mia-zer0 - Tumblr blog

[mia-zer0]

lunaxmia​:

mia-zer0​:

Fireside Chat

after so many years out in the wilderness, being around people can be rather difficult. the cacophony of voices and the oppressing sound of so many thoughts can easily cause her a headache with her enhancement, and not for the first time, she wonders if her telepathy would have been easier to handle had their father not gotten his hands on her. 

she wishes that she had been able to protect her brother a little better, at least. seeing him suffering from his own enhancement that he can’t control well because of what their father had done to him… it boils her blood — one of the few things that can actually get haneul angry. 

the feeling of someone approaching her, thoughts getting a little louder and easier to focus on, draws her attention away from those thoughts, and she lifts her head with a small but curious smile to see a rather small boy standing there. no, not a boy — an agent. she’d noted him before, although merely in passing, noting his distinct looks and the unusual height. he’s new, she’d heard. just joined the agency before the mission that had landed her fiancé in the medical wing for two and a half weeks. but he seems to be a good agent, from what she’s heard from jina, one of daesu’s kids; had held his own during the mission and made it back safely. 

‘perhaps a little bit,’ she allows with a small smile. ‘i grew up at seaside, so i guess this is my first time being the new person. my name is haneul. you might know me better as agent luna. what about you? you’re quite new as well, aren’t you?’ 

“Agent Zer0, but you can call me Sero.” A few memories flitter through his mind at the mention of seaside, bad ones of refugees not knowing how to handle being outside of its walls, but they’re gone a moment later. 

“Yes. I just recently made my way here from the wilderness of the city as well. Though I wasn’t able to do it without help.” His tone would have indicated that he was suspicious of her, but his thoughts seemed to discount that. He had a good sense of some people, at least when he was paying attention, and he could see the genuine demeanor coming from Haneul.

“Knowing the dangers of the ward, and the suspicious eyes around here, I suppose I wanted to come over and offer some solidarity. I have no doubt those eyes are on me as well, despite everything.”

[mia-zer0]

miahelios​:

mia-zer0​:

Catch me if you can

he knew some of the agents on the blue team would be tricky. the purpose of the game to train awareness and agility, but there’s no need for that when agility comes naturally to you. this being the case of that one agent by the name zer0. daesu remembers this kid, remembers seeing him in the training halls and being impressed by his moves.

it was this kid he was targeting a few rounds into the game. he let them have fun. let the teams do their thing while he loitered in a tree.. relaxing more than playing though when asked he claimed he was in defensive position. 

but when he hears that another point was scored by agent zer0 he knew it was time to step up and show the kid that enhancements aren’t all that. he figured if he could capture zer0 before he gets the yellow flag than the yellow team would have a chance. 

“three…. two….” he watches as a blur moves through the trees and when he hits one daesu moves, darting through the branches and catching the other agent in the side. they tumble down–daesu making sure that zer0 wouldn’t end up hurt by taking the brunt of the fall himself. 

“you got some good moves, kid.” 

First he's on the move for another easy score, and the next thing he knows he's got dirt and grass on his back as well as the wind knocked out of him. A weak "What the fuck?" leaves with the rest of his breath, and he quickly wiggles his way out of the Senior Agent's hold.

It takes him a quick second to recover from his confusion before the cocky grin is back on his face. His eyes narrow at the sudden unexpected challenge before him. This could be interesting.

"They really sent the big guns after me, huh? I'm not gonna be stopped that easily!" He attempts to get back up in the tree before he can be grabbed again and/or tackled by Daesu or any more of the yellow team.

[mia-zer0]

You receive a message from JINX to show up for a meeting in her office. When you enter you are greeted by JINX and SOL seated on one side of her desk. SOL motions for you to take a seat across from them. A hologram of your profile is pulled up in front of the two head agents. 

“Hello agent ZER0.” JINX greets, a smirk on her face. SOL is smiling at you in a friendly manner. “We have been watching your performance lately and have deemed you ready for more responsibility.” She taps something on her desk.

