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Matt hated to admit it, but there was no denying that Yuki’s sudden jump to action had caught him by surprise. He’d fully expected him to be asleep, blissfully unaware of what was happening, and dead by the time it dawned on him. Instead, he was being toppled to the ground by someone almost a head shorter than him, and pinned in place despite their unevenly matched strength. At least for now.
“Not bad,” Matt admitted, ceasing his struggle for the time being. No point wasting his energy.
How had Yuki known? All of his sources—and they had been many—claimed that no one knew just how exactly Isen had died. No one had suspected him; he hadn’t even been on their radar. With so many other, powerful enemies, a newcomer still struggling to find his place had been the last thing on their mind. And yet, somehow, Yuki had clearly expected him.
“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t expected this to be easy. You managed to surprise me, I have to give you that. But, unfortunately for you, it’ll take more than that.” As soon as he’d finished the sentence, Matt pulled his leg up, then struck Yuki in the stomach with his knee with as much force as he could manage. Not as effective as a knife, but it did give him enough time and opportunity to reverse their roles.
Knife still in hand, he once again held it against Yuki’s throat. “Nothing is going to stop me from killing you. Certainly not you.”
The floodgates had opened and every horrific detail of the Hashikawa slaughter had come rushing back. Every day dragged on, passing unbearably slow as Yuki pretended to be the son Isen wanted, the obedient test subject and tool for him to use, to break and mend over and over.
Yuki's biggest mistake had been biding his time.
Isen was dead. There were rumors of unrest from the Black Dragons and, given the nature of the murder and the impossible circumstances under which it had occurred, as though a ghost had exacted its revenge, the killer could only be Liu Long Zhi -- or Matt, these days. It came as no surprise; no man could escape death, in the end. Not even one who sought godhood.
The kind of pain Yuki felt was unrelenting, the loss of closure and a kill that was rightfully his. But now that the head of the snake was cut off, he was forced to take over what Isen had left behind, though it made him sick to his stomach. Yuki longed to disappear and never return. But such was not the fate of men like him.
Rumors confirmed that Matt, the new leader of the Dragons, was extremely skilled in all areas. Stealth, in particular. And had Yuki not been paying attention, had he not been immensely aware of his surroundings and expecting Matt's focus to be drawn to him, the heir to Isen's throne, Yuki may have missed him.
Now, Yuki played a different game. He walked the streets with the poise and grace of a man with a legacy on his shoulders. He did not look back. After all, Yuki only needed to feel this intense, scalding aura once, until he could recognize it anywhere.
There was something strange about Matt, something different from the likes of Isen or any other man who'd wanted him dead. Matt's rage was all-consuming, searing to the touch and hard to witness, where the smoke from the flames stung his eyes and obscured everything else. But Yuki wasn't so quick to write him off.
Then something changed. There was no sign of that aura now, and Yuki was far from relaxed. This could mean one of two things; Matt had moved on, or he was moving to strike. Yuki was inclined to believe the latter.
He laid in the bed with a false calm, an act he'd used on Isen plenty of times. Matt's footsteps were quick and silent, crossing the room in a few strides. The knife barely grazed Yuki's throat before his eyes flew open, upright and off the bed by the time Matt finished his taunt. He twisted Matt's wrist away with as much force as he could, using his smaller stature to trip Matt and slam his back onto the floor. He held Matt's wrist with one hand and the other to his throat. The signal was not given yet.
"Did you think this would be easy?"
#{♚ x v; Lick the blood from off your neck‚ set my sights on your weakness. You ready for what happens next? [BROKEN AU] x}#{♚ x dyn; tbd x}#soulfulempathy#Go ahead and fuck him up Yuki :')
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{♚ x @soulfulempathy x}
Two down, one to go.
Long Zhi, no, Matt would not rest until they were all dead. Every last one of them. The rage still burned as vividly inside of him as it had the day he'd learned the truth about his mother's death.
Xiao Dan had been first. Tortured over several days until he'd admitted to every last detail, then finished off by the very monster he'd created. There had been no remorse, no feeling of guilt or loss. Also no relief, or sense of freedom. Just anger and rage, even more so than before. Matt had quickly stepped in to take over the Black Dragons.
