#but ive wanted one of the beast skills for him for a while

[kwc-verlucrey]

Veronica update

My Limstella and Reyson recently found units to eat too... No it doesn't make them any easier to use against meta units

[that-sudsy]

Sudsy: TF141 AU angst werewolf

Sheriff’s Howl

Pairing: Simon Riley x Reader

You live in a small town, having moved there from the city in search of the quiet countryside you had always dreamed of. Since your arrival, your backlog of tasks has slowly begun to dwindle, and your learning curve has been sharper than you ever anticipated. You’ve taught yourself various skills you never thought you’d actually master.

The small town features a cozy bar and a sheriff's office, creating a picturesque setting that feels like home. You own a small stall next to your neighbor's bookstore, where you sell your homegrown tomatoes and lovingly crocheted blankets.

Every morning at exactly 9 AM, he passes by—Simon Riley, the town sheriff. He greets you with a tip of his cowboy hat and a wink, his blonde hair glistening in the sunlight, and his smile igniting a flurry of butterflies in your stomach.

No matter how much you try to deny it, you have fallen for Simon. His charm has captivated you, and you’ve been dating for a while now. Each morning, you bring him a sandwich, and he brings you a steaming cup of hot chocolate. You share your plans for the day, basking in the warmth of each other’s company.

But one day, the routine is shattered. As you arrange your basket of fresh vegetables, you notice not Simon, but the local ambulance speeding past. A knot of worry tightens in your stomach. You rush to your neighbor, Price, who is engrossed in a book at the bookstore. (He's also the local history teacher at the elementary school)

“Hey, Price, have you seen Simon?” you ask, your voice tinged with concern.

He looks up, brow furrowed. “Oh, I heard he was dealing with a report duty in the woods.”

“What kind of report duty?” you inquire, anxiety creeping into your voice.

“Oh, you know, those sightings of a beast. I bet it’s just another false alarm,” he replies dismissively.

You’ve heard the rumors before, but never thought they could be serious. Thanking Price, you return to your stall, your mind racing. What if it was true? What if there was a real emergency?

As you ponder this, you spot Phillip Graves, your other neighbor known for his wild theories about werewolves. He walks by, a bag slung over his shoulder, and you can’t help but feel a chill run down your spine.

Later that day, Rodolfo, the local vet, stops by your stall to buy tomatoes and potatoes.

“Have you heard?” he asks, his voice low.

“Heard what?” you reply, your heart pounding.

“The sheriff was taken to the hospital because he was attacked by something huge.”

Your blood runs cold. “Simon?”

Rodolfo nods gravely. “Yep.”

Panic surges through you. What if he’s suffering? What if he needs someone by his side? Without a second thought, you remove your apron and shout to Rodolfo as you ran to your truck “Watch my stall for me!”

Fifteen minutes later, you arrive at the hospital, your heart racing. You find Simon lying in a hospital bed, an IV drip attached to his arm, bandages covering scratches on his handsome face and torso. You rush to his side, your voice trembling with worry “Oh, Simon…”

*Five Months Later*

You and Simon decide to have a little cookout in your backyard, finally stringing up those fairy lights that cast a warm glow over the space. The fire pit crackles, and Simon stands by the grill, flipping patties while you set the table.

But you’ve noticed a change in him since the incident. He’s more sensitive, more on edge, and the carefree smile you once adored seems to have faded. You want to help him relax, to bring back the joy you once shared.

As you sit beside him, passing a bottle of whiskey between your hands, you speak softly, “Simon, there’s something different about you lately. Since that accident…”

He hesitates, his gaze fixed on the ground. “What do you mean?”

“You’ve been… different. More sensitive, quite.... more angry than usual,” you say carefully, not wanting to push him.

He looks at you, a deep sigh escaping his lips as he opens and closes his hand, revealing scars that snake up his arm and across his chest.

“Ever since the attack, I’ve never felt right. I feel… painfully different. I can smell things from a mile away. I see in the dark, and my gums hurt when I eat something soft. I don’t know what’s happening to me,” he admits, his eyes filled with sadness and worry.

“I get headaches and body aches like never before, doll,” he adds, standing to tend to the meat.

You wish you could take his pain away, but how? You rise and wrap your arms around him from behind, whispering soothing words and planting gentle kisses on his shoulder. You both enjoy dinner together, the warmth of the fire and the food momentarily easing the tension in the air.

As the moon rises high, casting a silvery glow over your backyard, you settle into a comfortable silence, the crackling of the fire the only sound breaking the stillness. You don’t know it yet, but the “wolf” that has been the subject of so many rumors is no ordinary beast. The bite Simon received that fateful day has cursed him, marking him as one of the cursed kind—a werewolf. Tonight, under the full moon’s relentless gaze, the transformation will begin.

You’re deep in conversation when Simon suddenly pauses, his breath hitching as he grips the edge of the table. A low, primal growl reverberates through the woods, sending chills down your spine. Simon's body goes rigid, his breath becoming ragged, echoing the sounds of a wild animal. You watch in horror as claws extend from his fingertips, teeth elongate into deadly points, and his eyes glow with an eerie yellow light.

“Simon!” you gasp, your heart racing as you struggle to comprehend the surreal sight unfolding before you.

Tears well in your eyes, disbelief washing over you as you witness the man you love transforming into something unrecognizable. The warmth of the evening is replaced by a chilling realization that the world you thought you knew is about to change forever.

The werewolf snapped at you as you flinched in shock before it Howled to the moon and ran away, you were trembling in fear and disbelief what you just saw.

The town is soon tormented by chaos, flames licking at the edges of the forest as the men of the town—including Phillip Graves, the hunter; Sheriff Johnny MacTavish; the vet Rodolfo Parra; the store owner and history teacher John Price; and the town's doctor Kyle���form a search team to hunt down the beast. They are ready to take it down and end it. They didn't know it was their friend. Since the monster it's self doednt recognize them.

You, on the other hand, are running after them, desperate to explain that the werewolf isn’t just a monster; it is Simon.

Screams echo through the night as you dash along the road. Just as you begin to lose track of where they are, you hear a group of people groaning in struggle and yelling, compelling you to sprint toward the source of the commotion.

In the heart of the forest, you see the werewolf tossing and swatting people aside as Phillip shoots a tranquilizer dart at the creature. The other men pull ropes, attempting to pin the beast down.

“No! That’s Simon!” you scream, but Sheriff John MacTavish holds you back.

“No, it’s a monster out of our control. He isn’t Simon,” he insists.

“No! I saw it with my own eyes! That’s Simon! He just needs help!” you struggle against his grip, tears streaming down your face as fear grips your heart.

As if on cue, the moonlight is suddenly obscured by clouds, causing the werewolf to groan and shrink, shedding skin and fur as it cracks its limbs back to human size before the astonished eyes of the townsfolk.

“Impossible,” someone mutters, probably Rodolfo.

Simon is back, curled up in a kneeling position, bare and bruised, sweat glistening on his body, fresh cuts and scrapes visible. He looks at the men surrounding him, weapons drawn and ready to fire.

He raises his hands in a gesture of surrender. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Please, get back! I can’t control it!” he pleads, struggling against the tension in his muscles, as if he is fighting against an invisible weight.

But everyone is too slow to react. The moonlight breaks through the clouds, shining down on Simon and triggering his transformation once more. The werewolf roars, swatting away anyone in its path, drowning out your desperate cries.

As Alejandro fires a shot that hits the werewolf in the chest, it bleeds before dashing away into the darkness. You race after him, grabbing one of the guns Phillip had distributed, while Johnny, the sheriff, tries to calm the panicked crowd.

You don’t wait for backup; you venture into the woods alone, following the sounds of the chaos. The darkness envelops you, but you press on, determined to find Simon. You can hear the werewolf moving around you, its growls echoing through the trees. Suddenly, it charges toward you, and you barely dodge its massive form, but it swats you aside, sending you crashing against the hard trunk of a tree. Pain radiates through your body, but you refuse to give up. You need to know if there is still hope for Simon.

After what feels like an eternity of searching, you finally spot him by the river, bloodied and in pain. As you approach, you step on a twig, causing him to turn his gaze toward you.

“Please don’t come near me. I’m a monster. I’ll hurt you,” he warns, his voice laced with desperation.

But you are too stubborn to listen. You keep moving forward, closing the distance between you. “That wasn’t you" you insist.

“I can’t control it! It has hunger and thirst. Please, just end this before I hurt more people and make me suffer. Please,” he begs, his eyes filled with anguish.

You feel your heart shatter at his words, knowing what he is asking of you. You can’t do it.

He whispers your name, “Silver bullet would help. Please,” he pleads, looking at you with those beautiful blue eyes you love so much.

You opened your mouth but no voice would come out, he interrupted you with a whisper “There’s no cure! There’s no way! I can’t control it!”

“Please, baby. End my suffering. It hurts. I don’t want to hurt you,” he implores, his voice breaking.

“No! There has to be a way! Maybe I can cage you or… or find a cure! Please, Simon, don’t leave me! Don’t make me do this! Not like this...theres still hope” you sob, holding the rifle tightly not wanting to give it to him. Because you don't want to believe that there's no hope

He looks at you, and for a moment, you see the man you love before the moonlight shines down on him again. You can see the veins and skin ripping as he transforms, but in a moment of desperation, you pull the trigger. The echo of the gunshot reverberates through the woods, and you drop the rifle, collapsing to your knees, sobbing as you crawl to Simon’s body.

You pull him into your lap, holding him close. “Simon,” you cry into his blonde hair, which still smells like mint. You loved him, and now he’s gone. You hold him as if letting go would make him disappear.

“Simon, I’m so sorry,” you weep. “I love you.” You use your sleeve to wipe the blood from his delicate face, feeling his warmth fading away. You hold him tighter, desperate to keep him with you.

As the sound of sirens approaches, the first cop cars arrive at the scene. Sheriff John MacTavish is the first to step out of the truck, removing his cowboy hat in shock.

“Oh no,” he breathes.

“Get the stretcher!” someone yells in the background.

The lights flicker and blare red and blue as you hold Simon’s lifeless body. The first werewolf case, the one that bit Simon, remains unsolved. But would you ever find closure? Since then, Simon’s case has been dubbed the Sheriff’s Howl. Why? Because there’s a pattern—

[sadisthetic]

hi. this is my dnd character for toonkind dnd that i first made 7 years ago that ive recycled twice now because i wanted to finally play an ongoing campaign with him. for his third life, not only did i give him a design update, hes also has undergone a MAJOR overhaul in terms of personality and backstory tho i kept some bare basics the same (human ranger with urchin background who LOVES swords and knifes A LOT. and that he has an ambiguous age) the overhaul includes the isekai. and that hes a cunt now. but hes funnier now too lol.

im adding some more details and trivia about him under the readmore

so like if it isnt obvious the double isekai is meant to mirror the fact that i fucking played with him in 3 separate campaigns now. its part of him metatextually now lol. he was such a different guy tho. an EXTREMELY LOYAL guy. now hes significantly more selfish. and rude as hell. but hes not that to be mean or malicious. hes actually a pretty nice guy hes just extremely inconsiderate bc he prioritizes his own wellbeing most of the time. its how he had to grow up

copy pasting this tweet i wrote about him "blade at 15 was a guy that shouldve been playing halo while drinking monster but instead hes a guy stealing apples and eating mushrooms off tree bark. miraculously few instances of poisoning all things considered"

he wouldve been a fucking gamer otaku fr. he got isekaied in the mid 2000s and as a kid he fucking LOVED watching dragonball on saturday mornings. if he got to be a teen on earth, he would eventually found the anime and gaming subcommunities online BUT ALAS. he grew up trying to catch fish with his bare hands. or at least he did until he gave up quick and ate weeds.

also. despite the hardships. hes like. fine? somethings wrong with him. but its not trauma. he didnt mourn his parents much although its not like he couldve done anything with their freshly isekaied corpses when immediately hes being chased by fucking beasts. its okay they were like b-tier parents. (hes definitely not a normal person.)

he wandered the woods trying his best to survive alone and in spite of everything trying to kill him (including the shit he ate...) he ended up in a nearby(?) town and things got a bit easier after that. because he could fucking steal to eat real food now. he stayed in the woods on the outskirts of town bc no one showed grace to a thief and just dropped in every so often to swipe shit. steadily he learned forage (through sheer trial and error)

he was highkey a menace. but eventually in his late teens, a traveling party gave him an idea to like fucking. get a job. as something. he managed to make it work as a ranger/guide for hire

he fucking loves booze. he absolutely underage drank. when he could steal it. and later pay for it. and also even though he could pay for things as an adult, he still steals shit if he thinks he can get away w it (he has an absurdly (or at least pretty) high sleight of hand stat)

before he got isekai'd a second time, went through a CATASTROPHIC DIVORCE with an elf woman who he met in an expedition party who became enamored with him after he saved her life. the uh. fallout happened bc blade didnt realize (and still hasnt realized) that hes kinda aro (fundamentally did not understand her romantic intentions and thought she was just a friend wanted to hang out w him a lot. those were dates.) and his ex didnt realize how onesided it was bc she was so love with him. geez.

also. he was from arizona. hes half white half mexican. but with all the time spent not speaking spanish in a different fucking world, it made any spanish speaking skills he had atrophy to hell. it happens and it was bound to happen bc he was so young and had like no reason or opportunity to practice.

also he chose his name. he hated his lame ass name so much he was like "wait. i dont have to use it anymore." but he was 13 fucking years old. anyways he thought blade sounded cool for a name. knifedad happened later when he got his first knife. he still had a bad naming sense. he was 14.

also although his ethics are kinda wack, whats important to note is that he ultimately doesnt want anyone to like. die. its like his policy. save people that he can while trying his best to not die himself

he also has a soft spot for kids. whether hed bc a good dad is debatable but like. i think hed be a nice one

most important note: his longsword is named Darla, his dagger is named Samantha, the knife in his pack is named Nicky, and his newly acquired strange glowy sword is named lucia, and he wants a cool greatsword very very very fucking bad

i drew him in his under clothing also so that i could have a better sense for his body type when i designed his new outfit im adding it here too. he has a shitton of scars bc hes the type that pisses ppl off that they wanna shank him and also he routinely eats shit a lot. a lot of the scars in this sketch are pretty random except for one specific injury for a certain backstory event i have in mind

[scuderiacanucks]

mysie/quinn fast food omg?????

actually this is my newest wip! @contestingpoise and i hashed the idea of it out last night. basically. quinn is Generic Fast Food Restaurant manager and tyler is his loyal underling. who reallllly wants to fuck him. and. youve seen photos you know how insane that size difference is. delicious stuff. and like. oh im not weird and crazy about my very tall coworker no i just like that he reaches things for me and drives me home and calls me captain and will do anything for me. You Know. The Vibes. also lekki is there. and dpetey! and soucy and the whole gang basically

a longish snippet because ive been writing this for the past few hours and its eating me alive:

Tyler parallel-parks his 90s Civic with creativity, if not necessarily skill. Quinn holds his fingers out to the blasting hot air for a few more seconds, then turns to thank him one last time for the ride. 