A notification pings on your communication device, a new message from JINX.

“You have received an offer to rank up, as well as switch departments if you desire. If you choose to accept the rank up then you will move from LEVEL ONE to LEVEL TWO. You may choose to rank up without switching departments, or you can simply switch departments without ranking up.” SOL continues, gesturing to the contract offer that you will open on your coms device. 

“Moving forward things are going to change, and we need all agents ready to face whatever may come.” JINX says. “You have until the end of the day to respond to this offer. Whatever you decide is up to you and we will not hold it against you. Dismissed.” 

SOL will lead you to the door. He places a heavy hand on your shoulder as a sign of support and comfort. “Good luck, agent.” 

--------------

Zer0 stays silent during the entire exchange, the only readable expression on his face being mild confusion. Things happen so quickly and suddenly he's being ushered out by SOL and the door closes behind him. Frowning, he looks at his comms device on his wrist. He...was going to need a little bit to think this over.

--------------

Several hours later Zer0 finds himself on a roof of the civilian compound, looking out over the mix of concrete and greenery as the sun sets over the horizon. He takes a drag and exhales smoke, the expression on his face unreadable other than slight annoyance. Resting bitch face, his sister used to call it.

He'd come to his conclusion about an hour ago but was having trouble getting up, of pushing forward. He sees his sister's face in his mind's eye, always full of comfort and positivity. He can feel her pushing him to stand. He does.

--------------

With about an hour to spare, he finds himself in front of JINX again. "I've come with my decision." He pauses. "I don't know if this offer speaks to your confidence in my abilities, or MEIA's desperation for warm bodies." His conviction doesn't waver. If he wants real change in this world, he has to seize it, whether he thinks he is ready or not.

"In the end it probably doesn't matter. I'll accept your offer. Keep me in the field and I'll keep bringing you results."

[mia-zer0]

geonmia​:

mia-zer0​:

Haven’t We Met?

geon has been sticking to his namesake for most of these games, hiding in the shadows and trying not to attract too much attention to himself. he’s still too new, still too unsure about where he stands with everyone in meia. at least they seem nicer about the whole demon thing than anyone in grand heights was, for the most part. still, he doesn’t want to press his luck too far, especially when someone presses a water gun into his hands and tells him to have fun.

what he does instead is runs and hides. he doesn’t want to shoot anyone, let alone get shot even if it is just water. but he’s taken entirely by surprise when he’s very nearly run over by someone running out from under cover. geon yelps, stumbles back, but manages to keep his footing.

it takes less than a second to realize why this face looks so familiar: the last time geon had seen it was out in the middle of nowhere, wandering and doing his best to avoid humans and demons alike. this human took a shot at him, a good one that hit, but geon managed to live to tell the tale. he’ll admit, his blood runs a little colder when he connects the memory to the person in front of him now. he’s scared.

“ah-” he takes an extra step back. even if they have nothing to hurt each other with right now, he can’t help but be a bit wary, “i, um, sorry, i just got here a couple of weeks ago…” should he mention it? should he bring up the fact that this person shot him once upon a time? geon’s not sure what the proper etiquette is for this situation.

Sero pokes his head out before darting back, remembering the other is ‘armed’ as well, before remember it’s just water. He rolls his eyes at himself and comes out from cover, weapon down as he eyes the rest of the field. They seem secluded, for now. 

Yep, that’s the demon. Sero remembers running into him a little over a year ago out on the borders of the West Ward, back when he still had a family...He’d been out hunting for small game with his pistol when he’d run into Geon in a similar manner, shooting first and asking questions later. If he remembered right, he’d winged the guy and probably run off just as fast as the demon had, both of them equally spooked.

But now, Sero just looks annoyed, a slight improvement to his normal interactions with demon agents. The other’s actions are somewhat off-putting. Something not right about an agent being so scared, even if--and especially if--they are a demon. Doesn’t he have like...bloodlust and shit?  “Better than you being out there, I guess.” He pauses, and an awkward beat plays between them for a moment...before Sero can’t stand it and he lays it out bluntly. 