Then he'd sought out Isen. Xiao Dan had admitted to working together with him, had admitted to using Isen's men to kill his mother in front of him. To make it seem as though it had been an enemy hit in order to erase Matt's weak nature and instead replace it with hatred for the world. It had worked. And now Isen had paid the price for it.
Isen had an army, of course. But they'd been no match for Matt's stealth; for his peculiar skillset of approaching from the sky. All he'd had to do was arrive from above under cover of night, slip in through a window and they were left to find their boss in bed the next morning, throat slit.
At first, Matt thought that was it. But then he heard rumors of Isen's protégé taking over, and it dawned on him that he—Yuki—had most likely been involved as well. So he'd geared up for one more act of revenge.
Given that they'd never found out just how exactly Isen had been killed, Matt saw no need to change his strategy. Following and observing Yuki for a few days beforehand, he learned his habits and routine, then decided to strike in the middle of the night yet again.
The approach was easy. As before, no one thought to patrol the rooftops and Matt managed to slip inside unseen. Knife in hand, he approached the bed in which Yuki was asleep, then pressed the blade to his throat. "You didn't think you'd get away, did you?"
#{♚ x v; Lick the blood from off your neck‚ set my sights on your weakness. You ready for what happens next? [BROKEN AU] x}#{♚ x dyn; tbd x}#soulfulempathy#Here we goo
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“Yuki—” Long Zhi started, taking a deep breath before lifting his gaze to meet the other’s. “Please.” The last thing he wanted was to be seen like this, weakness openly on display and for everyone to see. It didn’t matter that it was Yuki, the only person in this godforsaken world he seemed to trust. It was humiliating and pathetic, but, above all, he didn’t want his friend to think that he was potentially incapable of protecting him. Because if he couldn’t protect him and crumbled the second someone stuck him in an enclosed space, what was he good for? Wasn’t it enough that Xiao Dan already considered him unworthy? Did he have to convince Yuki of the same thing?
But instead of leaving, he felt the other taking a hold of his arm.
His first instinct was to pull away. To force Yuki to leave. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, Long Zhi suddenly felt the overwhelming need to pull him closer; to hide in his arms until the world was alright again. An impulse he fought off, before chastising himself for thinking and feeling like a little kid in search of comfort. Grow the fuck up, Long Zhi.
Finally, he opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again. A few more seconds passed, then all of a sudden everything seemed to calm down. His shaking, his breathing, his thoughts. The walls no longer moved in on him, the darkness slowly retreated, and so did the terror.
Long Zhi wasn’t entirely sure what prompted him to do it—perhaps it was a compromise—but he found himself reaching for Yuki’s other arm and holding on to it as though his life depended on it. “Don’t let go.”
"Not gonna happen," he said flatly. Did Long Zhi really expect Yuki to leave him behind? Who knew if there were more men coming? And while Yuki was sure he would fight tooth and nail to protect Long Zhi, it would be a lot easier if Yuki could just calm him down.
The panic stopped rising but it lapped at his throat, keeping Long Zhi barely above water. Yuki tried desperately to concentrate, taking hold of his aura, but it wasn't enough. Like he were standing in the training room, straining to push through whatever was blocking this path. He had to try something else.
Yuki grabbed Long Zhi's arm and suddenly the connection intensified. That horrible panic flooded into Yuki's body until he too was shaking, but he did not let go. And as Yuki closed his eyes, drawing a slow breath in, he pulled a sense of calm from deep within himself and pushed it through the connection, a strong current that cut through the waves of terror. Please let this work.
#{♚ x v; You lost the right to hold that crown; I built you up but you let me down. [MAIN] x}#{♚ x dyn; tbd x}#soulfulempathy#Is he saying that bc of the calm it brings? Or for other reasons?#Who knows!
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Despite being outnumbered, Long Zhi wouldn’t have considered the fight a true challenge, or even difficult. The only thing that made things a bit harder was the fact that he was still somewhat unsteady on his feet, and his movements, therefore, weren’t as swift and graceful as they usually would’ve been. Still, thanks to him and Zi Xin working surprisingly well together, the Vipers ended up on the ground, blood slowly pooling around their lifeless bodies.
Wiping his blades clean on their clothes, and with the fog in his head slowly clearing, he let out an irritated noise at being called Matt yet again. “My name’s Long Zhi, get it right. Even you should be capable of that much.”