The words kind of die on his lips, because Tyler is sitting there, folded neatly into his seat, smiling at him. Warm. Some part of Quinn’s exhaustion-addled brain thinks the best thing to do would be to climb right over the gearstick and curl up in Tyler’s lap and, like, take a nap. Tyler probably wouldn’t mind. 

Instead, he clears his throat, says “ThanksfortherideTyler,” and climbs out while Tyler is saying things like any time and no problem, captain. 

Despite the general lack of sanity Quinn seems to be experiencing lately, it’s actually completely normal at work the next night. Quinn is thankful that Tyler seems to be unable to read minds, and hadn’t noticed his over-tired madman thoughts of the morning. He is not thankful that half the town wants to explore the full limits of the drive-thru menu. It’s almost five a.m. before he finally shoos Jake and Max onto their long-awaited breaks. 

Tyler is a beast. He slams sandwiches together like it’s an Olympic sport. At one point Quinn pokes his head into the kitchen to ask about a parked order, and Tyler is running both grills and the sandwich station on his own, a frazzled Jonathan scurrying around the fryers. 

“Conor’s calling his girlfriend,” Tyler says before Quinn can ask. “Apparently she’s like, giving birth?” 

[nutteu]

frame the picture pretty [Chapter IV]

-

[AO3 Chapter I] [AO3 Chapter II] [AO3 Chapter III] [AO3 Chapter IV] [Glossaries]

Corpse, on the different voices Sykkuno held, on the scars and marks on his body, on the echoes of his past. Or, alternatively: Sykkuno charmed a lot of people, and got enamored by a few in turn. “Where’s the shame in taking what you want, Corpse?”

-

There were blueprints scattered all over the big table in the workshop. Dream was sitting with his chair tipped dangerously close to the floor. Corpse thought, maybe the guy had a masochistic streak because he kept doing that even if Toast had snapped at him approximately three times since they had moved their discussion here. He was talking to Ash about the newest weapon upgrades Sykkuno had sent over two weeks ago—apparently, the recoil was too much on his shoulders even if the damage output was more than enough to make even an alpha stagger.

They were installing a proximity sensor, one that will notify the base with some sort of warning alarm each time there was someone close in the perimeter they would set. Sykkuno explained that the downfall would be the gathering for the materials, and the fact that it could make everyone jittery since people could just be passing by and the alarm would still blare, loudly.

“That’s the point, isn’t it?” Toast raised his eyebrows. “Eventually, people will know not to cross or scavenge too close to our base. It’s the threat and intimidation that is necessary.”

Sykkuno’s hand stopped scribbling on his notes, and looked up with a look in his eyes that stirred Corpse’s alpha. Here was the thing about Sykkuno that he had noticed over the time: he had too many different sides, and nearly all of them went unnoticed unless someone paid close attention to him. Corpse did. He was painfully aware of how he noticed every single little thing about Sykkuno, and while not many people knew what he was looking for, they noticed that he was looking. This had become an issue not only in their base, but also other places that had witnessed their interactions. They said, how it was so easy to tame the beast with gentle words and pretty smiles hidden beneath delicate fingers. When the whispers became too careless that even Sykkuno could hear it, he smiled ever so softly and Corpse smiled under his mask for the danger that was unbeknownst to them; so close to their throat it nearly touched it, so fluid and controlled that they wouldn’t even have the time to blink before their throats were cut open with those very same delicate fingers they had called out with mockery in their tones.

He wasn’t blind nor was he deaf. Living so long under his line of work, honing his instincts and skills to perfection, it had always been in Corpse’s nature to perceive everything faster, deeper, and acted accordingly in turn. He wouldn’t have his head attached to his shoulder for so long if he was careless, if he underestimated even one person that had ever crossed his way. It was only a matter of time to notice all the different voices Sykkuno used, all the different meanings in the downturned slant of his brown eyes that looked so forgiving, so harmless.

Sykkuno was anything but harmless. He was compassionate to a fault to people he cared for, but he was selective and almost obsessive in testing and turning people’s mind out for the sake of choosing the right person to take under his wing. Ash said, once bitten twice shy. She had never given a full disclosure of the event that led to this particular behavior, but it had something to do with his old clan, and his old work. Corpse had an inkling of them, but it was never clear enough to actually understand things in complete perspective.

“I was also a pawn, once upon a time,” was the only thing Sykkuno was willing to say about this matter. Corpse wisely shut his lips and put them on the skin above his collar bones instead as they lay side by side.

He wasn’t afraid of sharing what he had with people, but never without intentions. It might sound like he was insincere, but Sykkuno looked at Ash like she was the one who built the sky for him, and hugged Ludwig like he wanted nothing but keep him there until everything painful in this world was gone. He always meant well to people he decided to help, but it was always within his calculation and careful consideration. In this Island, where people didn’t have to wait for the radiation to kill them before they killed each other, it was more than needed in every step someone took. It was exhausting, and in several instances Sykkuno still slipped and let his bleeding heart showed its face, but Corpse understood the necessity.

Although mainly known for his stutters and gentle words, there were several different cadences to his voice. Sykkuno’s choice of words had always been so polite, painfully so. Corpse hadn’t heard him cursed even once. Rae was the one with the most intent on making Sykkuno curse. Maybe it was the fact that he seemed to be always considerate in expressing his opinion, maybe it was the way his voice became smaller at the trail when he was unsure, maybe it was the way his inflection made him sound like he was always hesitant. But Rae wanted to see what was hidden beneath his close lipped smile. The appeal of discovering something different was her main drive.

“It’s just like—“ She stopped, seemed to think it over, and then laughed heartily. “Do you remember convenient stores? Managers on pizza places? Or the customer service on the other line that is so hard to reach? He sounds like that. Like he’s talking to a customer. It’s nice and polite and calming and everything, because it is the intention: to pacify. I love Sykkuno and I will kill an army for him, but that voice frustrates me.”

It frustrated Corpse too, but it made him realize just how open, how trusting Sykkuno was to him because he had heard what Rae wanted all this time. Sykkuno was just too careful in letting people read what he meant between the lines, the lilt of his tones. Rae, of course, would find out later after she spent her years in J10, so close to Sykkuno’s heart, but Corpse knew this all since the first time Ash and Sykkuno took him in.

It also made him realize that Sykkuno had a type. Not exactly in a romantic nature as it was the choice of people he enjoyed their presence with, enough to let some of his other cadences to slip through his lips. Toast, was one of those people.

“A threat?” It wasn’t a question as much as a statement that he had thought over, just without the rose gold filter of warm hue and quite evening spent in silence. It was cold and downright unfeeling. “Why don’t we make it shoot on sight then? I can install some additional weapons on several vantage points.”

Toast, to his credit, didn’t even blink. It bothered Corpse that Toast seemed to be expecting certain sides of Sykkuno to show up, and wasn’t surprised in the slightest to all the differences he was presented with compared to the ones people usually saw. Almost like Toast was familiar with them, almost like he knew them already.

“It can also backfire and shoot people that we actually meant to let through,” he pointed out, inching closer to Sykkuno’s side. “We’re trying to warn people, not making an enemy out of every border.”

It was only now, when Sykkuno stood up to his full height without slouching, that Corpse was made even more aware of Toast’s and his height difference and their dynamic status. Kind, easily flustered Sykkuno was still an alpha made of experiences and prices he paid for his survival. On the other end of the table, Dream was watching the exchange with bated breath.

“That’s not a problem,” Sykkuno said, not even a hint of stutter. “You wouldn’t leave your base completely empty, would you Toast? The guards would have the control over the security system; keep them on their toes to know when to activate the kill on sight and when to let it be on warning alarm.”

Corpse moved along to his other side, not missing the slight glance from Toast before his attention was absorbed by Sykkuno again. The alpha’s posture was lax, but there was something in the coil of his shoulders, in the thrum of his fingers as they caressed the pen he was holding between his fingers. Corpse entertained the morbid imagination of Sykkuno stabbing Toast’s eye with it just to drive a point. Maybe he had the slightest fixation on stabbing Toast’s eye that he projected it to nearly every situation. Wasn’t exactly his fault that Toast grated his nerves. Toast held himself with an air of control and the sense that he knew what everyone didn’t, and judging by the way he acted around Sykkuno, Corpse was certain that he actually knew something. It would be the day hell froze over when Corpse willingly asked for it, however.

“What’s the difference in having no security system, then, if we still have to be the one holding the trigger?” he taunted.

Sykkuno tilted his head. The movement was curious and child-like, at odd end with his words. “The difference is the threat it imposes. You want the threat and intimidation, don’t you? People will not only know not to scavenge near your base lest they’ll be found out, they will also know the risk of being killed if they’re not careful. That even if you leave your base empty, there’s still going to be danger inside.”

“He’s crazy,” Dream whispered to Ash, who smiled thinly and nodded. She was used to this kind of Sykkuno—nearly all of them were. “I kind of like it,” he said again.

Sykkuno suddenly turned to him and smiled, a little bit bashful and red around the cheeks. “Thank you for the, uh, compliment, Dream.”

Maybe it was the juxtaposing turn of event and the whiplash from how fast Sykkuno shifted his gears that finally tipped Dream’s chair and sent him sprawling on the ground. Ash laughed and made no move to help him. Sykkuno’s eyes widened and he squeaked out a, “Dream! Oh my God, are you okay?”

“He’s okay,” Toast said, waving his hand as if waving the concern away. “He’s just stupid.”

“Hey, t-that’s not nice,” Sykkuno protested with a small frown.

Toast, true to his fashion, smiled with all teeth and slanted eyes. “What’s not nice, is your way of dealing with trespassers and intruders, Sykkuno.”

Sykkuno put down his pen, traced the blueprint of the security system with slow movement. “Isn’t that the point? Threats and intimidation don’t come hand in hand with kindness. The price of one’s life is always involved in the process.”

It was too intimate, Corpse thought, even if his voice was still cold and distant. He touched Sykkuno’s wrist, and wrapped his fingers around it when he looked at him. “No guns,” he decided for them. “Put out the words that it will shoot on sight. Toast already has enough reputation for the back-up of credibility.”

Sykkuno nodded, giving him a small smile and leaned into him as if they were alone. As if Toast wasn’t standing on his other side and giving them an assessing look. “Alright, we’ll get to it as soon as we have the materials. We can build it over here and give it to them to install. Is it alright with you, Toast?”

“I don’t think my voice is going to be considered in this matter at this point,” he shrugged, looking almost like he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to laugh or put Sykkuno under a microscope for intense scrutiny. “Do it your way, as long as the security system is working.”

“We’ll know firsthand if it’s not,” Ash piped up. She was right—everything Sykkuno made, they all tested it first.

Corpse and Rae tested his weapons, sometimes Ash joined along with them. While both the ex-mercs had numerous experiences with weapons, Ash had a knack for details. She also followed in Sykkuno’s footsteps of being absolutely merciless and cold at the strangest time. She wasn’t as well versed as Rae and Corpse, wasn’t as fluid and her movements weren’t as lethal; she hadn’t honed her body into the weapon itself, but she had no inhibition when something important was on the line and never bothered with moral in her cold efficiency.

Along with that, she tested the base and security system with Ludwig. He liked to joke around about his locksmith capabilities, but he could actually break into a base without anyone’s notice most of the time. It came with the price of corny jokes about unlocking people's heart, and Sykkuno would be the first one to cover his mouth and laughed like it was the best thing after pumpkin patches. Ludwig, strong, level-headed Ludwig with too much mercy and penchant to brighten the mood in the room, was fast on his track on nestling himself in Sykkuno's soft spot, as well as everyone else's. It seemed that his jokes held a truth in them as well— all the best jokes did. Jack worked on finer details of the system—whether it would be compatible, whether the system was too obvious for outsiders, whether that one clan was willing to let the opportunity of having one of the best security system in the land slip through their hands just because they were greedy, stubborn bastards who didn’t want to compromise. His accent and the way he slipped in threats under his jovial nature were what made him the right choice to handle over their allies and partners when it really came to business.