“Look. I’m not gonna apologize for shooting a demon. Plus, you’re still alive and kicking. My aim’s improved since then.” Yeah, okay maybe he needs a bit more tact than that. “At the very least, I’m sorry for shooting you so suddenly. I should have had better trigger discipline, since you could have been human and all.”

[mia-zer0]

Catch me if you can

Starter for @miahelios

Someone made an oversight in capture the flag, that oversight being Sero. Well, that’s what he thought of it, at least. With his agility, it was just too easy. The first round he’d bolted out of their area, easily skirting slower and stronger attackers alike by sticking to the trees and tops of any obstacles in the field. He’d gotten over to the enemy side fast enough that not everyone was completely on their guard. Perfect.

A quick duck in, a quick grab, a few surprised yells, and he was out of there before anybody had the chance to catch him. 

Now, with the yellow flag in his hand, he simply had to bolt back to blue side. Easy. He doubted the game would last 20 minutes at this rate!

These are his exact thoughts as he bounds into what he assumes is an unoccupied tree, distracted by keeping watch of the agents on the ground. 

[mia-zer0]

Baby Steps

miajina​:

she keeps her eyes and ears alert as zero makes his way down towards her, and she’s pleased to see that he does abide to her cautionary warnings, his speed greatly reduced from what she’d already seen he was capable of. new or not, it seems like zero will be a decent addition to the ranks of the meia agents, and that’s a relief with the way that the world seems to be going these days.

smiling at the other agent when he reaches her side, she nods firmly, glancing around carefully to make sure that all the noise they had made hadn’t attracted anything else. “we’ve done our share,” she confirms quietly, keeping one of her small handguns in her hand, loaded and ready, always careful. “let’s make our way back towards the safe zone now. don’t let your guard down,” she murmurs gently, and she keeps her voice low as they start the journey back to the safe zone, keeping an eye out for demons all the way.

“we usually stay to provide support to any other teams returning and keep an eye out for the medics as they treat the injured,” she whispers into her comms, leading the way back, although she glances back periodically to make sure that zero is not only still behind her but that the coast is still clear. they stay in the shadows and protection of the buildings, never out in the open, and their progress back to the safe zone goes relatively smoothly, much to her relief.

they’re one of the first pairs back, and she can’t help but worry a little bit that others may have run into trouble. “well done, zero. you performed extremely well for your first mission,” she praises the new agent warmly, the position of being that encouragement to a brand new agent such a different feeling for her.

Sero nods quietly, dutifully following his leader’s movements. Even as they stick to the shadows, as Sero looks up at the imposing form of a ruined office building that could be crawling with demons, he feels more nervous going back to the safe zone than being out and about with Agent Ivy. That was odd…

He ignores the feeling, shaking it off. 

—

When they get back, he’s surprised to hear the praise he gets, pride blooming in his chest. His father had never really been one to dole out praise, so hearing something like that from someone with authority over him was…weird. Good, but weird. His face lights up a bit. “A-ah thanks! I had a great junior agent helping me.” He cracks a rare smile before looking towards the center of the safe area. “I’ll go report in, like you said. Maybe they need me to watch the area or something. Good luck out there.” He nods to her before heading out, half out of obligation and the other half out of embarrassment at not really being able to handle the compliment.

As he walks away, the uneasy feeling comes back over him. 

He remembers the demon he’d just killed out there…Hopefully the rest of the mission would go just as smoothly.