But irritation quickly gave way to something akin to desperation, after walking up behind the other and discovering the seemingly endless desert. “Oh,” he said flatly, blinking a couple more times, then pulling himself back together. “They had to have come out here on something. They obviously wouldn’t have walked here.”
Making his way past Zi Xin, he searched the front of the warehouse for any kind of transportation, then circled the whole thing only to find… nothing. Nothing at all. Nothing besides tire marks. “They must’ve been dropped off,” he concluded when he’d made his way back to the entrance, clearly frustrated. “Which means we’re shit out of luck. Guess we’re walking.” What other choice did they have, after all? Wait here? In hopes someone happened to come back out here, perhaps with guns and plenty of backup? No.
“There’s got to be some provisions inside somewhere that we can take. I doubt they would’ve stayed out here without anything at all. Let’s look inside, then get going.”
If you weren't so supposedly hell bent on seeing me dead, you wouldn't have gotten pulled into anything. That's not my fault. That was what Zane wanted to say on impulse, but he barely reigned it in. The gradually worsening ache at the back of his head, the pain and tension in his throat, his concealed terror that was nothing but an old experience rearing its ugly head ... it was eroding some of his self control.
He knew now that Matt did not react well to harsh words or frustration — the only thing that ever made any difference was his insistence on caring, on doing things that were kind, things that exposed his lingering feelings, despite how terrifying that felt. Zane's words might've been harsh truth to some degree, but they certainly wouldn't have been helpful. He closed his eyes tightly and let out a heavy sigh.
Part of him was grateful for the distraction of the fight. Zane could turn the complex, emotional part of his brain off for the moment, focus on the rhythm of a fight, of the here and now. It surprised him how well they put up a fight — they'd seemed sloppy, uncertain of who they'd captured and for what reason. Instead, they seemed quite capable and calculated, which left Zane's mind racing. One of them had even managed to leave a gash at his shoulder. Regardless, he and Matt made an effective team and, soon enough, it was just the two of them again, alone in the empty warehouse.
The door was still left ajar. Zane made his way to it and, as he opened it further and peered out .... his heart dropped into his stomach. ❝Matt,❞ he called. ❝I think I know why they took the risk of us finding a way out of here before they came back.❞ It was because, in the vast expanse of flat, dry nothingness, it wouldn't be difficult to find them again. He reached to pull out his phone, and — yep. No fucking signal of any kind.
Fuck. They were going to be stuck together for days until they found their way to civilization, weren't they?
#{♚ x v; Lick the blood from off your neck‚ set my sights on your weakness. You ready for what happens next? [BROKEN AU] x}#{♚ x dyn; huyaoxiaozi » I'm ready for one more battle scar‚ ‘cause this is still worth fighting for. [MATT&ZANE AU] x}#huyaoxiaozi#Apparently Matt is a bit more of a leader here lmao
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Being up here, on the rooftops, had always been Long Zhi’s escape of sorts. The one thing he’d been allowed to learn by himself, without a shīfu constantly looking over his shoulder. No one bothered him up here, and even Xiao Dan didn’t exert the same sort of control as he did anywhere else. It was almost like a different world, his own little world that he had carved out by persisting and insisting that it was the perfect tool to have in his line of work.
And yet, sharing it with Zane had been an easy decision.
Not only was he willing to share this world with Zane, but had also been more than happy to teach him how to traverse this world in the same way Matt did. It might not necessarily be of much use in Los Angeles, but here in San Francisco? It was the perfect way for them to get around without being discovered by the many eyes and ears that lurked on the ground. So the faster Zane got a hang of it, the better.
Not that that was much of an issue. The other had always been a quick learner, something Matt had noticed back when he’d taught him several ways to fight. A few more months, maybe—a year at the most—and they would undoubtedly be nearly on par. But, for now, Matt relished the chance to gloat. “In your dreams, maybe,” he hummed, gladly leaning into the embrace but offering a smug grin all the while. “I’m the king up here, and you’ll never manage to topple my throne. Even your fancy little weapons won’t help you.”