It was also a reminder that while Sykkuno always met them in person to give his offers of trades, he would only continue to talk in person with several chosen ones. The rest, Jack handled it as soon as Sykkuno was finished. Case on point, their current situation of handling Toast’s security system.

“We’ll have the materials ready by the end of this month,” Toast said. “That aside, my offer of staying at our base while you finish this still stands. Just humor me and say that you’ll think about it, Sykkuno.”

Sykkuno, even if his wrist was still in Corpse’s firm grip, their shoulders pressed close, still threw a shy smile at Toast and said, “I will think about it.”

There was also this thing about Sykkuno: he was always aware of what he was doing, even if he didn’t always know the result and consequences of his actions. But no one did, to be fair. There were always blind spots that couldn’t be seen by oneself; no matter how self-sufficient they were in covering it, no matter how hard they were bracing for the impact.

So Corpse knew that this wasn’t just Sykkuno being bashful or nice, this wasn’t some friendly conversation in-between business. This was Sykkuno knowing exactly the dance he was playing with Toast, and actively feeding the detached interest and curiosity Toast held over him. This was their version of circling around each other in a subtle imitation of an Alpha Challenge; the teasing smiles and mind games that they both seemed to enjoy. Toast didn’t look at Sykkuno the way those filthy, wretched bastards did, but he still had a clear desire to pick Sykkuno apart and analyze every single nook and cranny of his mind. For all his status as a beta, for the way he was so easy and pacifying in his every day’s interaction, Toast still stood his ground to whoever sat across him, calculating the risks and running through outcomes of certain decision in his head. In that regard, he was similar to Sykkuno. And in other regards, he was an alpha of his own caliber.

It made Corpse’s blood boil for a lot of different reasons. The exhilaration of seeing two people who knew their worth sizing each other up, ready to tear at each other’s throat. The excitement of seeing a side of Sykkuno that wasn’t all smiles and flowery fields in this radiation polluted Island. It all mingled with a desire to hold Sykkuno by his nape and bare his throat for everyone else to see, to know that it was Corpse whom he had allowed to be so close to his arteries, who had the right to put his scent and his hands on Sykkuno; the desire residing deep in his marrow to show Toast that he would obliterate him to pieces before he could even think about taming Sykkuno and his wild sides.

It still surprised Corpse of how much restraint he had to exert over himself in not keeping Sykkuno by his side and instead letting him have whatever he wanted to nurture with Toast. Unfortunately for him, even if he cut Toast down, it wouldn’t be the end of it. Toast wasn’t the only one who held Sykkuno’s attention and interest, wasn’t the only one who looked at Sykkuno and had the honor of having him returning the gaze steadily without hints of fluster and blushes.

Corpse unconsciously tightened his hold, and Sykkuno immediately turned to him. One of his hands came up to caress the side of Corpse’s jaw, eyes full of concern and mirth. “Are you okay?” he asked, inching closer and slotting into the edges of their bodies.

From the other side, Toast sighed and walked to where Dream was still sprawling on the floor. Apparently, he decided that the best place to watch the banter was from down there. Ash was comfortably talking about several ways to deal with the recoil of the new guns, and pointing out which muscle to train for so he would be ready if there were something similar in the future upgrades. She also, for some reason, told Dream to try shooting it at someone’s neck to see the spread of the bullet got into their nerves.

“By my prediction, it can actually go into someone’s eye and blind them if they happened to survive the initial impact!” she said, inappropriately excited for the topic. “Although the drawback is quite harsh on the body, it’s worth the exercise and mastery for the sight alone.”

“Noted,” Dream replied, also inappropriately responsive for such topic. “I’ll get to it when we’re back. It takes so long to make the bullets, though. Toast only allows me such little portion of magazines!”

“I’ll let you have more once you’re not toppling over from shooting it,” Toast replied with a flat face. “We're going, lovebirds over there won’t be finished soon. Let’s scram before they start eyefucking or something.”

Dream chuckled and hopped onto his feet. “They already are though? Like, all the time.”

Toast gathered his things, looking nonplussed and exasperated. “It’s almost disgusting if it’s not so inevitable. Maybe even more so because of it.”

Dream stole a glance at Corpse and Sykkuno, who were still whispering things to each other, bodies so close it almost felt dirty to intrude. Corpse was well aware of their attention, heard all of their words spoken as if they weren’t in the room together, but he had a hand on Sykkuno’s hip and Sykkuno was telling him about the progress of his newest plants. He sounded so endeared and Corpse could give zero fucks about them all as long as Sykkuno kept his hands on Corpse’s face, framing it so soft and warm.

“Awh, come on, look at them,” Dream said, gesturing to the two alphas on the other end of the workshop table. “They just have a really good chemistry!”

“No,” Toast said, despite him also looking on with an unreadable gaze in his eyes. “An issue is what they have. And they have loads, by the look of it.”

“I’ll show you out,” Ash cut in, grinning like she hadn’t seen something this entertaining in a while. It was probably not the closeness and the deliberate choice the alphas made to be so wrapped around each other’s presence. It was more of the way other people reacted to it that brought mirth to her eyes.

“They’re gone,” Corpse said in a low voice.

Sykkuno rubbed his thumb ever so softly on the edge of Corpse’s mask, and didn’t nod. “I’m aware,” he answered simply, his eyes never straying far from Corpse’s eyes, his face, like there was something incredibly magnetic there.

“Of course you are,” he laughed. “Including the way you were shamelessly flirting with Toast just a moment ago.”

The older man laughed along at that. “He’s—uh, how do I say it, um, he- he's an interesting one,” he admitted. “Very clever and unpredictable. He’s a great ally amongst all the partnerships.”

Corpse ground his thumb on the cradle of Sykkuno’s hip bone, and the alpha closed his eyes, lay his head on his shoulder with stuttered breath. “Make sure that an ally is all he is for.”

They could hear the rumble of Toast’s and Dream’s car outside, Ash’s loud goodbyes and Rae’s expletives because Toast probably taunted her on his way out. Corpse held Sykkuno close, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat and the whir of his mind under the floppy mop of hair. He would kill for this, he thought, feeling the warmth of closeness and undeniable trust put upon his hand. He would defy everything just to understand what exactly Sykkuno was to him.

“Sometimes I forgot that you’re so young still,” Sykkuno whispered. “So hot headed beneath the calm temperament, so arrogant under your certainty, still so full of blood lust despite wanting peace so bad that you’re willing to side over to some strangers in unknown land.”

Corpse stilled at that. It was rare that Sykkuno ever spoke those kinds of words to him, in the tone that revealed how much he adored Corpse, in the inflection that whispered a gentle mockery for something he held dear. This was an alpha in his arms; older, more experienced even if not as strong. He was very much capable of killing Corpse in this moment simply because he knew all of his tells, his movements, his strong suits and weaknesses, his thoughts and secrets. Sykkuno didn’t know everything, but he knew enough to bring Corpse down if he ever wanted to. Corpse would give a good fight and bring Sykkuno along with him to the deepest layer of hell if he ever did that, and they both knew it.

“I want to break your pretty neck every single time you talk like you wanted them to put their fingers on your skin,” he then said, facing the implicit challenge in Sykkuno’s words head on, proving the very thing he was stating. “On the other hand, I also want to stand aside and let you have your little games so I can see, so they can see. You’re not an innocent little rabbit inside, are you?”

No matter how soft he was to the touch, how pliant he was under his hands, this was still a predator in hiding. Sykkuno liked a certain number of people and let them see him simply because it felt good to be seen as what he was.

“I don’t know, am I?” he replied just as calm.

Corpse smiled against his temple, and decided that if Sykkuno ever issued a serious challenge to him, his pretty neck was the first thing he’d put his hands on. Choke him until he was gasping for air, leaving imprints of bruises and proofs that he could stand by Sykkuno's side, see him for who he really was, and still had the privilege of holding him by the end of the night.

As Ludwig entered the workshop, didn’t bat an eyelash at their position, and reported about some findings in the security system prototypes Sykkuno gave him last week, Corpse pulled him in for the last time and whispered, “Maybe you are.”

Sykkuno’s tinkling laugh followed him until he was outside; bright and knowing, something beautiful and a threat under the same breath.

-

For all the different sides that Sykkuno presented, and how freely he showed it to people at times, it was still hard to comprehend how people kept eating from Sykkuno’s hand and thought that he was something so pure and good.

“It’s like, Hades and Persephone, d’you know that mythology, Corpse?” Jack said one night.

Sykkuno was resting early because he had decided to learn how to fly a minicopter and promptly crashed and burned over the nearest bay. It almost gave them all a collective heart attack, though the alpha himself was busy laughing over how his body was pushing out of the water like a dolphin. He got a burn on his arm, and a lot of bruises all over his body. Corpse was about ready to murder someone before Sykkuno put a hand on his face and smiled like he didn’t just almost died if they didn’t crash over a body of water.

Ray C., a nomad that Corpse recognized only because he had seen him in the gambling house, was the one who taught him. He was badly bruised, but otherwise didn’t suffer from serious injury. He was a doctor, and had promptly taken care of Sykkuno’s burn and their minor injuries. He talked with calm, pleasant voice as he assured Sykkuno that it was okay, he didn’t need Sykkuno to replace the minicopter. He was well aware of the risk of them crashing, the main reason why he fly them near the bay. At least the water would absorb the impact better than solid ground. They were thankful that he happened to be a doctor, and a good pilot to boot, so he could minimize the accident by leaning to the front seat and steer them away from towers and into the water instead when it was clear that the copter had no choice but to crash.

Corpse didn’t have any problem with the guy—still didn’t, actually. But he also couldn’t stop himself from sitting next to Sykkuno as Ray treated his wounds. This was another person that Sykkuno spoke in different cadence to; a steady, almost detached inflection that always made Ray laughed whenever he suggested something outrageous or something that was so out of ordinary with the nice, flowery Sykkuno.

“Hey everyone, I’m Ray,” he said when they first met in the compound near the bay. It was his current camp, and Sykkuno and Corpse happened to have a business there. Rae was tagging along since Sykkuno had spread the news that she was under J10’s protection and was a part of the clan. It was easier now that people didn’t see her as a separate entity, was no longer in Scarra’s as his most known killing machine. They forgot that Sykkuno only said that Rae was theirs, but said nothing about her violent tendencies when it came to battles and disputes.

Maybe it was his calm, composed demeanor; maybe it was the slope of his broad shoulders and his charming smiles. Whatever it was, Sykkuno turned to look at him with an equally calm lines on his face and said, “Syanne, hit him with a rock.”

Syanne, because she was thoroughly charmed and only thought that Sykkuno was joking along, hit Ray with a rock on his arm. Sykkuno spluttered and said, “Oh my God! You actually did it?! I don’t know her—I don’t know her! Jesus—” but there was something else in his eyes, and the fact that he didn’t stutter out an apology was enough to raise suspicion to people who paid attention. Ray, strangely enough, let it happen with no more than a small chuckle as he rubbed over his arm.

Afterwards, every time they went there, Sykkuno would stand by Corpse’s side, talking amiably with the people there as he waited. Ray would come to him without fail, greeting him with the charming smile that fit so well on his kind face. Corpse would palm the knife hidden beneath his waistband and Rae would look at him like she was daring him to do something. He didn’t, for some reason. But then again, why would he? This wasn’t something new, and it was pretty entertaining to see distant affection and equal part contempt in Sykkuno’s face each time he talked to Ray, each time they moved closer together because Sykkuno wanted to see his equipment, wanted to know where else he had explored, wanted Ray to try lifting this and that, wanted him to teach Sykkuno how to fly the minicopter and didn’t feel an ounce of remorse as they crashed.

He only offered to replace the minicopter out of formality, Corpse realized. And the whole time they listened to the conversation between Ray and Sykkuno in the copter through the comm, there wasn’t the slightest softness like the way he handled Toast. It was detached, despite him continuously waiting for Ray to venture to him. He didn’t know exactly why, whether there was a history to them, but he knew that Sykkuno wasn’t out for Ray’s blood. He just enjoyed the possible danger that he presented, and Ray rolling with the punches and still came back to talk about mundane things such as whether Sykkuno actually wanted him to fire a shot over the random people they saw on the ground from the copter.

He looked at Jack and nodded. Ludwig was more versed with stories and literature, but Corpse wasn’t a complete imbecile in mythologies and historical references. He didn’t exactly remember all of them; no one did in this Island. But there were still traces of literature left and sometimes he had to learn them to understand certain codes and plans.

“Yeah,” he said, and threw some more twigs into the fire.

“People have always perceived Hades as this untouchable old god. But how can they not? Hades was the god of the soul realm, likened to a grim reaper, and his name is still used to refer to hell as well,” Jack explained. He munched on his food for a moment, trying his words out in his mind. “The widely known version of the myth is that Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her into the underworld where she essentially developed a Stockholm syndrome and ruled with him ‘til the end of time.”

He nodded, he was familiar with that part. He still didn’t know where Jack was heading with all this. But Jack rarely ever said something without a meaning to it when he had gone out of his way to explain in details. He jested around and was never short of jokes supply, but there was a reason why Sykkuno trusted him in the management department.

“That’s a version of it anyway, but there are others, y’know?” he said. “The one where Persephone was the one who travelled to the underworld all by herself and proven her worth to rule by his side. I think this one makes more sense, simply because Hades wasn’t exactly a problematic god. He was literally stuck in the underworld for many millennia and only came out when he was called for the meeting of the gods—makes more sense if Persephone was the daring one instead of him, don’t you think? Mostly because it was in her nature to seek out adventures and chaos. Her name means bringer of destruction, that’s an obvious clue if I’ve ever seen one.”