[mia-zer0]

The Enemy

miaxtheo​:

Theo feels as though he’s suffocating within the walls of the agency more often than not. It’s hard being a demon agent and catching a break. He sees the looks he gets when others don’t think he can, he can feel the tensions rise whenever he walks into a room. It gets exhausted having to prove yourself time and time again when people are just waiting for the moment where you lose control. He doesn’t know if that day will ever come, the day he succumbs fully to the negativity, the day he stops being Theo and becomes a fully fledged monster. It makes him anxious enough to make his stomach turn to think he might lose himself. With his mind all clouded in negativity the demon agent finds himself high up on a balcony letting the breeze gently hit his face as he focuses on calming down. Closing his eyes he almost feels at peace, until someone comes and disturbs it. Not bothering to turn and look at whomever came out, he just hopes they’ll go away or leave him alone, but the voice that rings through the air makes him snap his head up and stare at the intruder. “The fuck are you talking about? You’re the one who came and disturbed me. Don’t twist it around like it’s my fault you came out here.” He snarls back at the other, his hands gripping the balcony edge tight in anger. “My kind? Racist prick.”

Sero audibly snorts at the racist comment. Was this kid for real? He was actually a bit more of what he expected when it came to demon agents. The others seemed to have some semblance of control over their emotions but this one got right to the quick of it. Sero felt a buzz in his muscles. Maybe he’d get more fresh air than he thought, picking a fight and all. But he doesn’t clench his fists or make a move just yet. After all, he would be seen as the aggressor since he came up here, despite the fact that the other agent is literally a walking timebomb. His voice doesn’t match his interest, coming off as if the other is more of a nuisance than anything else. “Kinda hard to be racist when Demons’ not a race.” He grabs a cigarette from his pocket, flipping open his lighter and getting it ready before taking a drag, looking bored. “Demons are just walking corpses, after all.”

[mia-zer0]

miaxseb​:

Twilight Stroll

“i doubt it,” seb replies. “meia starts winding down this time of night. most of the insomniacs head to the training floor. there might be some people up there, but the roof is so huge, there’s definitely room to have some time to yourself.” truthfully, seb is sometimes among those brooding on meia’s rooftop. he’s also often among the training insomniacs; both are good places to linger when sleep won’t come. training, if you want to wear yourself out; the roof if you want fresh air to clear your head.

“i doubt we have beer anymore, either. the seniors just drank it all the other day,” he jokes back. truthfully, it’s rare that any beer to share makes it through meia’s doors unless specifically asked for. they have to get it all from taerry’s, and carrying a large amount of alcohol back to the agency, losing access to one arm should demons attack, sets seb a little on edge. sometimes, though. seb doubts he would let zero drink anyway, given how new he is, his status as a baby agent, and his recent occupation of the medical ward. of course, he’s probably fine, but seb would prefer he has more time to acclimate to the agency before he’s under the influence of alcohol.

“i don’t know about smoking on the roof, either. we have ducks up there and the smoke might not be healthy for them,” and he laughs, because it probably sounds ridiculous to those that aren’t familiar with meia. maybe zero would like to see them, though? they tend to have a calming effect on the young agents. “what do you say? or we can run laps.” he’s half joking once again.

Huh, he wouldn’t have thought there would be any space up on top of the roof. Maybe he was wrong. Also, he had a guide, so finding the right stairwell wouldn’t be a chore. Sero was good with his directions and sense of place but even MEIA was hard to memorize in such a short time.

Sero listens as he and the older agent step through the doors to the agency, back under its protective wing for the time being. Kinda like an umbrella, he thinks.

And then his face deadpans at the other’s comment. “Ducks? Really?” What was he, five? That was something kids did, right? …wait, had he ever seen a duck in real life? He tries to pass off his lack of knowledge and confusion as being simply uninterested but it probably doesn’t work. “Those, uh…those are the birds with the weird beaks and feet, right?” Gods he felt stupid.

[mia-zer0]

Fireside Chat

Starter for @miahaneul

He was actually feeling sore after capture the flag, which surprised him considering it was just a game rather than an actual mission. Not that he hadn’t gone all out…okay yeah it made a bit of sense, he thought. Eying suspiciously almost everyone around him, he admonishes himself for not finding any potential rats within their bunch, the idea of traitors amongst them scratching like a terrible itch in the back of his mind. 

There was someone he was thinking of…a potential issue rather than one that would have been an issue during the previous mission, but an issue all the same. As he looked at her sitting alone a little ways from the bonfire, he wondered if others felt the same. Maybe she had nothing to hide, maybe she was like him. 