Then he turned his eyes towards the horizon and let out a quiet, contented sigh. He never tired of the beauty of it, and even less so now that he could enjoy it with the man he loved. “I don’t know,” he then admitted. “I’ve always preferred being up here, ever since I was young. I guess I liked the sense of freedom. There are no walls to close in on me, and no ceiling that can cave in on my head. Just fresh air, and the sun. And when lǎo ye started to trust me with the tasks he’s been giving me, I suppose it was just a logical thing to do. I noticed people always look behind them, but never up. So I practised at night, after school and training, and started to excel in… Well, you know.”
@feilien | PLOTTED STARTER.
Zane lost the race to the designated rooftop, again, but this time it was only by a few minutes. He was getting faster, smoother, more agile with practice, but Matt had been doing this for quite some time. Zane had only just begun honing his skill with parkour, as he'd been at it for several weeks now. Matt, however, moved as easily as one did weaving through familiar streets and, frankly, he found it mesmerizing to watch. It made him wonder about when, exactly, Matt had picked all of this up — because he certainly didn't remember seeing traces of it when they'd trained together initially. It must have begun sometime after they'd been forced apart.
❝God fucking dammit,❞ Zane rasped, followed by a breathless laugh. He settled down against one of the small raised platforms that housed a thin, hooded chimney, letting out a soft oof as he did. Once Matt sat down beside him, Zane moved to drape an arm around the other's shoulders before he'd even made the conscious decision. It was like breathing; it always had been with him. He lightly rested his temple against Matt's, heaving a sigh as he did.
❝I was so close! I swear I'll beat you eventually,❞ he said, his tone conveying something playfully pained, as if begging forgiveness. Zane's smile was warm, relentless as he gazed out at the setting sun and the view of the ocean beyond, the faint shapes of city buildings in the distance. The ocean breeze was mercifully cold, perfect to alleviate the heat from the excessive exercise. This was always his favorite part, though — watching the sunset with Matt on a rooftop, basking in each other's presence. Freedom.
❝You're just so damn fast. How did you start all of this, anyway? ❞
#{♚ x v; You lost the right to hold that crown; I built you up but you let me down. [MAIN] x}#{♚ x dyn; huyaoxiaozi » I fear I love you more than I will ever be allowed to. But after all this time it's still you. [MATT&ZANE] x}#huyaoxiaozi
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"Try me, you'll be dead before you know it," Long Zhi growled, sounding much more confident than he currently felt. But he didn't need to be confident—the illusion was enough, and the proof of what could happen lay in a bloody trail behind him. Above all, it was a distraction. Not for himself, but for Yuki. Though in rough shape himself, Long Zhi was certain he'd pull through.
And he did. Just as expected. Just as hoped. The last body dropped to the floor, and suddenly there was nothing else to focus on. With the rage now nowhere to turn, it disappeared and left Long Zhi with nothing else but the darkness and the feeling of walls moving in.
( Pull yourself together. You're stronger than this. You've had years to get over this. Stop being so weak, a disappointment. If lǎo ye could see you right now, he'd disown you. How do you deserve to be the heir if you can't even deal with this? )
Then Yuki appeared in front of him, and it gave him something to focus on, something to cling to. Problem was—it wasn't enough. It stopped him from spiralling further, but it did very little to ease the panic that had already set in.
"It's okay, don't worry about me. You're hurt, I'm not. Go get yourself taken care of, I'll catch up."
They'd been a block away from Dragons territory when Yuki was yanked back into an alley, a calloused hand covering his mouth. He thrashed, fighting to take hold of his ability, and barely caught Long Zhi's aura disappearing with a loud bang. This could not be happening.
Before Yuki could react, go for his weapons or focus enough to repel the men advancing on him, he was thrown down and kicked in the ribs, once, twice, before he was dragged up by his hair and punched back down. He was coughing, pain lancing through him in unbearable waves, and though he felt the urge to separate from his body, stubbornness kept him in the moment.
Through the legs of his attackers he saw three men keeping the lid of the dumpster closed. Another even split, he thought grimly. Though he tried and tried, he could not feel Long Zhi's aura through the metal walls, and that filled Yuki with terror.
Once again he was dragged up, only this time one man held Yuki upright as another punched him in the stomach. Their strategy was clear; if they kept up this relentless pace, Yuki wouldn't be able to focus, and would soon be too weak to fight back. This wasn't supposed to happen. They were supposed to be safe. What the fuck else was his training for?