Corpse nodded again, this time because he understood what Jack was trying to say. He told Rae to come back inside because her eyes were drooping. She stubbornly refused until Jack was done, so Corpse motioned for Jack to continue with his tale.

“In that sense, people often forgot that Persephone was not some weak, damsel in distress that couldn’t do anything in the face of danger. Names always mean something in the mythology, and hers was bestowed by Zeus himself. She lived up to that name, regardless of the version of the story,” Jack said and smiled when Rae nodded over. “Go to sleep, Rae.”

“Shut the fuck up and get to the part where Sykkuno is this flowery spring goddess with a knack for disasters,” she snapped, irritated after being told twice. It wasn’t like she wasn’t able to stay awake all night, or days for that matter. But she was nearing her heat cycle and her body was trying to get as much rest and food as possible. There was a big nest built from all of their stolen clothes in the room she shared with Ash.

Jack laughed out loud at that, spraying bits of his food. Corpse calmly scooted over so he wouldn’t get in the line of fire. “Alright, alright,” he acquiesced. “What I’m trying to say is, people are so wrapped up around their perception of Sykkuno as the first version of Persephone, that they only entertain the possibility of the second one as a mere flitting thought. It’s easier to believe in things you wanted to see instead of unfamiliar territories that bring a sense of threat to yourself, after all.”

And people would never let themselves be controlled the way they did under Sykkuno’s clever ministration if they truly believed in the possibilities. Toast and Scarra were the prime example of people who did. Even Ray C. from the nomadic camp, despite as equally enamored as Sykkuno was to him, still held Sykkuno in a certain regards that weren’t the same as people usually had.

“In a way, Sykkuno has never really hid himself as much as he’s just withholding his different sides, don’t you think?” Jack continued. “You never lay all of your cards at once on the table. It keeps people guessing, and people have a knack of underestimating their opponent’s cards when they’re sure they have the better ones. It’s good, it shows that he’s a player that knows what he’s doing instead of gambling without calculations.”

Rae hummed along some tunes in her head and lay back on the grass. There weren’t any stars out tonight, maybe it would rain soon. The air felt heavy and humid; Corpse wanted to get inside and lie next to Sykkuno and asked him to shed his shirt, let him see the bruises and the wounds. Let him touch them one by one as the tune of Rae’s hums got stuck in his head the way everything about Sykkuno did.

“Yeah,” she said. “He certainly isn’t all that tight about keeping his demeanor in check once you know where to look for. Still pretty hard to goad him to spill things over, though. Like pulling teeth, and even that’s easier! I would know.”

“Of course you would,” Corpse teased. It was alright; it was a teasing well received after they had warmed up to each other instead of wallowing in their shared past with blood and numerous life on their hands.

Rae reached over to punch him not so lightly on the shin, and Corpse winced. Omegas and their unbridled strength near the heat was still something of a wonder to see. He had heard the tales, but never saw it in person. He hoped he never will—for an omega to be in such predicament right before their most vulnerable state wasn’t something to be excited about.

“Corpse will be Hades, then?” Rae asked, turning her head to Jack and ignoring Corpse choking on his drink. “He even got the kidnapping part right! He keeps hogging Sykkuno’s attention for himself, this greedy bitch.”

Again, she punched Corpse on the same place, and he resigned himself to future days filled with bruises on his legs for the duration of her pre-heat. Corpse wisely kept his mouth shut regarding the kidnapping accusation.

“Well,” Jack shrugged, but his smile was gentle, understanding. “I was hoping for the second version because the first one is far too weird for my taste, even if they’re mythology and mythology has a requirement of fucked-up stories—“

“And a lot of fucking,” Rae added.

“And a lot of fucking,” Jack amended, “but at least Sykkuno is consenting to all the ‘kidnapping’, if the happy smiles and complete lack of regards of other matters are to be trusted. But they did end up as equal partners, ruling the underworld side by side. I mean, it’s not exactly a happy ending, and Persephone was involved in the classic story of an affair with Zeus, but I think it’s enough for people in Hades’ and Persephone’s caliber, no?”

Corpse didn’t answer the rhetoric, thinking over his last sentences. There truly was no happy ending in this post-apocalyptic world. Even if the fights and the war stopped, human nature would ensure that they would start all over again. The nature would take control and wipe them all when they were done, and then evolution would bring out the worst of the competition again, and again. The bees truly were the best choice for evolution rather than these despicable creatures that called themselves human.

Still, he thought as they went inside and he trod over to where Sykkuno was, it was also in their nature to find their happiness—even if it wasn’t always about making the world a better place. Corpse too, wanted to find his. He looked at Sykkuno’s sleeping face, the awkward angle of his injured arm, the exhausted lines that were so prominent when he was low on guard. He wasn’t disillusioned enough to hope for something good. But, trying his hardest to stay alive, to keep Sykkuno by his side was probably the closest thing to it. They all paid the prices of hopes and wishes, Corpse did too. He didn’t think he mind doing it again for this man, no matter how much mysteries that lay undetected under Sykkuno’s skin, no matter how dangerous it was to put his gamble on something so unpredictable and precarious.

But Sykkuno looked at him with eyes still clouded with sleep, beckoning him to come closer with a small tilt of his lips, and he was so warm as Corpse held him carefully in his arms. It was almost inevitable, as Toast had said, to put his hand in Sykkuno’s, and believed.

Sykkuno was a warm weight on his lap, not quite wanting to go back to sleep, but was too limp and exhausted to sit upright. Corpse hummed the tune Rae had sung under her breath, the timbre going lower than hers, and gently coaxed Sykkuno to lift his shirt over his head. Sykkuno complied with a small snuffling sound, eyes closed and breath steady.

The burn was left without bandages to dry over the night. There were small cuts and abrasion all over his skin from the impact of the fall, as well as the turbulence in the minicopter. Corpse carefully touched them, and noticed the alpha healing had taken over. Some of the cuts were closing off already, and the edges of the burn were drier than the center.

“That was a dangerous stunt,” he said in low voice. “It was a good thing that Ray was with you.”

Sykkuno hummed and nodded lightly. “It was. He’s a good pilot.”

Corpse moved his fingers over the long healed scars on various part of Sykkuno’s body, fingers pressing on the protruding scar that felt soft to the touch on his sternum. “Tell me about Ray.”

“Hmm?” Sykkuno looked up then smiled like he was sharing a secret with Corpse. “He pissed me off.”

Corpse muffled his laugh on his shoulder, and traced another jagged tissue on his back. There were freckles and uneven bumps there, and Corpse touched them all with the rough surface of his palm. “Not enough to stab his eye?”

Sykkuno’s smile was something pretty and knowing. “That’s just you and Toast.”

“True,” he admitted, and rubbed Sykkuno’s naked back in a slow motion. The heat felt nice under his touch. “What is it about Ray?”

“He’s very nice,” Sykkuno started, and honest to God giggled like a little girl. “It’s genuine, too. He thinks I’m interesting and gave me seeds to plant when we came over to his camp. He’s gentle, and is probably… probably the most non-aggressive alpha I have ever encountered this far. He’s, um, very pretty too and has great smiles, didn’t- didn’t you notice Corpse?”

“I did,” he replied easily. “You’re pissed at him because he’s too nice?”

Sykkuno laughed and shook his head. “My alpha doesn’t like him. I think Ray’s alpha is too encompassing to ever truly consider anyone an enemy. He doesn’t look out for a fight, but it’s hard to back down from dominance so subtle and strong like that. My alpha doesn’t want to submit to him.”

Corpse took his time in in counting each of Sykkuno’s ribs; feeling another scar on the space of the second and the third, where the tip of a knife would touch his heart once it pierced flesh. He understood what Sykkuno was saying. Sometimes, one’s dynamic nature was hard to understand even to the holder. It was even harder to synchronize the mind and the instincts.

“But what pissed me off the most, is the fact that he’s not afraid, never held back either in showing what he wants from me,” he continued. “It’s also—“ he smiled, and the blush and giggles were back in full force. It was almost disgusting and disconcerting if Corpse wasn’t so endeared. “It’s also the thing I like about him the most.”

That was a jab on him, Corpse could feel it. Still, he asked, “What are you trying to say?”

Sykkuno took his hand, and put it back on the scar on his rib, eyes alight with something that Corpse recognized as his alpha. He would break Corpse’s wrist if he tried to deflect this one. Or tried to. He definitely wouldn’t let it happen—his instincts were far too acute to even keep up with his thoughts. Sykkuno would end up with more than broken arms if he actually attempted to do it.

“There are boundaries that need to be understood and respected, Corpse,” he said, so close his breath was warm on Corpse’s skin. “But there are times when you have to understand that unless you’re fiercer than the competition, then you won’t ever have what you wanted.”

“There is no certain term in what I want or I don’t want,” he said. “It’s far too complicated with you to settle on black and white.”

They weren’t explicitly talking about the two of them, but Corpse wouldn’t beat around the bush. He wasn’t one for games of chase unless it was a literal sense where he’s hounding his targets. Sykkuno gave him an appreciative look, and he knew he was starting on the right track.

“There’s so much that you want, and there are as much obstacles to them. I- I understand that it’s hard for desires and wishes in our lives, but if you knew that you could, then where’s the shame in taking what you want, Corpse?”

His eyes were sharp as he stared at Sykkuno, challenging his words, daring him to stumble and stutter over them; take them back and pulling them a hundred steps backwards. Sykkuno met his eyes in equal show of taunt and certainty that he could present his heart on a platter if only Corpse would wrap his fingers around it, marring his fingers with blood and feeling the beat of it inside his grip.

“Where is this from?” he asked, tentatively but decisive.

Sykkuno’s eyes softened. Corpse felt like he had just conquered a challenge, and submitting under an inevitable defeat. “The second in command of C7, eight years ago. He was a sweet guy, but I killed his clan leader in a cold blood. I can understand the betrayal he felt. He was the one who taught me how to bake pumpkin pies, actually.”

He wanted to push, to do exactly what Sykkuno had just told him to do. But he also knew that it wasn’t the time. Not yet.

“How did you escape?” he continued, moving his fingers to the other side of the rib, catching Sykkuno’s nipple and watched in fascination as he shuddered and bit his lip. Not yet.

“The head of the guards was the one who planned the coup d’état,” Sykkuno said, but they knew it wasn’t the complete story. “He fancied me, too. He got me out in time and took me to his acquaintance’s place. I was healed there, until he came back two days later to tell me that he had taken over the border, to ask whether I wanted to stay and be his second in command.”

“He asked you to bond with him,” Corpse read between the lines. Sykkuno crinkled a smile and nodded.

“I refused and he got scared that I was going to tell,” he said. “It says a lot about his capability as a leader, honestly. In a business like that, you can’t freak out over such matters. No one is going to go and appease his fragile ego and dominance. I was only a handler, too. There was someone else for the job, he got killed and it was a perfect cover wasn’t it?”

Corpse nodded, it really was. “He couldn’t get over his fear and tried to kill you.”

“I wasn’t the one who killed him,” Sykkuno assured him, as if it mattered altogether. Maybe in the whole story, it was. “My associate did. C7 had a new ruler, then. The head of the guards were blamed in the assassination attempt, my killed associate was the proof. It was a perfect tale.”

Associate, and more than one. He worked under a structured organization—his previous clan? Which clan?

(Not yet.)

He spent his time tracing over the other scars, but in the end, he settled with a simple request that they both knew had been in his mind since the first time Corpse started his habit of scenting Sykkuno.

There were no words exchanged as he leaned down to nose around the scent gland on the junction of the neck and Sykkuno’s right shoulder. Sykkuno put his hands on his sides, caressing them gently as Corpse opened his mouth and sunk his sharp canines over the flesh. His grip tightened, but he didn’t scream, didn’t let out a sound. Suddenly, the scent of blood filled the room; from the open wound on Sykkuno’s neck, from the lower lip he had bitten so hard he drew blood. The note of blood from Sykkuno’s natural scent mingled with it.

Corpse licked the blood, and kept his lips there. Sykkuno’s hands resumed their gentle caress, a smile he hid on the crook of Corpse’s neck. He felt settled, anew. Like there was finally a puzzle piece that fell into the right place; a breath that he didn’t know was taken away from his lungs.

Where’s the shame in taking what you want?

He thought, he still didn’t know what exactly he wanted. Not completely, but in this, he was certain. In the warmth of Sykkuno’s body on his lap, in the blood across his tongue that tasted like salvation, in the fear that he was standing at the mouth of the beast with all his weapons left at his feet. In the presence of both their alphas circling, slinking, tangled together with their fangs bared; always ready to claw each other heart’s out, always ready to bite and rip into flesh at moment’s notice.

In the inevitable, undeniable truth that Sykkuno let him so close he could feel the phantom of the beat of his heart on Corpse’s lips. He’d let him take it, too, if he dared. And the jaw of the beast would close up around him, crushing him into a mess of tangled feelings and blood. He would stay there for the rest of the afterlife. Like Persephone, travelling south to the depth of hell and put her own throne next to Hades, wearing a crown crafted from thorns and bones; forever ruling the underworld and keeping what she wanted close. Close enough to embrace, close enough to destroy.

He pulled Sykkuno to lie down on the bed, careful over his healing burn. As Sykkuno smiled at him with danger and reverence on his lips, Corpse took a moment to remember this night and everything that had come with a price for this. A watershed moment that was kept at bay for far too long.

There was no Hades, no Persephone between Corpse and Sykkuno; the lines too blurry to ever make out a definite shape. But Corpse could have his heart, and stay long enough until the world crush them under the undefeatable force of the nature; could rule over a kingdom built from souls and unknown tales, and feel content with Sykkuno’s sharp edges and soft smiles.

