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[othersideofthebladecampaign]

Session 84: Call Lightning

Why was it ALWAYS the FUCKING HUMAN FACED DOGS.

They’d spotted a pack of them attacking a caravan behind them, and while Hayate had the initial impulse to just... Leave them...

That wasn’t an option. An agreement to help them, shots fired, attracting their attention, and they’d booked it on their bikes to the top of the mountain, setting up a near barricade to prepare for the oncoming hoard.

He was sick of these fucking things... The baying and howling of the Yeth Hounds grew louder and louder, spells and guns being readied.

Glancing up at the rolling blue and red stormy sky, Hayate felt a spark in his chest as the wind began to pick up. Putting his shotgun away, he straightened up, closing his eyes, one hand held in front of his face, two fingers extended, the other held in front of his chest as he felt more carefully for that spark.

Something primeval and ancient coiling its way round.

Guns clicking in preparation to fire.

Ba-dum. A sensation both familiar, and a stranger.

Oriz and Kirin’s vocal components entering the air as they readied their magic.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. A breath of magic infused into his very blood resonating with that spark, once, twice, until the spark began to match his heartbeat.

The Yeth Hounds grew louder still, their voices unholy wails and screams of the demon scouts.

Ba-dum. Ba-dum. Ba-dum.

Lightning crackled, sparkling to life in time with his heartbeat, rolling around his fingers, the aberrant sky above starting to pulse in response, the rolling clouds beginning to twist and warp with static.

A voice of rolling thunder in his mind, in his soul, chuckling lowly “What spirit, Little Storm,”

Hayate scarcely had a moment to process what, or who, that was before the baying was upon them.

His eyes snapped open, lightning sparking from his pupils as he fell into a set of motions he didn’t remember ever being taught, drawing his fingers through the air, static filling the space around him.

“Shinu.” He spoke one word, lifting his fingers to the sky, lightning arcing up, the sky erupting into sparks and flashes of light, illuminating the swarm of Yeth Hounds flying in.

And in the blink of an eye later the sky crashed down with a thunderous roar as the shape of Ryuu took form in the clouds, opening his maw with lightning blazing from his throat into the bodies of over half of the approaching horrors, those struck first dropping from the sky like flies into smouldering, wailing heaps.

Hayate’s breath had been held until then, leaving him in an exhausted gasp as fatigue snapped into his muscles. But they weren’t done yet.

Guns went off, spells flew into the air, and swords gleamed as they launched forward to finish the stragglers off.

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

dragon tea kettle. if you even care.

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

take his ass to the timeloop

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

the horrors are endless. but we stay silly :3

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

req'd by @sarang-archer

who tf is cathy

text: Cathapocalypticcore

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

you people will see a character in desperate need of therapy and go "i'm going to give them more horrors"

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

it’s because you’re always in that damn time loop

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

Session 74: A Confession of Fear

An entry from a thick, leather journal tucked away in the shoulder bag of Wallace Bones:

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?

I'm finding myself at a bit of a loss for where to start this time, but in the sense of there just being…so much. A lot has been happening. Although I suppose that in and of itself isn't much of a surprise. It's par for the course.

But at the core of it all, I'm unsure about this plane. We've been here before, but I'd like to say I dislike it even more this time. It's all a little overwhelming for me.

I've never been one for very big cities, but this place seems to bring out that fear in a very similar way to Vaguess. It's crowded and anonymous yet at the same time, we've been under almost constant scrutiny of others. Even our contact feels more like she's observing us rather than simply interacting as an acquaintance. 

It certainly doesn't help that the Warden managed to so thoroughly convince Kirin that they were to be trusted. Who's to say that whatever mind tricks they fell prone to won't strike again in the future? We didn't even know about this effect until it was too late to do anything on our own. Oriz made a deal with Khonsu and Deoch, and the thought of whatever might be requested of him as payment down the line worries me more than I can express in only a few words.

I've scarcely felt safe while we stay in this plane. And as much as I dislike saying it…even Absolus is starting to feel unsafe. I don't experience the same amount of trust for them as I once did. Something isn't right about them, and this place is letting it show. Perhaps the details aren't lining up as well at this angle.

How ironic is it that I'm beginning to trust the Eel more than the Eagle?

I knew something had felt wrong when I…when I fell. I was scared though, and I wanted familiarity, so I stayed with them. I still am scared, to be quite honest. Is that a bad thing for me to admit, given the job we do? I think some amount of fear is healthy, but it drags on and on, and it's exhausting. Pardon the unintentional play on words, but I can feel the tiredness in my bones. 

I want those I love to be safe with me, but all of this uncertainty in everything we do puts that in such immense jeopardy. 

Is safety even possible anymore?