A commotion was going on by the dumpster. Two of the men crowding Yuki rushed over, the third slamming his face into the wall, twisting his arm behind his back. This can't be happening --
His assailant turned at the sickening sound of someone choking on their own blood, forcing Yuki's back to his chest with a knife to his throat. Yuki struggled despite his body's protests, which earned him a warning cut on his jugular.
Another body dropped and Long Zhi was revealed, but Yuki's heart thumped hard as fear flashed through him. Long Zhi was trembling, rage threaded through his entire body, alight in his eyes. He looked terrifying -- but with his aura came the panic, and Yuki knew something was very, very wrong.
The man holding him seemed to agree, even taking a step back with Yuki still his grasp. But Long Zhi's fear was taking over, the waters steadily rising. He's bluffing.
"Stay back," said the man, unable to hide the tremor in his voice. "I'll kill him, I swear -- "
At last, Yuki took hold of this disgusting aura, and stunned the man into letting his guard down. In one fluid motion, Yuki swiped the knife and turned, slashing the other's throat.
Once the body dropped, Yuki resisted the urge to double over, coughing as he clutched his ribs. His mouth had been steadily filling with blood, and though he spit it onto the cement, some trailed from the corner of his lips.
None of that mattered. He had to pull himself together, because Long Zhi was not okay. Yuki turned to him only to notice that the rage had completely disappeared and only terror remained.
"Hey," he said, reaching for Long Zhi before he thought better of it. The imprint of an enclosed space, a dark closet reached him, and with horror, Yuki realized exactly what was happening. He moved into Long Zhi's line of vision, blocking everything else as best he could.
"Focus on me, alright?" he said, paying no mind to the bodies at their feet. All those long training sessions and Yuki still couldn't do what Xiao Dan asked, couldn't seem to cause emotions in others. Long Zhi's panic hit him in waves, causing his own breath to shorten. If he could just do this --
"Let's get out of here. Focus on me."
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Zi Xin grabbing his arm to steady him didn't really register in Long Zhi's brain for a solid few seconds. When it did, though, he immediately pulled away as though struck by lightning. The last thing he wanted was to be helped by the other, especially if it meant being touched in the process. He didn't much appreciate being touched in general, and even less so by who had essentially become his arch nemesis.
"Great," Long Zhi snarled, clearly irritated. "So I get pulled into whatever stupid rivalry your damn clan has going on? Just great." How annoying. Not only was he forced to work with Zi Xin, but it also had nothing at all to do with him. How in the world did he get wrapped up in this? It wasn't even like they'd been together and it was truly a case of wrong place, wrong time. They must've just seen them together at some point and assumed they were working together (and if that was the case, whoever had made that assumption was a fucking moron).
Letting out a sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and once again contemplated their options. He was a little unsteady, but he was fairly sure he could pull himself together enough to make his way out of the window. There was no real telling how high up they were until he'd made it up there, but height had never stopped him. Zi Xin on the other hand... If he couldn't deal with it, he might just be stuck. Not his problem.
But then the door opened, and Long Zhi spun around, blade already in hand. The light reignited his headache, but not enough to render him incapacitated. "Well. Guess that answers how we get out of here." Before the Vipers had the opportunity to process, Long Zhi killed one of them with a blade straight between the eyes. "Let's not make it easy for them, either. One down. Let's go."
The groan that escaped Matt was no doubt a response to Zane's teasing and he couldn't have suppressed the smug grin that tugged at his lips if he'd tried. His withering glare, too, was a sight to behold. There were things he wanted to shoot back, of course — for someone so obsessed with seeing me dead, I'm remarkably alive after five attempts. There was plenty of time for that once they were out of this mess, though ... because ultimately, Matt was right. They did have to focus on the problem at hand, even if it meant their truce would end sooner than he'd like.
Zane's anxiety thrummed in the background still, but when Matt rose to his feet, clearly wobbly, he'd reached out to steady him, gripping his upper arm. Of course he saw the blood and he tilted his head to peer a little closer. He had no doubt they'd clubbed Matt over the head with something — and, as the touch brought Zane more solidly back into his body, he felt a dull throb at the back of his own head. Fuck, that was easily going to develop into a nasty headache soon enough. Then Matt was shrugging Zane's hand away and he scoffed.