He held Sykkuno close, and closed his eyes; took Sykkuno’s hand in his, and let himself fall into the welcomed warmth of the chaos.

-

[aria-bun]

Alioth

In which Sarima spectates the chaos.

“So I have good news,” Finian started from where he sat in front of the consoles. “Then excellent news. Then absolutely terrible news.”

Tyler and Kal had returned from their job, and the rest of the group was scattered around the small room that made up 80% of the flat.

Tyler, Cat, and Zila sat on the couch, Auri perched on the floor, Kal was standing next to the front door, Dariel was in the kitchen, and Scar was leaning against the doorframe to the spare room.

Sarima was sitting in one of the folded chairs she had pulled from the small closet, sorting through her duffel bag while watching it all unfold.

“Good news first,” Tyler said.

Finian turned his chair to face them. His uniglass was wired to his suit, a small lens projecting a hologram from his wrist/

“Good news is the leech is working perfectly. I’m in their network, moving slow so as not to attract attention, But I have access to the infamous Casseldon Bianchi’s luxury liner, and all the security cameras therein.” he paused. “Don’t everyone applaud at once.”

Sarima gave him a slow clap, doused in sarcasm.

“Thanks for the enthusiasm, Ari.”

“Still no.”

“Damn.”

“What’s the excellent news?” Scarlett asked, bringing them back on track.

He tapped a pad on the other arm of his exosuit, and the projection changed into a half-dozen other screens, which he started to swipe through.

“Excellent news is I think I found our Trigger.”

Sarima turned her attention back to her duffel bag. She was forced to move her stolen merchandise off of the coffee table, so she was trying her best to lay them out in a way that wouldn’t be potentially damaging, and therefore, lower the value.

She could wrap the necklaces in one of her shirts to prevent the gems from scratching against each other, but admittedly, she didn’t have enough t-shirts for that.

She really needed to go clothes shopping.

Sarima wrapped the necklaces she could in her t-shirts, tucking them back into the duffel gently. She’d figure out what to do with the others later.

Next issue at hand: Her blasters.

Dual Zarian-1411 Gremp-crafted blasters, kitted out with holographic sights and void rounds that didn’t produce light when fired.

Which were technically illegal. But so were 90% of the things she did.

She tucked the blasters into the inner pockets of the duffel, right next to the zipper so she could grab them in a pinch.

A loud, screeching sound filled the flat, akin to a metal crate being dragged against a saw blade.

“What the hell was that?” Sarima looked back over at the group.

“That,” Finian said. “Is the pride of Casseldon Bianchi’s menagerie. The Great Ultrasaur of Abraaxis IV.”

“Amna diir,” Kal muttered, staring at the hologram of the beast.

“You said it, Pixieboy.” he nodded. “I mean, I have no idea what you said, but yeah, you said it. Rumor has it Bianchi paid his fourth testicle to get his hands on this thing.”

“Really didn’t want to know that,” Sarima said, zipping up her duffel.

“Why do they call it the great ultrasaur?” Aurora questioned. “Does it have, like, excellent penmanship skills or something?”

“It’s the last one of its kind in the whole galaxy.”

“What happened to the rest of them?”

“This one killed them,” Finian answered. “It’s the last of its kind because it literally ate the others.”

Aurora blinked. “Holy cake, it what?”

Can’t she just swear like a normal person? Sarima arched an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

“Yeah, ultrasaurs are the most infamously hostile species in the ‘Way,” he ran a hand through his hair before zooming in on the ultrasaur. “They killed eery living thing on Abraaxis IV. And when they ran out of things to kill, they killed each other.”

“Evolutionarily speaking, that makes very little sense.” Zila pointed out from her spot on the couch, tilting her head to the side slightly.

“Makes perfect sense to me,” he shrugged. “People do it all the time.”

“Why is it making that noise?” Scarlett winced slightly, covering one of her ears.

“Mating call, I think? Eat all your potential ladyfriends, I guess you get lonely.”

“Great, can we turn it off?” Sarima shot him a pointed look.

“Gladly, Rima.”

“No.”

“Seriously?” he raised an eyebrow at her. “That was a good one!”

“It really wasn’t.”

“Okay, okay,” Tyler said, holding a hand up to stop the both of them. “I think we’ve established that going in through the menagerie isn’t an option. So, front door it is. We need that key.”

“Won’t do us any good, Goldenboy.” Finian blew out a breath. “It’s a polymorphic gene-coded combination sequence. That means the combination changes every time Bianchi comes into physical contact with it. And if anyone else so much as sneezes on it, the key registers the foreign DNA and locks the whole estate down.”

“And there is no way to defeat this lock without the key?”

“I suppose divine intervention might work.”

Sarima snorted lightly. “Kir nestin mahkr.” Like that’ll help.

“Ri du mishtebet khu.” Dariel chimed in. I keep telling them.

“Go baltir.” Their funeral.

Something Sarima didn’t understand was why this was so important to them. Some rusty old artifact wasn’t something worth sacrificing all of their hide for. Maybe a little bit if they were history buffs, but it was apparent that they weren’t, considering how clear it was that they had very little information on the object-statue thing.

They were definitely in way over their heads, but if you have nothing to lose, everything seemed worth trying.

Sarima was all too familiar with the feeling.

After being discharged from the Aurora Legion when she was 17 on the grounds of insubordination, she found herself shipped back to Trask without a second thought from anyone else.

Her family wasn’t pleased once they got the news, and even after they stopped bringing it up, she could feel the stares from all of them.

Everyone knew everything, and there was very little she could do to escape it.

That same month, she bought herself a ticket for a cruiser headed to the World Ship for a week and never looked back.

Was it the best decision? Hell no. She was seventeen, hardly the “good decision” making age.

About a year younger than these guys were.

That figures.

She was nearly twenty now, and hardly the amazing Face fifteen-year-old her thought she’d be when registering for AL.

“No. No bloody way.” 

Sarima’s head perked up, her attention drawn to Cat. She had been filtering out all of the Terran for the past few minutes, but the aggression in her voice caught on something in her head.

“Seriously, enough of this crap.” she continued, standing up.

“Do you have something to say, Legionnaire Brannock?” Tyler asked, a very distinct leadership authoritative tone in his voice.

Is the voice something they teach all the Alphas or is that just something that happens?

“You bet your damn tailpipe I do. This has gone way beyond stupid and all the way into brain-dead. It was bad enough being on the run from our own people, attacking Terran personnel, risking all our lives. Now you want us crossing the deadliest criminal in teh secort for the sake of a trinket this crazy skirt saw in a dream?” Cat gestured at Aurora, who was looking back at her from where she sat on the floor.

“When you put it like that-” Sarima started before getting immediately cut off.

“Oh, can you shut up when it comes to something that can’t concern you for once!?” Cat wheeled on her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, my AL training taught me the how-to on getting involved, but never got to the when or where. Please, continue on your nonsensical rant that’s essentially repeating what I’ve been saying the entire Maker-damned time you’ve been here.” she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her chair and raising an eyebrow at her.

“Glady,”

“Cat,” Tyler started. “There’s more than dreams going on here and you know it. You saw what Auri did to the Longbow.  When I first found her in the Fold, I was close to drowning inside my suit and she moved us. She got us to safety. And you heard what de Stoy and Adams told us at the start of this mission.”

Sarima had no idea what Tyler was going on about. Was Aurora a part-time motivational speaker? She couldn’t tell if the group needed more morale or if too much morale is what got them into this situation.

“This sin’t a bloody mission!” Cat shouted. “It’s a robbery! And for what? To satisfy this headcase’s delusions? Am I the only one who sees how spaceloops this is?”

“Don’t call me a headcase.” Aurora shot back, sitting up straighter.

“Oh, she speaks!” she dipped into a dramatic bow. “We are not worthy. And what advice do you have for us, O mighty prophet?”

Prophet? 

So this is a religion thing.

“You are embarassing yourself, Zero.” Kal raised an eyebrow at her.

“Jam it up your arse, Pixieboy!”

“Look, I don’t pretend to know what’s happening here,” Aurora said. “But something is happening. I’m seeing things before they happen. I’m seeing—”

“Are you seeing any way we pull this off without ending up dead, Little Miss Visionthing?” Cat demanded, crossing her arms. “Do you see any way for us to get in and out of Casseldon Bianchi’s private office without getting caught?”

Aurora looked at the holograms, silent before answering. “No.”

At least she’s honest? Most prophets Sarima had run into on the World Ship were liars who said whatever it took to be believed, even if it meant admitting they spewed rainbows out of their ass.

‘Well, color me all the way shocked.”

“Cat,” Tyler said. “Put a lid on it.”

“Maybe she’s right, Tyler.”

Sarima turned to look at Scarlett, along with everyone else in the room. She knew Cat was right; Everything they’d been talking about since they’ve arrived had been totally off the rails. 

But there was clearly something she was missing here. Something that made the rest of them think it was all worth it.

Tyler let out a breath. “Scar?”

“All I’m saying is, we’re a long way into the weeds here. Before we go any furhter, maybe we should stop and ask ourselves where this road leads.”

“Right out of the Legion, that’s for sure,” Cat commented. “Dishonorable discharge. Probably prison. You worked for this since you were thirteen years old, Tyler. Are you so mad about missing the Draft you’re willing to throw your whole career into the recycler?”

If petty theft from a superior officer got Sarima thrown out of AL, whatever the hell this lot did probably would as well.

“This isn’t about the Draft,” Tyler growled. “You heared what Adams told us. ‘You must endure. You must believe.’”

This is definitely a religious thing.

“But why? What about her makes you want to?”

“I don’t know.” he shrugged. “But I do. That’s what faith is.”

Cat looked ready to blow more of a fuse than she had already as she picked up her jacket and stormed towards the door. “Hells with this.”

“Where are you going?” Scarlett’s gaze followed her,

“I need a damn drink.”

“I didn’t dismiss you, Legionnare Brannock,” Tyler warned.

“Then court-martial me!” she snarled before slamming the door behind her, making the walls of the flat shake.

[jcmarchi]

Street Fighter 6 Preview - Director Takayuki Nakayama Talks Akuma's Arrival - Game Informer

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/street-fighter-6-preview-director-takayuki-nakayama-talks-akumas-arrival-game-informer/

Street Fighter 6 Preview - Director Takayuki Nakayama Talks Akuma's Arrival - Game Informer

Street Fighter 6 is poised to wrap up its Year 1 character offerings with one of the franchise’s most iconic fighters. Akuma brings his Satsui no Hado mastery to the renowned title this week. Introduced in 1994’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma represents the most classic post-launch character added to Street Fighter 6 during its first year of post-launch content, following Rashid (Street Fighter V), A.K.I. (Street Fighter 6), and Ed (Street Fighter IV/V).

In preparation for Akuma’s arrival, we interviewed Street Fighter 6 director Takayuki Nakayama about bringing the Great Demon to the game. You can see our full interview below, ahead of Akuma’s release on May 22.

The introduction of Akuma has traditionally been a tricky thing for the Street Fighter series, as he is often not super balanced. Can you talk about the challenges of balancing Akuma and how you worked to address those challenges within Street Fighter 6? Akuma is a powerful character with a lot of moves in his arsenal, with many different approaches to try against his opponent. At the same time, players will need to be skilled with him in order to achieve consistent results. Similar to past iterations, we have decided to balance him by giving him many powerful techniques, while setting his vitality on the lower end.

Many of the additions in Year 1 have been newer characters to the series. What does having a character like Akuma, who dates back to the Street Fighter II series, do to round out the SF6 roster? New characters, and characters that have appeared in recent titles, are more difficult for people to become familiar with. The inclusion of an iconic character like Akuma helps bring cohesiveness to the lineup. We want Street Fighter 6 to be accessible to everyone, from players who have been playing for a long time to those who have only played the recent titles and those who are new to the series.

Given Akuma’s extreme in-universe power, are there ever any struggles with fitting him into the story in believable ways? Like Ryu, he is a bit of an enigma, but we thought this would be a good opportunity for people to get to know his feelings and thoughts, especially through World Tour. I didn’t find it too difficult to incorporate him into the story.

Back in February, you told me a fun anecdote about Ed’s importance to the development of Street Fighter 6. Does Akuma hold any special places in the hearts of developers besides being a very popular and long-running character? Yes, we consider him to be a special character. He was the first hidden character to appear in the Street Fighter II series, and his techniques and settings were shrouded in mystery. We believe that his appearance will make the game more complete.

When designing an updated look for Akuma, how do you go about ensuring longtime fans will enjoy his visual aesthetic while still showcasing the visual evolution you hope to portray? In Street Fighter III, the previous title in the chronological order of the series, his characteristic red hair had some white in it. This was a great way to express that even a character like Akuma is aging and has reached a higher level of mastery. In addition, the illustration of Akuma selling fruit to children, which was depicted in the Street Fighter Alpha series, shined a light on the unexpected aspect of his life. As we pondered how Akuma grew older and more powerful, and followed his life’s path, it led us to a more Ashura or Buddhist statue-like design. Our intention was to design him to be a fighter with the intimidating presence of a beast while transcending human existence.

Speaking of evolution from game to game, what differences should players expect from how Akuma plays in Street Fighter 6? Most of the techniques used in past titles have been implemented. An aggressive fighting style suits him very well, so take advantage of your opponent’s openings and defeat them. The match should conclude quickly.

