not just her dreams, but her whole body - reveling in its invasion.

If she'd been awake she would've grit her teeth and borne the pain. In her sleep, she whimpered.

Screams, echoes, shrieks, the screech of metal on metal as it grated on itself -- she felt her ears bleed black tar. And she sank, limbs weighed down like lead. She tried to free them, but her wrists stretched like dough, longer and longer, without her hands moving at all -- useless, just tangling around her, a sea of useless excess flesh that piled up around her, burying her, suffocating her. Her hips and legs became stone, trapping her inside, immobile, before chipping and flaking like shale, falling away like brittle bones as she withered and wasted away, each chip a chunk of flesh. Eyes bled black, trailing down her face, eating away at her skin, slicing fine stinging cuts into her neck, then her shoulders, her chest, until all of her burned and stung and itched like mad, invisible lacerations flaying her skin.

And her throat. Always her throat. She couldn’t breathe, she could never breathe -- now the tears of bile that filled her mouth hardened into small marbles, jarring her teeth, choking her as they slipped down her throat to sit like stones in her belly. No, not stones, eggs. Bloodfly larvae, making a home in her gut, their wings beating at her insides, burrowing out through her skin, making a hive of her body, or tunneling back up her throat again, papery wings tangible in her mouth, her teeth chattering in fear crunching on the exoskeletons and molted shells that seemed to endlessly pour from her lips. She would scream if she could, but she had no breath, and her mouth was full, overflowing with one horror or another, until choking on her own blood was the best possible option.

She woke with a start, hands flying to her arms, her chest, feeling holes where there were none, fingers briefly touching gore, stabbing her own viscera, before she realized it wasn’t real.

It felt so real.

She’d been so sure it was real.

Liquid slid down her cheeks and she wiped it away angrily, before looking back at her hand with shock. But no, it wasn’t black, she must have just imagined it, just clear -- just tears. She preferred tears.

Her vision swam with black fog, and she sat up, backing herself against the headboard until her head rested on the wall itself. She wrapped her shaking arms around legs that tremored violently. More tears.

She'd thought it was over.

She’d been so hopeful, so happy, so sure it had been over. She’d found the solution, she knew-

Emily slammed her head back against the wall behind her, the sharp pain in the real world cutting through the phantom sensations of the Void’s dreams. It made her dizzy, but at least it made her present.

The images from her dreams flashed before her eyes, back to just images, the sensations and then the details already slipping away. That was how it worked, the Void. Removing the memories so she could start it all over again another night. Why come up with new terrors when it could just stab her time and time again with-

No, it was gone. Just a lingering throb in her chest, a phantom pain.

He hadn't noticed it at first, senses dulled with faint intoxication, but his words fell short and his gaze wandered behind him as something stirred at his core. He felt it, a distraught something, his stomach churning faintly. He stepped back through the hall, returning to the safe room, feeling heavier than usual, a dull ache ringing in his temples. Maybe he would lay off of alcohol completely for a long while. 

Dunwall was quiet at night, especially when you were rooming in the tower safe room, where noise didn't get in, or escape. But he heard it, the thud, a soft rustling from the room above -- breathing? He couldn't tell. But he felt wrong. He felt something weighing on his shoulders and the more he stood there wondering what the hells was wrong the heavier it got.

So he figured it was worth it to at least check. He clung to the rail, pushing himself up and even setting his hand on the wall as he felt himself get drowsier. Stairs never felt so difficult until now.

Once he'd finally reached the door, cracked open with a slight breeze brushing through, he peeked into the room. "... Emily?" he called out, not loudly, but within hearing range he hoped. He couldn't see her very well, his eyes not yet adjusted to the darkness of the room.

She felt his approach like a warm blanket for the frostbite left in the wake of the Void: kind enough, but a bit too little too late. She held her breath as he spoke her name, pushing down the angry sobs that burned in her. Her shoulders spasmed violently, unable to stop, but she stayed quiet. Her fingernails - still gloved, always gloved - dug into opposite wrists, holding herself together. She was trembling, and she hated it. She hated all of it. All the turmoil inside her, the fear, the anger, the complete and utter hopeless emptiness that echoed endlessly in every crevice of her being.

The Void was ravenous, and it had devoured her. Again.

And if she fell asleep again? What nameless torture would she be subjected to then?

She ducked her head, tucking her face into the cradle of her arms, teeth clamping down on trembling lips until blood filled her mouth. The sting was good. The pain was good. It gave her something to focus on.

Oliver stared for several moments, trying to gather what exactly had happened, but he was piecing the puzzle together rather quickly, especially considering he'd had about roughly four thousand years to work on his deductive skills. He stepped in and settled on the side of her bed. "... I am at fault," he spoke suddenly, his voice quieter than usual, mostly in his attempt to keep anyone from overhearing... Particularly a certain royal protector.

"I knew not the extent to which the kiss might harm you. Over and over I may say that. Though words are meaningless now, even as I string together a tapestry of apologies, even as I sit here and ponder all of the ways I could have not given in to temptation, how much happier you'd be now, without such a burden on your shoulders. I consider the way the Void felt as it stirred within me, torturing me, every moment was a blur, living in a perpetual state of drowning. Existing, but outside of time, seeing what was and what was not. I can offer you my tapestry, Emily, regardless of whether or not you take it. It would change nothing, it would not reverse what I have done. But instead of an apology I can, in place, make a promise. I will make it better." He nodded and glanced at her. "This won’t happen again, I'll be careful. I'll be considerate, I'll be patient. I promise you that," he said firmly, setting a hand over hers carefully.