❝Bronze Vipers, I think,❞ he said, his demeanor shifting into something more serious, more dangerous as he swept his gaze around the room. ❝They've had a rivalry with the Red Fox Clan for years now. The last leader of the clan only made it worse — but, they were encroaching on our territory, which constitutes a beating, they fucking know that. They've been suspiciously quiet, so my guess is that this is their retaliation. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.❞
❝As for the rest ... can't exactly do your research if there's nothing to find.❞ He went by Zane, and people had their nicknames for him of course, but that was it — he never told anyone what his real name was, not even Li Ming. They had no way of knowing that Zane had experienced this before, that he might how to untie various knots with his hands behind his back. Even Matt hadn't seen him do it, and he certainly wasn't going to outright tell him, either. Not if he could avoid it.
The creak of a door opening, along with a flood of light from outside, cut his thoughts short. Four men had entered and hesitated as their eyes adjusted to the gloom, clearly not expecting their captives to be standing, or armed. Zane recognized a couple of them — Bronze Vipers indeed. He unsheathed his weapon, flipping the switch that extended the base and gripped it with both hands. ❝Couldn't make it too easy.❞
#{♚ x v; Lick the blood from off your neck‚ set my sights on your weakness. You ready for what happens next? [BROKEN AU] x}#{♚ x dyn; huyaoxiaozi » I'm ready for one more battle scar‚ ‘cause this is still worth fighting for. [MATT&ZANE AU] x}#huyaoxiaozi#I admittedly didn't feel like writing a fight scene so I ended it there#If you want me to write more let me know and I'll add something when I can
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{♚ x Matt&Yuki Incorrect Quote(s?) x}
@soulfulempathy, probably a conversation that's happened at some point lbr
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{♚ x Matt&Zane Incorrect Quote(s?) || Broken AU edition x}
@huyaoxiaozi, you didn't think I was done, did you?
#{♚ x dyn; huyaoxiaozi » I'm ready for one more battle scar‚ ‘cause this is still worth fighting for. [LONGXIN AU] x}#I had to ofc
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Randomly remembered that time someone straight up copied some of my Kaz starters and posted them as their own for other people :') (and did so with other people's writing)
Wonder how they're doing and if they're still on the same bs
#{♚ x There are always ears on the other side of the wall [OOC] x}#God that was such a wild time tbh
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{♚ x @soulfulempathy x}
It all happened fast; so fast, that Long Zhi had no idea what exactly had happened. One moment Yuki and he were walking down the street, the next they had been pulled into an alley and everything went dark. Judging by the smell and by the way the air had been knocked out of his lungs, he had been thrown into some kind of dumpster. His first thought was that it had to be Isen’s men yet again—no one else was bold enough to pull off an attack like that. His second thought was that he had to get out of there before they could lay their hands on Yuki.
His third thought was—I’m trapped. No matter how much strength he put into his attempts, the lid didn't open. Suddenly panic took hold. Breathing became difficult, and his attempts more frantic. He needed to get out of there, and he needed to get out of there now. Memories of being trapped in that closet all those years ago came back with a vengeance, overwhelming him, leaving him dizzy and nauseous and weak as the walls closed in on him.
You’re not a six-year-old boy, pull yourself together for fuck’s sake.
All he wanted to do was lie down, curl up and cry. Instead, he grabbed the biggest knife he had on him, and rammed it into the plastic lid with all the strength he could muster. Cutting one side, then another, and another. Big enough so he could slip out. His usual grace was gone, replaced instead by a mixture of rage and fear.
The first guy he got his hands on got it the worst: carelessly sliced open, mutilated in a matter of seconds, before Long Zhi moved on to the next. He knew his time was limited. He felt light-headed, haunted by the memories, and his hands shook so badly it took everything in him not to let go of the knife he clung to as if his life depended on it. Still, the next guy met a fate similar to the first, just less messy. But by the time Long Zhi made his way to the third one, he’d run out of steam. All he wanted to do was bend over and throw up. “Let him go,” he growled, trying his best to hide how breathless he truly was. “Let him go and I might just let you live.”