Something is messily crossed out here, now illegible

We have to encounter the fae again–willingly, this time. I would do everything in my power not to return to that place again, but as usual, we have very little choice. It has to be done, and whatever suffering we experience will simply happen.

I'm going to warn the others and hope that they listen and take my advice to heart. I'm not sure I want to talk about what I saw with them though, as much as it would probably help to understand what we'll be walking into. I don't think I've had a chance to process it enough yet. 

This will remain a secret between you and I, but when it's quiet...I think I can still hear the clock in that room.

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

Session 73: Reflections

"...You offered to kill my mom, right?" Hayate asked Terrance, staring down into the city streets below, watching the way the lights and vehicles flickered and weaved. It gave him a wave of relief, seeing similar buildings, similar words and people he remembered from home. Yet, paired with the crushing wave of nausea at the thought of who he’d see if he ever went back.

He exhaled heavily trying to find the right words, "...I might be ready to pick up on that offer."

Terrance seemed to hesitate before replying, "I don't mean to sound crass, but... Any particular way you want it done? Like... Shot to the head, eyes gouged out, tortured, throttled, waterboarded, boiled alive... Lot of things you can do."

"I don't fucking think there's a way that's good enough to fucking get rid of her. There's not a way that would pay back everything she's done." He shook his head, draining the last of the sake from the can and putting it to the side before drawing one knee to his chest and hugging it.

"Well, uh, there's a couple ways. Stocks, using shell companies, defame, frame it as an accident, get rid of the entire board of directors, assign a complete and utter total idiot to her place that ruins everything the company stood for... Plenty of ways."

He wished hearing all the things that could be done to her brought him any kind of relief. It just made him afraid of what would happen if it failed. What she would do. Who she would hurt. But he couldn’t- Sitting here felt worse. Doing nothing, felt worse. "...I don't think I fucking care as long as she falls from grace. If I had my fucking way, she'd just be forgotten, that would be it. Just- She'd just- Get to be nothing and live with that existence that- and I- That- Can't fucking happen."

If only she could get the chance to live through what he had, exactly as he had, so she’d know how much it fucked him up. How much it crushed him every time he tried, to the point of nearly killing himself to try and make her happy for once in his life, how terrified he was every time she loomed over him, that he knew if she wanted, she could kill him with barely any effort, and yet for some reason, she didn’t. He dug his claws into the fabric of his pants, feeling the threads start to give under the pressure. "I want to see her die so fucking badly, she wanted me killed, she PAID for me to be killed- But... It's not fucking good enough- And I don't know what to fucking do-"

Hot tears started to well up in his eyes, and he tried his hardest to shove them back, so he wasn’t even more of a wreck.

"I mean... We'll get back there eventually. If not through... That strange arcane- I don't think it was even arcane, just pure time jump- Uh... Then maybe back there on purpose. But, in the meantime, scheme, plan, make allies, prep, or just... Live to spite," Terrance paused, and Hayate could feel the weight of him watching him, "cause at the end of the day... She is just one person. An awful, horrible person by your accounts, but... Something's gonna happen to her, be it us, or someone else. That I can say pretty firmly."

How, was the first thing his mind spat back. Nothing ever happened to her. No one could ever touch her. He’d seen how those in political positions, entertainment positions, common folk, tried to do something to her. Only to disappear and never be seen again. That was the most merciful option.

"That's really fucking hard for me to comprehend completely, that's not- That's not what I've ever experienced, she's- She's fucking untouchable, every single time, you can't- Fucking do anything against her!" He shivered, fighting back the tears. "E-Even if we're going back to her-" He gives a harsh laugh, his tone cold.

"We're going to go back there at some point, which means we're going to see her and there's a part of me that wants to just rip her into pieces, but there's the other part of me that knows DAMN well if I end up standing up in front of her again, I'm going to just fucking crumble because that's what's always happened and I can never- Ever- Stand up for myself against her." His voice wavers, flashes of cold blue and bared fangs crossing his vision before he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will them away.

"I mean fucking look at me now, I'm a fucking wreck just from- Just from knowing that she paid to have me killed and like a part of me knew that she wanted me dead- HELL, she told me it from her mouth that she wished that I was dead. And- I- But I'm still fucking just falling into pieces wishing- That she was right- And- I do wish that she was right and that I didn't fucking exist at this point."

The rooftop fell silent, Hayate choking back the tears and sniffles, shoulders shaking. Pull it together. Pull it together. What a fucking disgrace he was right now. His fingertips burned at the thought, the kanji seared into his skin rising to prominence alongside the scar marring his back.

It took time before Terrance spoke again, voice soft, but matter of fact,"...Alright, so there's goin' to be no hard feelings, but I gotta ask you something."