With Akuma serving as the final character from the Year 1 pass, how has the process gone for selecting the characters for Year 2? I know you likely can’t go into specifics, but did the team identify any holes in the current roster that needed to be addressed or filled with the next batch of playable characters? Of course, I can’t make any specific comments yet, but I think you will find there to be some unexpected characters. Sorry, but the method of selection is also a secret (no fortune-telling or divination involved). We hope you’re looking forward to it.

Street Fighter 6 arrived on June 2, 2023, meaning its one-year anniversary is right around the corner. We don’t know when we’ll learn about what Capcom has in store for the game’s second year, but with the anniversary and Summer Games Fest right around the corner, we might learn about the next batch of characters coming soon. In the meantime, Akuma joins the Street Fighter 6 roster as the final Year 1 character on May 22. 

For more on Street Fighter 6, read our review here.

[lupus-in--fabula]

RANT INCOMING!!!!!!! (anti wolfstar im not an angry wolfstar shipper)

finally someone said it🙏james and sirius were clearly based on the stereotypical highschool jocks who stuff students with a different sexuality or a slightly alt style into lockers, regardless of if sirius' family didnt like him he still grew up rich and spoiled, and despite his family bullying him over ehat house he got into, he did the same to snape, bullying him because of what house he got into, james was no better, he has zero excuses since his home life was by all known aspects, completely fine, they were bullies, typical homophobic alt people hating bullies who, lets be honest would bully 99.9% of their stans, and the other thing i dont get is how remus even became friends with them in the first place, cause he was just like snape, a poor halfblood with no social skills and no friends, well actually remus was worse off cause he had absolutely no friends while severus at least had lily, so by james and sirius' standards remus wouldve been more of a "freak" than snape, the only reason they became friends was because remus was so desperate to have friends that he did his best to please james and sirius, to say stuff that appeased them, and when he got into gryffindor james and sirius deemed him worthy of joining their little bullying squad, i stand by my theory that if remus was a ravenclaw or a hufflepuff and he didnt meet james and sirius on the train, he and snape wouldve had more of a chance to become friends than remus sirius and james, since we know that sirius and james mostly befriended only gryffindors

AND BUDDY DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE WEREWOLF "PRANK"

do wolfstar shippers really think that that was okay? lets say that remus and sirius were dating, hypothetically, in what world would you think: "hmm i should definitely use my unregistered werewolf boyfriend in his wolf form when he has no control over his actions, as a trained circus animal to try to scare off the kid that me and my bff have been bullying, and risk said boyfriend eating the kid or turning him into a werewolf which would definitely get him expelled, probably even imprisoned, maybe the school would get shut down too, cause what else would the ministry do when they find out that dumbledore has let what they deem as "an vicious violent beast" stay in a castle full of students and said "beast" ended up almost killing one of the students.......but he will definitely still stay with me right? cause its just a prank"

WHO TF WOULD THINK THIS IS OKAY?!

i dont even get why remus stayed friends with him after that ive go two theories

1 he didnt fully know the extent of what happened, he didnt know how close hed come to killing snape, cause sirius probably didnt tell him that part and james definitely backed sirius up in lying to their best friend

or 2 remus was once again so desperate to keep his friends that he once again didnt use his own brain but chose to believe whatever sirius said just to keep the one friendship he had built, he does that a lot, you can see him wanting to run away when shit gets real, he is like that, burying his head in the sand when something heavy happens, like when tonks got pregnant and he ran away, i could see him doing the same after the "prank" which was actually attempted murder by sirius

wolfstar shippers will see a post mention sirius in anyway even if the post is gen or shipping another pairing and immediately go into the tags and be like “haha yes but moony is the only one who has sirius’ heart””i bet remus was so annoyed by him””james was the biggest wolfstar shipper trust””sirius definitely did this while he and remus were fucking tehe””oh yeah and remus was definitely being the responsible parent while this went down always having to be the more mature one because of his bf”

[cutekittenlady]

Eelektross in Hisui AU idea, I know we are still in the "events prior to Ingo showing up as the plot solution" but the idea of Ingo's and his beloved but Horrible Wet Guard Dog, that is almost overpowered for the setting (modern professional fighting pokemon have access to all the food, training and potions/ healthcare they need and research has figured better training methods like IV and EV, their only weakness is they follow Stardard Battle Rules like No cutting turn order or no mob Vs one guy) Anyways Ingo only somewhat remembers Eelektross (You have to have Ingo remember eelektross's train pun nickname, I recommend Catenary which is the wires that power electric trains/trolleys) So we have this Legendary Monster that terrorized and chased people for Weeks sitting in Ingo lap being scratched behind the ear(?) fins, wiggling in happiness, while Meille in the background is recovering from being electricuted (Ingo Did Not want to be Touched and eelektross Will make sure that is Respected)

Oh Ingo definitely doesn't remember Eelektross. Though, as you said, he finds him to be verrry familiar and is way more understanding of his behavior than others. I think it'd take even Akari and Laventon some time to stop seeing Eelektross as a wildly territorial pokemon. Ingo, meanwhile, picks up on the fact that his playful and friendly demeanor and behavior are being mistaken for aggression almost right away.

Ingo himself struggles to explain WHY he's able to make this connection beyond just stating that he somehow KNOWS and chalking it up to some kind of intuition. Regardless Eelektross is thrilled to finally find someone he now only knows, but who doesnt treat him either as a beast or some subject of research. So their relationship is relatively good. Whether or not Eelektross tries to help with Ingo's memory loss or is content with just watching over him is still up in the air atm tho he'd definitely grow verrrrry protective of Ingo after everything he's been through.

Eelektross is also definitely OP. Not just due to all the training, but because his species is a complete unknown in Hisui. I mean there aren't that many species in Hisui who can boast having no natural weaknesses in legends arceus especially if one considers Eelektross has a hand on his natural abilities (levitate) in a way that trainers and pokemon in the past dont quite have gives him a unique advantage.

As you say though, this is a double edged sword. Eelektross does NOT do well alone in the wild. Despite being well trained, in prime condition, and very powerful hes been raised taking direction from a trainer and while he does draw on certain memories of strategies Emmet came up with and used in the past, he doesnt have the skill to come up with any strategies of his own. Beyond that he has always been entirely reliant on humans for food, shelter, etc. and so fails in the wild because of that as well.

In fact, its that reliance on humans that more or less causes him to be mistaken as an aggressive creature in the first place.

I don't know about nicknames as I rarely ever give Ingo and Emmets pokemon nicknames (one exception being Ingos Excadrill eventually earning the nicname "Nana" in his absence but thats from a whole other concept) but calling him "Catenary" will certainly make things easier.

Feel free to send an Ask

[the-irken-pony]

Henry Stickmin Pokemon AU Part 2: The Toppat Clan

Wanna devote this part to the Toppat Clan, because along with there being more characters that are notable in the Toppat Clan than in other factions, I wanna go over some finer details as well.

General:

While my first instinct was to make the Toppat Clan a standard "team of thieves that steals Pokemon" archetype, but I decided against this idea.

The Toppat Clan is known to have a moral code; they go out of their way to adopt orphaned children, and for a Toppat to not help someone who willingly helped them (even if they aren't a fellow Toppat) is considered a serious taboo. Plus, according to the bio of Mr. Skeev, it's not impossible to be too immoral for the Toppat Clan. The Toppat Clan isn't above kidnapping adults, though, so they might steal Pokemon alongside their trainers, but stealing them from their trainers would probably go against their moral code.

What does the Toppat Clan do? Similar to what they do in canon: steal rare treasures and riches from around the world. The difference would be their means. They'd have Pokemon to assist them obviously, but with the help of their massive funds, skillful trainers, and anomalous individuals (e.g. Kabbitz), they'd be able to get their hands on some powerful Pokemon, even acquiring two Ultra Beasts (being Stakataka and Xurkitree). Getting the ultra beasts was a pain in the ass though, so they aren't really interested in getting more.

Everyone in the Toppat Clan receives a Murkrow upon joining the Toppat Clan. This Murkrow is not allowed to evolve under any circumstances. Consequences for doing so include getting kicked out of the Toppat Clan. The only scenario in which evolving a Murkrow doesn't result in getting kicked is an active attempt to replace the leader and Honchkrow; attempting to replace the leader's Honchkrow in addition to overthrowing the leader is considered one of the coldest ways of establishing dominance. The most recent example of this happening is Sir Wilford IV with his own Murkrow, which now serves as the leader's Honchkrow in the present day.

The only member of the Toppat Clan permitted to own a Honchkrow is the leader. This Honchkrow is not the leader’s personal Murkrow evolved, but is instead passed down from leader to leader. A new Honchkrow takes its place once it passes away or is no longer present, as with the leader themself.

Only one case can result in a Toppat being recruited and gaining a Honchkrow but not a Murkrow: joining the Toppat Clan as a leader (two examples being Henry and Ellie). If they are demoted from leadership, they are given a Murkrow. Henry in TCW does not count, as he is one leader of a split Toppat Clan.

These Honchkrow are trained based on individual nature and IVs before being available for leadership duty, with optimized EV spreads and movesets. One's ability to effectively utilize this Honchkrow in battle is seen as a mark of their leadership ability.

A designated Toppat breeds and trains all Murkrow for the Toppat Clan, with a select few being set aside for potential Honchkrow. The leader chooses which of these Murkrow will evolve at the time where it becomes necessary to replace a previous Honchkrow.

Reginald:

Reginald would be an avid shiny collector--not a shiny hunter, though, because the last time he had the free time needed to shiny hunt was back before he learned that shiny hunting was even a thing.

That said, every Pokemon on his team would be shiny, consisting of Murkrow (his first Pokemon, given to him as a child), Thievul, Umbreon, Sableye, Rotom, and Milotic. The only Pokemon of his that ISN’T shiny is the leader’s Honchkrow.

As a trainer, Reginald puts TLC above everything else. Friendship, affection, etc. are more important to him than EVs or optimized moves. He leans into praise and positive reinforcement, just as he does with the other Toppats as leader.

I said I wanted to elaborate on Reginald and Honchkrow's relationship. The best way to summarize it is... uniquely bad.

Normally with a bad leader (such as Terrence), you'll find someone who can't adapt to Honchkrow's fighting style. It'll obey orders, even if the orders aren't very good, so the effectiveness of the leader's ability to use it in battle is immediately apparent. Another, much rarer issue that a leader might run into is the Honchkrow disobeying a new leader out of attachment to an old leader (one notable example being with Dusty's Honchkrow). In this case, the Honchkrow is allowed to retire (either residing with the Toppat Clan or bend released into the wild), with a new Honchkrow taking its place.

So, what happens when, for the first time in recorded Toppat Clan history, a Honchkrow that has previously been passed down to multiple leaders without issue suddenly refuses to take orders after a month with the newest leader? Such a phenomenon is what happened with Reginald's Honchkrow.

No one knows how to respond to the situation, and no one can figure out what went wrong. It's not leadership loyalty, because it's been owned by two other leaders (Terrence and Wilford). It's also not attachment to Terrence in particular, because issues didn't arise until partway into Reginald's leadership. The few people to suggest the possibility of Reginald being cruel to it are quickly shut down, as anyone who's seen Reginald with his other Pokemon can tell that he shows them nothing but the utmost kindness. The Right Hand Man would also bring up the fact that Reginald tries his best to make amends with Honchkrow.

The actual reason Honchkrow dislikes Reginald is because of his drastically different leadership style from Wilford or Terrence; whereas both Wilford and Terrence had a very direct, action-based leadership style, Reginald is very conflict avoidant and cautious, preferring to let others handle things for him.

Whatever he asks it to do, it pretty much does the exact opposite. It tries to engage in battle against Reginald's wishes, such as when he's trying to retreat from an attack. When he does want it to battle, it either acts on its own rather than taking orders from him or it actively refuses to help.

When I say it dislikes Reginald, I don't mean that lightly. I'm talking full power Frustration, "I'd sell you to Satan for one corn chip" level dislike. Hell, it was probably the one to their Reginald off the airship in TCW; it got a taste of Henry's leadership, and it would rather stay with a discharged Henry and join his rebellion than go back to Reginald.

Seeing Henry's chemistry with Honchkrow in T4L and TK would give Reginald (and everyone else) the answer to this conundrum, which would give Reginald confidence in Henry's leadership.

Right Hand Man:

The team I have in mind for RHM is a lot different than you’re probably expecting, but I’m happy with what I settled on. Unlike Reginald, he doesn’t have a full team.

Before joining the Toppat Clan, RHM didn’t grow up with any Pokemon, nor did anyone in his family. His first Pokemon that he ever got was the Murkrow that was given to him for joining the Toppat Clan. However, he grew to be wary of Pokemon as a result of his long-term isolation from them, so his relationship with his Murkrow is very rocky to start.

When Reginald found out about this, he wanted to help by giving him a cuter Pokemon to help him grow more comfortable around them. This second Pokemon was an Eevee, which has since evolved into a Sylveon. In addition to Eevee being a very beginner-friendly Pokemon, giving him a Sylveon serves as a symbolic connection to Reginald.

There are two reasons I settled on Sylveon instead of Espeon. The first is that the moves Baby-Doll Eyes and/or Charm, which Eevee would use to put RHM at ease, are both Fairy type moves, which is what determines whether it evolves into a Sylveon instead of Espeon/Umbreon.

The second reason is more about RHM’s personality. One of RHM’s biggest struggles as a character is communicating and managing his anger. Sylveon’s able to sense its trainer’s emotions and calm people down with its ribbon feelers. While not great in situations where combat and anger are necessary, Sylveon is perfect for stress relief off duty.