Sero saw himself awkwardly standing in the natural walkway of people and felt heat in his face from the perceived embarrassment before walking forward with his plate of food. He wasn’t going to learn anything from her by standing there awkwardly. 

He takes the seat by her, not really asking for permission as he does. His demeanor is relaxed but proper, and he takes the time to at least get a bite in of food and swallow it before speaking. 

“Must be strange being the new person twice.”

[mia-zer0]

The Enemy

Starter with @miaxtheo

Finding space to be alone in the civilian housing area was even more of a challenge than in MEIA. Sero doesn't think he's been around this many people in his entire life, and now he feels like every second of the day his shoulders are bumping into someone else. He'd been taking to staying in his room, but he was tired of the stale air (and his teammates).

He has such relief when he comes out onto a random balcony of one of the buildings that he fails to notice his guest already there for the first minute or so. He sighs happily after gulping in some fresh air, relaxing.

And then his senses pick up on the agent he'd most likely just intruded on, his body tensing as he berates himself for letting his guard down.

"Can't get peace from your fucking kind for a second, can I?"

A few weeks ago he'd have meant those words wholeheartedly, but in this moment it's coming out more out of habit.

[mia-zer0]

Haven’t We Met?

event thread with @geonmia

Well, this was sure a way to blow off steam. The water gun fights had been a bit intense, but getting drenched, while somewhat humiliating, was a welcome cold shock to his system. Projectiles (except for bullets) he was used to dodging…but water arched in such a weird way that he was getting hit a lot if he didn't take cover. Hence him hiding behind a corner of a wall now, preparing his next move. Maybe if he moved to more central cover, he'd be able to get a better sight line on the enemy–

Sero forms a plan in his mind, his body starting to move with a goal ahead of him. At least, until he darts out from his hiding spot and lets out an embarrassing yelp at the sudden person–no, demon–in front of him. He stumbles back behind cover, ready to shoot, the face of his enemy processing in his mind, confusion and surprise coming over him.

"Wait…what the fuck are you doing here?!"

[mia-zer0]

Plots

((This is Sero’s plots and basic personality post where I’ll update him with any new plots based on what’s been going on at MEIA. If you wanna RP, feel free to give these a look!! LAST UPDATED: MAY 19th ))

General overview:

Sero is brand new to the agency, having joined about a few weeks before the first MEIA lore event. He was taken in by Sol from the west ward and stayed in the medical unit for a week before emerging as a new agent. Personality-wise, he came into MEIA as very standoffish, just wanting to be left alone. He’s now finally starting to open up to others. He’s very ‘yes sir, no ma’am’ to his superiors, but will also loudly voice his opinions on demons (or enemy agents; aka traitors). It will have gotten through the grapevine by now that he’s the new agent that hates demons. He has his reasons which can be seen in his backstory, but he hasn’t really publicly talked about them. People who would have a good chance of knowing what caused him to join MEIA would be Senior Agents as well as Medical Agents if they were curious enough. Sero is also very dedicated to training, and loves improving his enhancement.

PLOTS:

1. A teensy bit of a grudge Sero hates demons, and demon agents. He's made that clear in private and in public to anyone who questions him. But some of the actions of demon agents during missions are starting to make his conviction show tiny little cracks. Can you give him proof demon agents can make a positive impact? Or will you just convince him further that they should just all be eradicated?

2. The better shot A little friendly competition doesn’t hurt, and Sero is good with a rifle. But is this kid better with guns than you? 3. Introductions (takes place in the past//open to medics and senior agents) Zer0 stayed in the medical wing his first week in MEIA due to nearly starving out in the West Ward. He has to stay there as he doesn’t have clearance for anything, (not an agent yet) and hes sooooo bored. Did you meet each other there? What did you talk about?  4. The enemy of my enemy Humans as enemies is almost an entirely new concept to him. Sure, there were bad ones out in the ward, but they were just trying to survive. They didn't have ulterior motives. Thus, this recent event at MEIA has really affected him, and he's trying to come to terms with being suspicious of his fellow man. Are you worthy of suspicion? Or are you out to prove you’re one of the good ones?