Hayate can only manage a small noise of acknowledgement, his voice starting to fail him no matter how much he wanted to try and say something back. He could hear the critiques from his mother and brothers when he wasn’t ever able to talk echoing in his ears, and a part of him was tensed, waiting for Terrance to join their words.

"Who's opinion matters more to you? Her's or mine?"

That small part of him fearing that outcome was wiped away, giving him a small amount of relief. It took him longer to reply, trying to work up the words in his throat before he was able to croak out between sniffles, "Your's... Your's matters more... I just hear her in my head constantly..."

"She's not psychic…” Terrance murmured for a moment, “Oh. Right... I mean... She's wrong, like- Just fundamentally, if you didn't matter, why were you chosen to fall down if you didn't matter? Why did a whole fucking snake god pick you up, hm?"

Hayate didn’t have an answer for him. His mother would have- She… She would find an excuse to say why his achievements were worthless, whatever they were, that nothing he did mattered. That’s what she always did. Maybe he fell because he was just clumsy, that it was another accident he caused. Maybe it was just because Vasuki was desperate, and just took the first body that they found.

"If you didn't matter, why do I have this band around my horn?"

His breath caught, swallowing thickly. For once, his mother’s voice was silent in his head. There wasn’t a response from her about it. "I don't know." His voice broke to a whisper, thick with tears.

"You matter… So much in ways I can't fully begin to express, be it my own ineptitude or just personal failing of language." Terrance offered, and Hayate curled in more on himself, trying to steady his breathing, unsure of what emotions the words were stirring in his chest.

The most he could form was that it was positive. Relief, maybe. A small flicker of Ryuu in the back of his mind reassuring him that this was the right way to feel.

"... I don't think I have the right words right now... But thank you." He quietly replied, the words muffling his mother’s for the moment at least.

He heard Terrance moving closer behind him, and felt his arms wrap around him into a hug. That was the thing that broke his last strand keeping him tied together, and he just collapsed into Terrance’s arms, the tears finally flowing freely in heavy, breathless sobs.

He barely registered Terrance pulling him away from the edge of the roof, holding onto him and letting him cry freely.

Hayate didn’t know how long he cried, only that the tears at some point managed to slow, his mother and brothers quieted down to harsh whispers in the back of his mind, mixed with small growls from Ryuu, maybe trying to fight them off.

It took him time to find his words again, trying a few times and getting nothing, "This is... This is going to... I don't fucking-” He swallowed down the fragmented words for a moment, taking a deep breath, “This is stupid to ask but... Can I use your last name. Just for now. I know we're not married yet but- I don't want to be associated with her." He weakly asked.

He could barely do anything about his eyes, his hair, his sword, and people who knew the Arashi would still recognize him, not without permanent changes to avoid that. But… His mother was the one who threw him out, who wanted Arashi no Hayate dead. She was the one who threw him out, and a petty part of himself thought that it was only fair he threw her name away.

"Yeah, you can have it partner," Terrance replied back.

"Thank you..." Hayate sniffled. He couldn’t go back to the party yet. He already felt so weak, so fucking broken to pieces he wanted at least to try putting some parts back together.

He chose to stay curled up in Terrance’s arms, staring off the roof into the city lights, at least just for a few more hours. Until he could get back up on his feet like he always did… At least he wouldn’t be getting up alone.

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

a lot of my buddies are playthings for the gods. not me though

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

WEEWOOWEEWOO ONE OF OUR COWBOYS GOT KIDNAPPED

THE FUCKING ASSASSIN THAT’S BEEN AFTER HAYATE FOR LIKE 30 SESSIONS KIDNAPPED TERRANCE TO GET HAYATE ALONE AND ITS WORKING WEEWOO WEEWOO

he was not subtle about chasing him he went straight up through the roof in the middle of a crowded party to chase after them :’)))

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

Session 67-71: haha short

OOP been meaning to upload these, but anyway long story short: we returned to Necropolis and plane 8! However there were people we really didn’t want to recognize us, so we all got new disguises, AND outfits, including Hayate going down to fucking 5′5″ so hes TINY and everyone including him is Not Used To It.

Though 6″ heels are helping and puts him closer to 5′11″, but there were some close calls with some party members trying to poke fun at his height (see Bones and Oriz), that they quickly took back.

He’s still very pretty even if he is stupid short compared to Terrance now.

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

I made a mothperson disguise for my ttrpg character in the @othersideofthebladecampaign, Kirin. Design is based off a southern flannel moth. thank you gn

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

HOT SINGLES DOOMED BY THE NARRATIVE IN YOUR AREA!!!!!!!!! CLICK NOW!!!

[othersideofthebladecampaign]

“Blorbo from my shows” this, “blorbo from my videogames” that. What about “blorbo from my DnD game” that only three other people know. Do you ever think about that-