He does gain custody of Honchkrow in RBH routes. While Honchkrow does obey him due to his more direct methods of dealing with problems, his lack of exposure to Pokemon until fairly recently means that he runs into the same problem as Terrence: lack of general knowledge leading to poor ability to utilize Honchkrow in battle. This matches RHM’s poor ability to adapt to leadership in canon.

Now, there are a shit ton of other Toppats that I could go over but I don’t have time for that, so I’m just gonna go over Sven.

Sven:

His one Pokemon is Inteleon. I chose this pretty much solely on the basis that it matches his colors and also looks like him (jkjkjkjk). It does work though because its a sniper Pokemon, and Sven’s only weapon is a gun. If you wanted you could also give him a Sharpedo for the Ikea shark joke.

Because of the entire airship division getting arrested in GSPI, he ended up with a new Honchkrow. He mostly has it survey other Toppats and keep them on task.

Part 3 will be mostly about Ellie and Charles, maybe including a lightning round on other characters I feel like talking about.

[the-king-andthe-lionheart]

So this is definitely in response to that certain dark section of our fandom (you know exactly who you are) who are throwing a fit about the Arya and Daenerys fandoms enjoying the possibility of a canon Daenarya friendship in the future.  So let’s look at all the quotes that possibly foreshadow a future Arya and Dany friendship and put it into context.

It was very dark right now, she realized. She hugged her bare knees tight against her chest and shivered. She would wait quietly and count to ten thousand. By then it would be safe for her to come creeping back out and find her way home.

By the time she had reached eighty-seven, the room had begun to lighten as her eyes adjusted to the blackness. Slowly the shapes around her took on form. Huge empty eyes stared at her hungrily through the gloom, and dimly she saw the jagged shadows of long teeth. She had lost the count. She closed her eyes and bit her lip and sent the fear away. When she looked again, the monsters would be gone. Would never have been. She pretended that Syrio was beside her in the dark, whispering in her ear. Calm as still water, she told herself. Strong as a bear. Fierce as a wolverine. She opened her eyes again.

The monsters were still there, but the fear was gone.

Arya got to her feet, moving warily. The heads were all around her. She touched one, curious, wondering if it was real. Her fingertips brushed a massive jaw. It felt real enough. The bone was smooth beneath her hand, cold and hard to the touch. She ran her fingers down a tooth, black and sharp, a dagger made of darkness. It made her shiver.

"It's dead," she said aloud. "It's just a skull, it can't hurt me." Yet somehow the monster seemed to know she was there. She could feel its empty eyes watching her through the gloom, and there was something in that dim, cavernous room that did not love her. She edged away from the skull and backed into a second, larger than the first. For an instant she could feel its teeth digging into her shoulder, as if it wanted a bite of her flesh. Arya whirled, felt leather catch and tear as a huge fang nipped at her jerkin, and then she was running. Another skull loomed ahead, the biggest monster of all, but Arya did not even slow. She leapt over a ridge of black teeth as tall as swords, dashed through hungry jaws, and threw herself against the door. - Arya III AGOT

Here is the initial passage that has to do with dragons in Arya’s story.  She comes across the dragon skulls in the dark and feels afraid of them.  She feels as if the eyes of the skulls were watching her and did not like her. She also doesn’t recognize them for what they are.  She initially refers to them as monsters, but later she comes to realize they are dragons: 

This time the monsters did not frighten her. They seemed almost old friends. Arya held the candle over her head. With each step she took, the shadows moved against the walls, as if they were turning to watch her pass. "Dragons," she whispered. She slid Needle out from under her cloak. The slender blade seemed very small and the dragons very big, yet somehow Arya felt better with steel in her hand. - Arya IV AGOT

Now admittedly the first quote does sound like the foreshadowing could suggest antagonism between Arya and Dany, but the second quote doesn’t suggest this.  Arya thinks of them as if they are old friends.  That is the most notable sentence of the paragraph, not the fact that she slid Needle out.  But when you actually look at this paragraph you actually see a duality here.  The monsters did not frighten her.  They seemed almost old friends.  Yet she slides her blade out and feels better?  So for me this quote just seems to foreshadow that Dany will be Arya’s friend, yet Arya will remain wary of her dragons like anyone naturally would be.

So putting these two quotes into context, it tells us that if Arya and Dany will meet they will initially be antagonistic and wary of each other (most Daenarya fans I’ve seen acknowledge this will likely be the case).  However it also suggests that this wariness will eventually fade and they will become friends.  Arya doesn’t need to think she is wholly safe from the dragons to have a friendship with Dany.  EVERYONE is wary about the dragons, just like most people would be unsure and most likely afraid if they were in the same room as a large cat or a bear. 

But this isn’t Arya’s only dragon connections in the narrative.  Arya’s closest relationship is with Jon, who is half Targaryen.  In Braavos Arya is fascinated by the courtesans and the Black Pearl in particular:

"The Black Pearl," she told them. Merry claimed the Black Pearl was the most famous courtesan of all. "She's descended from the dragons, that one," the woman had told Cat. "The first Black Pearl was a pirate queen. A Westerosi prince took her for a lover and got a daughter on her, who grew up to be a courtesan. Her own daughter followed her, and her daughter after her, until you get to this one [...] - Cat of the Canals AFFC

The woman with him could not have been more than a third his age. She was so lovely that the lamps seemed to burn brighter when she passed. She had dressed in a low-cut gown of pale yellow silk, startling against the light brown of her skin. Her black hair was bound up in a net of spun gold, and a jet-and-gold necklace brushed against the top of her full breasts. As they watched, she leaned close to the envoy and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh. "They should call her the Brown Pearl," Mercy said to Daena. "She's more brown than black."

"The first Black Pearl was black as a pot of ink," said Daena. "She was a pirate queen, fathered by a Sealord's son on a princess from the Summer Isles. A dragon king from Westeros took her for his lover."

"I would like to see a dragon," Mercy said wistfully. - Mercy TWOW

There is even foreshadowing that Arya will form a closer relationship with the Black Pearl in the future by becoming an apprentice for her so Arya can refine her highborn manners so it’s easier for the FM to place her into highborn society to do their work, because why not utilize a highborn girl in this way?

But also notice that Arya/Mercy is friends with a girl named “Daena” which is ridiculously close to the name Daenerys.  And in the same conversation with Daena (Daenerys) Arya/Mercy also said she wished to see a dragon.  And no this isn’t “Mercy’s” wish, this is Arya’s wish:

As Arya crossed the yard to the bathhouse, she spied a raven circling down toward the rookery, and wondered where it had come from and what message it carried. Might be it's from Robb, come to say it wasn't true about Bran and Rickon. She chewed on her lip, hoping. If I had wings I could fly back to Winterfell and see for myself. And if it was true, I'd just fly away, fly up past the moon and the shining stars, and see all the things in Old Nan's stories, dragons and sea monsters and the Titan of Braavos, and maybe I wouldn't ever fly back unless I wanted to. - Arya X ACOK

Doesn’t really sound like Arya hates dragons or have any issues regarding them.  She wants to see them irregardless of any fear they may inspire within her that everyone would naturally have upon seeing a dragon.

Arya also expresses a wish to fly throughout her narrative and she also has wing symbolism in her arc:

If I was a crow I could fly down and peck off his stupid fat pouty lips. - Arya X ACOK

If I had wings I could fly back to Winterfell and see for myself.  And if it was true, I'd just fly away, fly up past the moon and the shining stars, and see all the things in Old Nan's stories, dragons and sea monsters and the Titan of Braavos, and maybe I wouldn't ever fly back unless I wanted to. - Arya X ACOK

I wish I could change into a wolf and grow wings and fly away. - Arya XIII ASOS

She might be bald and skinny, but Mercy had a pretty smile, and a certain grace. Even Izembaro agreed that she was graceful. She was not far from the Gate as the crows flies, but for girls with feet instead of wings the way was longer. - Mercy TWOW

Also lets not forget how similar Arya and Dany are to each other and how many parallels they share.  They are both lost princesses exiled and sent to Essos, specifically Braavos, after their father's deaths at the hands of Lannister's.  They each know what it's like to be bought and sold and to be enslaved – Dany as a child bride and Arya as a child soldier.  And they both have pretenders trying to take their claims.  Both have been forced into becoming smallfolk, living in poverty and starved.  And they both know what it's like to be hunted and scared.  They adapt exceedingly well into other environments and cultures, and their morality and sense of justice are very attuned, as they seek to protect those that can not protect themselves.  Very protective, they are both empathetic and maternal and care for the sick, ailing, and dying.  Both of them are survivors and have both suffered abuse and sexual assault (more so for Dany, but it's still there).  They are both clever and know how to manipulate people.  They are both polyglots and both of their deepest desires are for home and family/pack.  They both try to live up to the image of their older siblings (ie Sansa and Rhaegar).  Arya is said to look and act like Lyanna and Daenerys is compared to Rhaegar by the people that knew him.   They are both very close to their house sigils and even dream about them and the mystical beasts they both own.  They both love horseback riding and they both have encountered mystical prophets.  Wanted/considered becoming sailors and they both have fantastic people skills.  Not to mention that it was Arya who said that the slaves should have killed the masters, while Dany is leading a slave uprising to overthrow and yes, execute the masters.

Dany is also not some “mad queen” and she does listen to the people who knew her father and Rhaegar.  She is learning the truth about the monster her father was and learning to accept that.  So there is no reason why Dany should continue to feel antagonistic towards the next generation of Stark’s for something they didn’t do.  

I’ve also seen comments about how the fire devastation that is within Arya’s story must clearly mean “Dark Dany” and that Arya and Dany will be antagonistic towards each other in canon when they meet.  I’m assuming these people are referring to the burning barn scene:

"You take her!" she yelled. "You get her out! You do it!" The fire beat at her back with hot red wings as she fled the burning barn. It felt blessedly cool outside, but men were dying all around her. She saw Koss throw down his blade to yield, and she saw them kill him where he stood. Smoke was everywhere. There was no sign of Yoren, but the axe was where Gendry had left it, by the woodpile outside the haven. As she wrenched it free, a mailed hand grabbed her arm. Spinning, Arya drove the head of the axe hard between his legs. She never saw his face, only the dark blood seeping between the links of his hauberk. Going back into that barn was the hardest thing she ever did. Smoke was pouring out the open door like a writhing black snake, and she could hear the screams of the poor animals inside, donkeys and horses and men. She chewed her lip, and darted through the doors, crouched low where the smoke wasn't quite so thick.

A donkey was caught in a ring of fire, shrieking in terror and pain. She could smell the stench of burning hair. The roof was gone up too, and things were falling down, pieces of flaming wood and bits of straw and hay. Arya put a hand over her mouth and nose. She couldn't see the wagon for the smoke, but she could still hear Biter screaming. She crawled toward the sound. - Arya IV ACOK

Arya rolled headfirst into the tunnel and dropped five feet. She got dirt in her mouth but she didn't care, the taste was fine, the taste was mud and water and worms and life. Under the earth the air was cool and dark. Above was nothing but blood and roaring red and choking smoke and the screams of dying horses. She moved her belt around so Needle would not be in her way, and began to crawl. A dozen feet down the tunnel she heard the sound, like the roar of some monstrous beast, and a cloud of hot smoke and black dust came billowing up behind her, smelling of hell. Arya held her breath and kissed the mud on the floor of the tunnel and cried. For whom, she could not say. - Arya IV ACOK

This chapter does not mean that Dany is going to go “evil” or “mad” and start burning stuff to the ground.  You guys do remember that Dany has three dragons right?  And that Dany is only the dragonrider to Drogon?  That leaves two other possible dragons that could be stolen from Dany.  We have Euron/Victarion who has the dragon binder horn and then we have Aegon who may or may not be able to claim one of those dragons for himself.  There is also the possibility that Euron dies or Aegon dies and someone else will take their places as dragonriders via Targaryen blood or use of that horn.  So besides Dany we have Aegon, Jon, Euron, and Tyrion who may all ride dragons within the story as they all have the proper set-up and foreshadowing for it to be a possibility.  So why is it the automatic assumption that it will be Dany burning shit down?   

Not to mention, wildfire has the same types of language used as the two quotes above:

And then some vast beast had let out a roar, and green flames were all around them: wildfire, pyromancer's piss, the jade demon [...] From bank to bank there was nothing but burning ships and wildfire. The sight of it seemed to stop his heart for a moment, and he could still remember the sound of it, the crackle of flames, the hiss of steam, the shrieks of dying men, and the beat of that terrible heat against his face as the current swept him down toward hell. - Davos I ASOS

So considering there not only is there a ton of foreshadowing that it will be Cersei who destroys King’s Landing with wildfire, but also there is foreshadowing that Jon Connington will do something incredibly drastic to win and keep the Iron Throne for Aegon.  And may I remind the audience that the fires Arya went through and experienced in the Riverlands had zero to do with Dany.  They were the direct result of the Lannisters.

So if Arya IV ACOK is foreshadowing a future fire she is stuck in, there is no evidence that the fire will be caused by Dany nor that the fire is dragonfire.  And if you are going to point out the show as evidence, let me tell you something, go to the youtuber The Dragon Demands and watch his videos dissecting everything about the scene of Dany burning King’s Landing by using the script, listening to BtS content, looking at the storyboards, actually noting that a scene of Cersei looking out the window, depicting her watching people put barrels of wildfire on the battlements, etc.  Because the compilation he makes proves that Dany burning KL the way that she did in 8x05 was a last minute change.  It was supposed to be an accidental wildfire explosion before they changed it so they could justify Jon killing her.  But I’m sure even with the evidence you’ll still cling to the idea of Dark!Dany because you are incredibly insecure about your fictitious ship and your blatant mischaracterization of your favorite “pure as the driven snow /s” character, because there is literally nothing in the books that foreshadows Dany going “mad” or “dark”.  So why don’t you take your jealousies about Daenerys and Arya and the very possible Daenarya friendship somewhere else.