5. Tell me what you know People who really know the history of MEIA are of interest to Sero right now, as he wants to know more than the basics they covered when he was brought in. Have their always been rival agents? What are the interpersonal problems of this agency that they don't show to the public eye? 6. Sidequest Sero's had his life upheaved again with leaving the MEIA dorms. His father's rifle, his only memento of him, is still in his dorm in MEIA which is currently off limits. Wanna help him get it? 7. Know your friends Sero is also generally wanting to meet more of the agents now as he's starting to find his footing and come out of his shell. Even a simple hi can go a long way with him. He’s a curious guy, so tell him what you’re all about. Always open: 

One thing I’ve liked to do in the past is post open rps. I’m not sure if that’s normally done in this community, but anything I tag with “#open rp zer0” is open for anyone in the group to reply to. These are mostly just little character moments like running into someone in the hall or cafeteria, rather than large roleplays. Just a fun way to meet everyone! 😊

Upcoming ideas that don’t quite fit yet:

- I plan on Sero having some trouble with his gear on a future mission, so he’ll need to talk to someone who’s able to make cool shit when his stuff eventually breaks.

[mia-zer0]

((OOC update:

Social Anxiety Disorder has been kicking my ass but I think I’m coming out of this rut now-- just wanted to again say hi to everyone and the lovely people in this group I haven’t talked to yet, and wanted to make some notes on things I’ll be updating over the next couple of days. I’m pretty new to the aesthetics of the krp community, and I wanna learn how to do more stuff with text as well as make my blog look half as cool as everyone elses’ (lol) so I’ll be working on that this weekend. If anyone has any tips I’d love to hear ‘em!! I’m also looking to update my plots page with new prompts, as well as get some open rps running. And of course, I’m up for anything for the event!!

I’m also gonna work on a twitter so it’ll be easier for you guys to contact me ooc :)

TLDR; updating blogs and visuals and plots WOOO))

[mia-zer0]

Target Practice

miadoyun​:

the marble being tossed back at him is enough to cause him to lose a little focus. ducking to avoid the projectile and the marbles he is focusing lose some of their power for a moment, a couple bouncing on the ground. he shakes it off, crouching to give himself the ability to roll out of the way if needed. 

“what did you just say?” doyun’s eyes narrow as he hears the words from the other agent. the implication that a demon agent would attack anyone. because thats obviously what zero is bringing up! why else would he mention demons and then someone from the agency. doyun feels his anger rise. is this another person who doesn’t think demon agents are good? 

“do you haver something against some of the agents here?” the marbles shark with his emotions, raising higher but not shooting around like they were. 

Zer0 finishes his fluid movement with another dodge and sommersault to Doyun’s left, letting his momentum bring him back up to fully standing on his feet. He’s prepared to dodge again, quirking a brow when the marbles just barely float around the other agent. Oh my, he’s struck a nerve. How does this kid even survive outside of the agency if he’s disrupted by something like that?

“Uh, yeah?” The tone of his voice implies that Doyun’s conclusion should have been obvious. He cocks his head to the side, curious. Why were so many agents just okay with demons walking among them. It was getting slightly less infuriating and just more downright strange to him. “And you don’t? You’re aware the things we are killing are also walking among us in the agency, right? Just a bunch of ticking time bombs. That’s just a fact.”

[mia-zer0]

E N T E R I N G  C O D E  N A M E … AGENT ZER0 YOUR IDENTITY HAS BEEN CONFIRMED.  WELCOME HOME, AGENT.

Agent Zer0 is enhanced and is assigned to team FALCON.

ACTION REQUIRED ;  Please follow and welcome your fellow agent.  

You caught a fellow agent sneaking around areas they shouldn’t be in. This agent is a long time friend of yours and they haven’t done anything suspicious before this. Jinx has always said to report something like this though. What do you do? Be honest.   