#{♚ x v; You lost the right to hold that crown; I built you up but you let me down. [MAIN] x}#soulfulempathy#I hope this works lmao#I figured I'd leave this last guy up to Yuki maybe but if you need anything changed just let me know
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Long Zhi couldn't help but let out an exasperated groan at Zi Xin's words, immediately regretting the ceasefire and wishing that there weren't more urgent matters at hand. Why, exactly, the other seemed to find it so amusing to say dumb shit like that was absolutely beyond him, but it was infuriating. The 'makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up' kind of infuriating. But no matter what Long Zhi seemed to say or do, Zi Xin always seemed to find a way to twist it into something flirtatious.
Snatching the knives out of Zi Xin's hand, Long Zhi simply glared at him instead of thanking him. "The only thing I'm obsessed with is seeing you dead. So stop spewing nonsense. We just have to take care of other things first, and I know how to prioritize."
Standing up, he felt a little wobbly on his feet with the room definitely spinning, but didn't let that stop him from safely tucking away all of his knives. "The murderous incentive isn't gone, just postponed. Now, can we focus on the matter at hand?"
Glancing around the room, Long Zhi could see a couple of ways to escape. And if he was honest, it all felt way too... easy. "Any idea where we're at, or who's responsible? And, more importantly, why they're making it so easy? Leaving our weapons nearby, both of us together, and in a room with windows we should be able to open and climb out of? Either they didn't do their research, or they're plain stupid. Or, worst case, this is a trap."
Move where? For some reason, Matt's muttered words struck Zane as funny and it took considerable effort not to laugh. He instinctively blamed it on the anxiety and adrenaline coursing through his veins, but ... deep down, he knew it was because it reminded him of the Matt he'd known as a teenager. When he would say or do things that were just ... so endearingly ridiculous. That, along with just the knowledge and comfort of Matt clearly alive, making threats and able to take care of himself, helped quiet down the terror.
He was not a seventeen year old boy anymore, forced to watch someone he loved die. They wouldn't be dying today.
It took Zane another few minutes of searching before he found their belongings, still listening to what Matt had to say and offering a quiet scoff. He spotted Matt's knives, Zane's own weapon and his bag. Briefly he unzipped it and rummaged inside, checking to see if they'd decided to dig through it, if anything was missing. Much to his relief, everything was still there and he let out a sigh. Then he was slinging his bag over one shoulder and gathering their weapons.
Zane made his way over to Matt, those knives of his clutched in one hand as he stopped just in front of him.
❝I really wish you could just be normal about how obsessed you are with me,❞ he said casually on a sigh, reaching to hand the knives over. Ever since he'd given a borderline flirtatious jab and Matt had responded with a suspicious amount of defensiveness, Zane hadn't been able to stop. The way it simply riled Matt up, made him furious, well ... it had quickly become addicting — and, evidently, even in a situation like this, he couldn't help himself. It even helped to ease the adrenaline and terror that was surging through his body, to relax the tightening muscles in his throat. Huh. ❝Maybe the lack of murderous incentive between us for five minutes will inspire you.❞
#{♚ x v; Lick the blood from off your neck‚ set my sights on your weakness. You ready for what happens next? [BROKEN AU] x}#{♚ x dyn; huyaoxiaozi » I'm ready for one more battle scar‚ ‘cause this is still worth fighting for. [MATT&ZANE AU] x}#huyaoxiaozi
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1-800-how’s my portrayal?
This mun is now accepting feedback!
Please remember there’s a difference between hate, constructive criticism, and giving praise because you don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings.
#{♚ x He who asks a question might be a fool for five minutes; he who doesn’t ask a question remains a fool forever [MEME] x}#Practically only reblogging this to two people but
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Yuki's quite visceral reaction to his words completely took Long Zhi by surprise. So much so, that he just sat there in silence as Yuki kept on going. He could understand where the other was coming from.. kind of.
"Hashikawa..." he sighed, brows knitting together. "This was always the way it was going to end, you do know that, right? With or without you. That's always been my path, and it always will be. That's all I'm here for—to take over one day. To become the person he wants me to be, so all he's worked so hard for doesn't go to waste. And if following that path means I get to protect someone I care about.. Well, even better."
"Besides..." He smiled again, bumping Yuki's shoulder with his own. "I'm not going anywhere, am I? So you're not losing me. I will just be—" Not me. "—your leader. I'll be your leader. Officially. Which means I can boss you around and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it. So..." Reaching over, Long Zhi placed a finger underneath Yuki's chin, forcing him to lift his head. "Keep your chin up, yeah? You're not going to get rid of me, and you'll unfortunately have to continue putting up with my bullshit. Even after you get sick of me."