She tried to keep her breathing even. Her inhales shook madly and she held them, as long as she could, before letting out trembling breaths. His words did comfort her. They hurt her, in a way, too; blaming herself just as much, and feeling sorry for him as well, only looking for a respite from the very pain she’d just been experiencing.

Emily had needed his promise, though she hadn’t realized it until it was given. She’d still been scared, part of her, that he would run. They didn’t know how to communicate with him. It wouldn’t be out of the question for him to just leave. Not particularly wise, but possible.

His hand on hers made her heart stop for the briefest moment. It was like dipping her hand in fresh sun-warmed water. So much more than his mere presence. It burned a tiny hole through the darkness surrounding her. She needed to keep that light. It was magic. It was ethereal and beautiful, and the relief of it caused a new rush of tears. But she needed more.

With a hard, sharp swallow, Emily cursed propriety, cursed her nerves, and lunged for him. She wrapped her arms around him, dragging herself into his lap, ducking her chin and resting her forehead against his chest, breathing deep, still shaking. Her fingers clenched fists in his clothes, desperately hanging onto him.

It was the best decision she’d ever made. It was as though she’d wrapped herself around a floodlight. Remnants of the Void bubbled off of her and disappeared into the night. She tried to hold it in, but she felt the cry of relief escape even as she fought to choke it back. The most noise she’d ever made during these nights, and it was almost silent. More blood in her mouth as she bit her lip again, holding back sobs. She hated being weak like this. Hated it. But she needed him. She needed him for these moments, when she was broken, to help hold her together. She was splinters and he was glue and if she held them together long enough, tight enough, she’d be whole again.

In that moment he thought of all of the times he could have looked away. All of the times he could have let her suffer. But he didn't. He had always wondered what it was back then, that drew him towards her. It had never been romantic, nor sexual, mostly because those were two complicated things he could never think to understand in his dulled, torturous existence. Perhaps it was familiarity; he understood her situation far too well and that human bit of him that he struggled to maintain reached out desperately to guide her, to lead her away from the exploitation. To preserve her childish innocence. That purity was begrudgingly taken away the moment she watched her mother die, so it couldn't have been that. He closed his eyes and focused on her warmth, trying not to think too much about it.

Thinking about things, what a dangerous pastime.

What he felt in the moment was not the tension from before, it was not primal lust, nor any perverse minded inclination. It was acceptance, it was contentment, satisfaction, among several other things. It was really something, to be needed -- he just hoped he was wanted.

His fingers stroked down the line of her back and rested there. He dragged them up and down in some attempt to soothe her, his eyes fluttering shut as he leaned down and kissed the top of her head, speaking no words for once, because he had none, he only had himself, hoping that would be good enough.

The scent of spices lingered on him mixed with the odd wildflowers that intermingled with his natural scent. He'd been drinking, and that was obvious by his breath. After several moments a noise rumbled from his chest, a hum, tunes of baritone escaping his slightly parted lips. The song he couldn't get out of his head. It was slowly paced, bittersweet. It was the only thing he could think to do in the moment. Void, he could hardly think at all.

It felt like hours she spent swallowing cries, even as a near constant stream of tears fell from her eyes. She hated tears. She hated crying. She cried in complete silence, every breath held til her throat burned and her chest might burst, hiding her shame, her weakness. She still shook.

Hands that had been wrapped around his back pulled inward as her whole body curled up, becoming small. She grabbed at the front of his shirt instead, nuzzling into him again, until his scent filled her lungs. He smelled beautiful. Not just pleasant, actually beautiful -- she could see the colors of every note of his scent.

Silent hiccups wracked her body. His hands on her back soothed her, melting away the tremors of horror that had shaken her so thoroughly as to give her a headache.

His silence was perfect. If he had spoken she would have needed to acknowledge her cries, her fears, would’ve needed to define what exactly was happening between them. His silence, like hers, let her pretend it wasn’t happening.

As his lips pressed gently against the crown of her head, she shifted again, pressing her body into him, bare skin against the fabric of his clothes. Her movements were lessening, silent sobs reduced to the occasional shiver. Her ear pressed to his chest as he hummed, sucking her wounded lip nervously, the last flow of the blood already stemmed, though it still remained swollen.

Another moment. And another.

The tension in her body gradually eased, leaving her exhausted again, eyes heavy and limbs loose and leaden. She found it hard to open her eyes, and not just from their puffy bloodshot state. She was so tired. So very tired.

For once he didn't care that his shirt would be wrinkled, that his hair might be disheveled. He rocked her back and forth at a slow pace, going quiet as he suddenly pulled her back, movements careful but swift. He laid her down and found that she wasn't very heavy at all, her lithe figure curled against his as he held her still, now laid beside her sprawled along the length of the bed. She needed to sleep. He also perhaps needed to sleep. It had been a few days.

His head was aching still.

He kept his eyes closed, reaching up to run a hand through her hair as he'd been dreaming to do in these past few months. It was as soft as he remembered, softer even, now that his senses were mostly back in order. But his hands moved at a rhythm, some kind of beat that only he knew privately, that replayed in his head over and over, never leaving him in his day to day life. He liked to think it was the music of his existence.

Even though he would have gladly remained here with her for the rest of his life, bodies intertwined, breaths quiet and faint, hearts synced together, his exhaustion was getting the better of him. Before he could do much besides heft a blanket partway up their bodies, he'd drifted off into unconsciousness.