RESPONSE RECORDED BELOW

Keep reading

[mia-zer0]

miajina​:

baby steps ,

she continues moving, her experienced feet confidently picking over unsteady terrain. they come out here often, scouting the c level wards, and sometimes, she even goes into the b level zones, though never without daesu or another senior agent, and never in charge. but c zones are ones she is well familiar with, though the layout changes day by day as buildings collapse and demons move.

but she hasn’t been an agent for three years for nothing.

she doesn’t see the demon explode, not directly, but she sees the figure that had been stalking around drop to the ground in the wake of zero’s accurate shot. “well done,” she murmurs into her comms, kindly choosing not to mention the stutter in his voice. his first kill on the field, and not only had he scored a solid hit, he had protected another agent while following instructions. overall, it seems to jina that agent zero would not be a bad person to have at her back. he just needs more experience, as all of them did at one point.

“looks like everything is as it should be here,” her voice is hushed, especially aware of the fact that the noise might attract other demons. “nothing out of the ordinary, so let’s return to the safe zone to support other incoming agents. return to me carefully, zero. don’t be hasty,” she cautions, warning the agent not to use his enhanced agility too much on the descent.

Relief finally comes to him when Agent Ivy comes through to him through the transmission. He felt like they only just got here, but the position of the sun confirmed to him that they needed to get back. His hands shook a little as he strapped his gear to his back. At least there was one less demon roaming around the ward. 

Zer0 can feel himself sweat a little at the older agent telling him to not come down in such a flashy way. After what had just happened, he was starting to understand their reservations about him zipping and jumping around, even if they did need to get out of the area quickly…Fair enough. He makes his way down safely, taking his time the best he could to watch his footing and only making short jumps instead of leaping down like he usually does. Took longer, but it did make a lot less noise. 

Zer0 jogs up to the other once he hits ground, keeping his head on a swivel. 

"Do you think we got enough info for what we were looking for?" He pauses and looks back toward the demon's corpse. Unpleasant memories don't surface quite yet. "I hope the others didn't run into any trouble. What do they usually expect of us after reporting back in?"

[mia-zer0]

Rest

((welp I’ve been holding onto this solo for a few weeks. Now’s as good a time as any lol))

Timeline: 3 weeks ago.

Tw: gore, death, family death, grief, depersonalization, starvation

There's a click of the lock and the draw of curtains. Sero's room becomes bathed in black, the young man staring at his bed: his newest adversary. In total darkness he could pretend he was somewhere less comfortable. Somewhere where the soft noises of his room were the sounds of his parents in the other room. Where he could pretend the rushing of water in a pipe in the wall was his younger sister's breathing. 

Outside this room he had to be put together. He had to function to show his worth. Here, he could pretend. He could mourn. 

In the darkness his bed feels like his mother's arms. He couldn't remember the last time he hugged her. Sheets crumple under his fists and teeth, and he finally lets out the sob he's been holding in the entire day. The dam breaks and he screams into the sheets, grabbing a pillow to muffle the noise. His sobbing wracks his body as he heaves for air, and in the moment he thinks he's going to puke or choke or worse. 

Dizziness creeps in as he weeps. His face will be slightly swollen tomorrow. Nothing he could do about it now. His mother, his sister…he wants to pray they're alive but he feels like it's selfish to want them when they'd only be suffering out in the West Ward. He doesn't dare hope they're safe. He tells himself this. At least his father was finally resting…at least…

He chokes again, the memory of finding his father too much to bear. He rubs his eyes as if to wipe away the memory, and it retreats for now. Finally calming down, Sero listens to the quietness of the room, trying to relax enough to where he felt like he could melt into the darkness. His breathing evens out and the snot finally stops running. His eyes have adjusted, so he slowly sits up and grabs a tissue, wiping his face and nose. 

His father had been out looking for food. He hadn't been back. Sero had to eat something. He set out. He found his father. He buried him instead of finding food.

He'd either die to the demons surrounding the area or that agency MEIA would find him. Either way, he'd bury as many demons as possible to fill the newly punched void in his heart.