"No." He pulled back abruptly, his eyes flashing with a panic he couldn't hide. Yuki felt the loss of Matt's gentle touch, the soft kiss to his head that felt so warm and safe. But he couldn't let this happen. He couldn't let Xiao Dan shape Long Zhi into whatever he wanted, he couldn't bear to see his friend's eyes empty and cold.
Long Zhi's words still rang in his ears. I'm too much me. Weak and soft-hearted. That wasn't his voice -- that was the old man beating this rhetoric into his grandson until he believed it himself. And Yuki was angry -- but this cold fear was louder.
"I don't want that," he continued fiercely. "I don't want to lose you to him."
The words were out before he could stop them, but Yuki didn't take them back. He'd do everything he could to keep Long Zhi here, as himself, the man who protected and comforted him, whose aura had become so familiar that Yuki would dare to call it home.
His eyes dropped to the ground. Guilt, cold and heavy, dimmed the fire inside him a bit. Long Zhi wanted to do this for him, to protect him yet again. Yuki was undeserving. He closed his eyes for a moment before he met Long Zhi's gaze.
"I can take it," he repeated, his eyes pleading. "I will, just...don't do this, Long Zhi." Let me protect you for once. "There has to be another option."
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Whenever he felt Yuki’s head on his shoulder, it was as though something snapped inside of him. Sitting here, in the silence and darkness, with nothing to distract them, Long Zhi realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d experienced something like this. Human warmth, comfort, gentle touch. It was always pain.. or nothing at all. Intentional deprivation for the sake of toughening him up. Xiao Dan never failed to remind him that it was a necessity. That it was his own fault that he needed such a harsh treatment to begin with.
The only time he’d been allowed to touch someone he— No. Stop.
He didn’t want to remember. Didn’t want to be reminded of the things he’d done. So he let out a shaky breath instead; reached up and ran his fingers through Yuki’s hair, before kissing the top of his head. Instinctively, without thinking about it, and without realizing it. “It might be years,” he warned quietly. “He’s a tough bastard, and he won’t relinquish his power until the second he dies. He also doesn’t trust me yet. He’s not done training me, shaping me into what I’m supposed to be. I’m still too much… me. Weak and soft-hearted. I’ll have to prove that I’m worthy first, before he’ll listen to me.”
“But I promise I’ll try my best. While you become his weapon, I’ll become who he wants me to be. Then he'll start listening to me, I'm sure of it. And I can ensure he'll treat you the way you deserve.”
Yuki only released his breath when Long Zhi gave his support. He couldn't do this alone, not again. He couldn't go through Hell with nothing to live for, used and killed slowly until he was unrecognizable. Long Zhi would see to it that he was treated well -- Yuki had no idea how that would happen, but the promise left a warm feeling in his chest…at war with a fear he couldn’t ignore. What would Long Zhi do to keep his promise?
Those concerns shifted to the back of his mind when he saw that smile. Yuki couldn't help but return it. This fondness and warmth only reached Yuki when they were away from prying eyes, and he savored it each time. He knew Long Zhi was meant to take over the clan, expected to be cold, ruthless, and rule with an iron fist — like his grandfather. But this was who he really was, and Yuki was starting to believe the end was near. For both of them.
Yuki shifted closer and laid his head on the other's shoulder. His knees were still drawn up to his chest, though the tremors in his body had disappeared. Now he was tired, reluctant to leave this dank warehouse littered with the bodies of Isen's subjects. Not yet.
He wasn't sure how long Long Zhi would allow this and an undercurrent of anxiety gripped him. Even so, he was solid and familiar. The scent of his cologne comforted Yuki, even tinged with blood. That was their life, their cold reality -- but he valued these moments anyway.
"I know they will," he said, but his voice had grown quiet. When it came time for Long Zhi's reign, would he be the same person? Would Yuki see his smile again?
#{♚ x v; tbd x}#soulfulempathy#This reply absolutely did not go the way I thought it would go#And I both want to shake and hug Matt tbh
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Having brain rot for both Matt and Tommy is honestly so funny bc they're both literal polar opposites in practically everything and idk how it's not ripping my brain in two
I love it
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