For a moment he just sits there on the edge of his bed, staring at his fingers and observing the paleness of his skin that he could see just a bit of in the dark. 

He kept it dark in his sniper nest. Dark for the practical purpose of never being found by the enemy, but also for the feeling it gave him of immersing his body in the very darkness he fought. He wondered if their blood would mask his own scent but decided against it. No sense in infecting himself.

Sero sighs and looks to the foot of his bed, his father's rifle resting in the crook of the bed and the wall. MEIA had to let him keep his gun considering he claimed it as his birthright since his father was now gone. He didn't care if they took the ammo. That's not what he wanted it for anyway. Not anymore. 

CR-AACK! The demon doesn't know what hit them, only that their chest just exploded into a million scraps of meat and fragments of bone. Sero's ears are ringing despite the cloth stuck in them. He breathes in again, calm.

He grabs it, letting his hand glide over the smooth wood of the old but reliable Remington, the weight comforting in his hands. His fingers find the eight tally marks he'd carved in the butt of the rifle during his week of hell, and he felt disappointed in himself for marring his connection to his father. He hadn't been in his right mind at the time, he tells himself.

A sharp rock against the smooth finish of the gun helps him keep track. It will also tell whoever finds him how well he fought.

He remembers that week in parts, floating from one event to another in between the long stretches of nothing but silence and starvation. He doesn't remember the pain, just a warmth in his chest that wasn't comforting. The rest of his body, including his mind, was cold. Calculating. Like a machine he was piloting instead of the body he inhabited. There had been a distance to him. There was Sero, a scared young man, behind a pane of glass, as the Wraith controlled his body, only concerned about the mission. About revenge and staying alive to spite them all. 

He crept down onto the street, spray paint in hand as he held a cloth over his mouth to prevent the gagging from the blood and rotting bodies that had been in the sun a few days. He creeps between the piles of gore to the warning he'd left on the street:

ME: IIII | YOU: 0

He marks a fifth tally before retreating back up to the church bell tower to catch some semblance of sleep before dawn.

He imagines that part of him was somehow the person his father had raised, free of emotion and mistakes and instead filled with a quiet and controlled rage that would do whatever it took to enact his revenge. Bright determination of the human spirit that kept him from crossing over.

He doesn't have long. A small group of more intelligent looking demons has found his handiwork. He'd watched them through his binoculars, cursing the fact that they weren't at the right angle for his gun to make their heads explode. They leave, but they'll be back.

Sero knows he has to confront this part of him if he ever hopes to never fall and become a demon, but part of him feels that if it truly was that, he would have fallen already. He wonders if that part of him has actually kept him from drowning in despair.

Someone was on the street. Someone not emitting a dark cloud of negative energy around them. The paranoid part of him thinks it's some sort of trick on the demons' part, but his logic wins out when he doesn't spot any black markings on the human. 

They're slowly examining Sero's mess, and he allows a sliver of hope into his heart as they begin to scan the rooftops. Sero scrambles for his scrap of a broken mirror, shoving it out into the light and shaking it, making it blink rapidly. The person sees it and heads in his direction, and Sero can finally see that they're definitely wearing MEIA garb. He slumps against the wall in relief, feeling suddenly tired. His vision begins to swim a little and as he waits. He feels himself come back into his body. Pain and exhaustion bloom rapidly. The agent named Sol opens the hatch to the bell tower.

"Took you guys long enough." 

He smiles weakly before finally, blissfully, passing out.

He sighs, putting the rifle away. He's too tired for this. Maybe he'll actually sleep tonight. 

He pauses for a moment, considering his next actions before reaching under his bed and retrieving his old backpack from out in the ward. It was barely strung together with scraps, but held onto life in a way Sero admired.

He crawled into bed proper, clutching the bag to his chest, feeling the scent of his family, his home, wash over him. His body finally relaxes as a wave of calm comes over him. He closes his swollen eyes and eventually drifts into unconsciousness.