[lightwise]

I do think there's a number of interpretations/layers to this line (which made me get up from my couch and start pacing my living room crying before I could continue watching the episode).

I think in one way Crosshair is right--Clone Force 99 did die with Tech, because without him their family is now forever separated and fractured. There is no full reunion of the entire Batch in one place and at one time that is possible now if he is truly gone. Crosshair has been gone, Echo has been gone, but they both (intentionally or unintentionally) made their way back to their family eventually.

We also spent the majority of season 3 watching the markers of their old identities as "that squad" be stripped away. Hunter's signature red bandana with the Clone Force skull was switched out for an unmarked swath of red. Their paint colors had already been painted over from their original red and gray, then Hunter and Wrecker's paint gets scuffed beyond recognition, and then finally all of the boys deliberately scrape their armor down to the bare metal, leaving the bare bones of nameless, faceless armor that no longer signifies any particular emblem or ounce of personality. And the Marauder, their long time home and the one place in the world they could truly call their own, was blown up. By the time we get to the finale, their weapons and the armor on their backs is the only thing they still have that is "theirs" and ties them to their GAR days. Unless they just didn't show us, even this ends up being left behind on Tantiss, as their weapons and helmets are taken away by Hemlock and most likely not retrieved before they leave.

I agree that the concept of Clone Force 99 first died (or started dying?) during Aftermath when the war ended, Crosshair's chip was enhanced, and he turned on his brothers, forcing them to leave him behind and splitting them all up for the first time. For awhile they all still function like a military unit, with Hunter giving orders, taking on risky jobs that required their fighting skills, and not blending into civilian life at all.

By The Crossing, however, Omega has made it perfectly clear that they are more than just a military unit that happens to still be living together; they are a family, bound to each other no matter where they are or what they have been through. It's why Echo leaving has such a huge impact on her and on the team's dynamic, it's why they want Crosshair back so badly, and it's why Tech is willing to risk his life for his brother.

Crosshair takes a lot longer to come to this conclusion verbally, but he's always living it out through his actions once he returns. Taking care of Omega as they try to escape Tantiss the first time, and every moment after. Worriedly helping Hunter up out of the tunnels on Barton IV. Getting frustrated at Wrecker for needlessly putting himself in danger with the beast on Tantiss. Which then prompts him wanting Wrecker and Hunter to leave and allow him to finish the job on his own, knowing it's a suicide mission. He's acting out of guilt, yes, and he doesn't mentally believe that he truly belongs in the family of The Batch that Hunter, Wrecker, Tech and Echo had created for Omega while he was gone. But he also knows that Wrecker wanting to just storm in there and blow things up Bad Batch Clone Wars era style won't work anymore. Their old tactics won't work anymore, especially without Tech. Their wartime hubris and pride of having zero failed missions, of being able to waltz their way onto any battlefield and come away victorious and hardly breaking a sweat, is behind them. They've gotten older. They've lost people. They have failed time and time again. They have no guarantee of victory now. That Bad Batch, that Clone Force 99, has been gone for a long, long time. He was just the first person to verbalize it.

But Hunter and Wrecker then remind him that they're not going in blind, they know what they're up against. And they would do it all to rescue Omega. That she needs all of them together, because their bond is what is important. Their family sticking together, regardless of what comes. And that's what brings them to victory, for that last mission, before they are finally able to put their identities as soldiers away, or rather, setting them aside to allow new versions of their identities to be cultivated going forward. They might have hung up their armor, but as you said, their identity and legacy lives on through Omega and everyone they have impacted across the galaxy.

“Clone Force 99 Died With Tech.” Is that really true? The Answer is Deeper than you Think

In the series Finale of the Bad Batch, Crosshair shouts at Hunter with a harsh but memorable line, “Clone Force 99 Died with Tech.” But was that really true?

The answer could be both yes or no depending on the point of view.

From Crosshair’s perspective, he did believe Clone Force 99 died with Tech. A great deal of time had passed after he chose the Empire over his brothers. Like Omega told him on Pabu, “You’ve missed so much.” Crosshair was unaware all of the changes the squad had been through.

However, Crosshair knew exactly what was waiting for them inside Tantiss and that any attempt to infiltrate the base would be considered a suicide mission.

By sending his brothers elsewhere, Crosshair felt he was saving them. Given that his choice to remain with the Empire was the main source of his guilt, he felt that deserved to be the one to sacrifice himself. Hunter calling out this attempt as “Plan 99,” triggered Crosshair to forcibly reject everything they once were; thus giving us the line in question.

It’s important to note that by the time Tech enacted Plan 99, he had already come to the realization that they were more than a squad; they were a family. Tech sacrificed himself during a mission. So in essence, he saved his squad as a soldier. However, given the narrative of Season 2, there is a greater possibility that Tech quantified his decision as saving both his family and his squad.

Tech never thought he deserved his fate but understood it was the only solution. Plan 99 was implemented as an act of love. In Crosshair’s case, he felt he owed Omega; that sacrificing himself was an adequate punishment for his mistakes. That’s a huge difference.

Crosshair ultimately needed to forgive himself in order feel worthy of being accepted into the his old squad’s established family. We see this moment happen during the defeat of Dr. Hemlock.

During a tense stand-off on the bridge outside Tantiss, Crosshair had the ultimate test of faith. Plagued with doubts, he faced his worst fear; failure. With the encouragement from his brother, Crosshair pushed through his trauma and made a perfect shot to save his sister.

When Omega chooses to hug Crosshair after the battle was over, we clearly see the shock on his face that turns into relief. It was that in that exact moment that he finally forgives himself and is able to accept the love of his family. It’s one of the most touching and meaningful scenes in the entire series.

So, was Crosshair right? Did Clone Force 99 really die with Tech?

In my opinion, no.

Rescuing Omega from the clutches of Dr. Hemlock was their last mission as a squad. Their armor may have been metaphorically stripped of their old identities, but Clone Force 99 is irrevocably a part of them; just as one becomes a college alumni after graduation.

It’s also important to point out that Clone Force 99 was a title given to them by the GAR and the Bad Batch is a name they chose for themselves. A more accurate declaration would be that the concept of Clone Force 99 died when the Republic fell.

The narrative through the story of the Bad Batch is that the past is always a part of you. Your decisions and choices become your legacy.

Romar told Tech that Serennians existed before the war and the archive was a way to preserve his people’s history. Tech later explained to Omega that their squad existed before Echo and will still exist without him; that change is a fundamental part of life and they must adapt and move on.

Clone Force 99 and the Bad Batch may have been disbanded but their existence didn’t die.

They simply remain part of the Galaxy’s history and their legacy lives on through Omega and all people they’ve aided throughout their lives.

The skull patch on Omega’s jacket during the epilogue proves that.

[swimfuel]

Hey!! The X-men are literally my favorite thing and I was wondering if you could elaborate on how Scott is a knight of doom

YES OF COURSE!!!! i'll put it under a cut since i tend to ramble a bit & i'm pulling a bunch of explanations from people smarter than i am

the knight weaponizes their aspect; they have an inherent understanding of their aspect that allows them to exploit it completely. doom is the aspect of systems, restrictions/limitations, sacrifices, and endings.

one of scott's core themes is reclaiming his restrictions in order to serve others/the greater good! he takes the possible liability that are his faulty powers and shifts them to become an advantage, largely through the strength of his restraint and discipline. his role as a tactician and the way he sees sacrifices (more on that later) also mesh EXTREMELY well with the knight of doom.

i feel like the Wh*don run (specifically astonishing x-men #22-23) really highlights how scott can turn a situation on its head through exploiting his disadvantages to the point where they become tactically advantageous!! like, let's count the ways:

the ship the x-men stole from kruun is obviously bugged, so his team won't be able to communicate without being overheard. he realizes this, and uses that restriction (being overheard) as an advantage, by falsifying their course of action.

he has been left "without his powers"—he presents a restriction that lowers the guard of his adversary and grants him entry to their home base. he then subverts this by exploding the shit out of everything when an opportune moment arrives

HE LITERALLY EXPLOITS DEATH...... HE EXPLOITS HIS OWN DEATH...................FOR THE GREATER GOOD..........DUDE???? someone get this man an advil

some more thoughts, followed by some examples by people smarter than me:

he exhibits a similar pattern of idolization/realization with xavier irt karkat/HICand dave/bro.... not sure if this by itself is a knight-y thing but i think the consistent disillusionment with their role in defending their aspect is interesting (aka knight burnout, more on that later)

he is def willing to sacrifice shit for the greater good of mutantkind. the shit in question sometimes being his closest friends and allies. the examples that stick out to me are how he allowed beast to get tortured (utopia era) while executing his plan to solve All His Problems At Once & also when he sent x-force to the future to defend hope knowing it was going to be a one-way trip

that entire issue revolving around just how GOOD scott is at self-repression😭😭😭 i'm pretty sure it's post-schism utopia era i don't remember the exact issue WAIT NVM i'm pretty sure it's uncanny #518

seeing phoenix!scott as an inversion to (rogue of) life is also an interesting concept (unchecked growth!)

the amount of responsibility he feels he has to take on (partially due to his idolization cycle w xavier/xavier's dream) is also both knight-y and doom-y

and of course the instinct to protect the people around him --> being expanded into the whole of mutantkind (which, in turn, expands his sense of obligation)

everything leading up to revolutionary cyclops is also very interesting through this framework because its reminiscent of the knights & doom players in hs! the "taking on an insane burden" (phoenix force, whatever whammied mituna) -> the "resignation to the fate handed to him by his aspect" (his stint in prison, dead daves, sollux in general) -> the "refusal to accept that fate" (prison break, dave not wanting to use time travel, sollux fucking off into the dreambubbles, karkat coming to terms w his relationship w leadership) --> experiencing knight burnout at the end of revolutionary era going into death of x

im not sure exactly how to put it into words but everything about his childhood/teenhood... like being surrounded by forces seeking to control him and use him for their own ends..... idk

(from @/land-of-classpects-and-analysis, sections highlighted red are of particular interest)

HIS GIANT STINKING MARTYR COMPLEX.....DUDE😭😭

side note & ive mentioned this before but scottjean is an interesting parallel to davejade in a way i cant verbalize

Then there are the ones who may accept [the fact of inevitable human suffering], and so choose to live in high alert of any danger - any threats - as well as living in fear of what harm may befall them and/or their loved ones. It is this third and final group of people that so deeply marks that of the Knight of Doom.

Now, this might cause a few eyebrows to become quirked. After all, a Knight? Being fearful of something - nevertheless that thing being related to their Aspect? Knights do often present themselves as ruthless and fearless warriors, yes, but that is only because their Aspects and the world around them raised and called them to act as such. 

... A key factor in the Knight’s life, specifically before their journey truly begins, is that they are already well equipped with their Aspect.

... The Knight of Doom is one where their Aspect being all around them is far more bittersweet than anything else.

... What is important to acknowledge is that the facade the Knight of Doom puts up is not only to hide the fear they have for their Aspect, but it is most definitely there to hide the grief and pain they have not yet completely finished going through. Whether it’s been weeks or years, the Knight of Doom is someone who would rather hide themself away from these feelings than find a way to truly mend and heal them ... they have built a false wall between them and their suffering strong and thick enough to partially block it from their memory. 

... Knights are known to become extremely stubborn whenever people try to order them around and pressure them into doing something, and the Knight of Doom is no different - especially if they believe what they are doing is for the greater good. 

(from @/dahniwitchoflight)

Dahni’s Explanantion: “Doom can be a negative force that rejects and harms, fostering a sense of hostility or sadness. But, it is also the idea that you can pull backwards and cautiously and wisely withdraw into your own self.  It can be the idea of Control taken from the sharp Black and White Restrictions that everything in the world gets sorted into. It understands community necessity and need, responsibly pulling back and lowering you down into its lap to help wind yourself down. Doom then is an ultimate gentle Equalizer, instilling its players with an internal sense of Acceptance and eventually true Wisdom.”

Knight of Doom: One who Exploits with Doom or Exploits Doom

Knights hide a fear of a perceived fundamental failure with their Aspect behind a shield of confidence and obsessive effort. Their challenge is to learn to take it down a notch and to understand that they are skilled enough

A Knight is very skilled with using the rules and limitations of any game or session to their advantage. They skillfully fulfill any responsibility or obligation required of them with ease. They might use their natural caution and pessimism to make realistic choices and endeavors. They use and exploit any rule or limit that they can to their advantage. They might also be very good at exploiting any sacrifices made or any obligation or responsibility that they are held to. They might be very good at avoiding any unnecessary thing or person and are very good at recognizing when something is too futile to even bother with.

Likewise they might only focus on the necessary things in their game or session so they are likely to not do much unless it’s absolutely necessary. They would very likely be very meticulous with themselves about following the rules properly and constantly restrict themselves, maybe thinking they aren’t following the rules properly enough or not following the right ones. They might sacrifice anything they consider unnecessary about themselves or the way they live, sometimes even going too far with it, in order to be considered or thought of as less useless. They’re always trying harder and holding themselves to extreme self-imposed standards.

They would likely wait for the opportune moment to strike, though they are slow to move or act, they always will when something necessary needs to happen. Out of all the Doom players, a Knight of Doom seems like the one most likely to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. A Knight of Doom can also expertly use and exploit fire, bombs and explosions to their advantage, maybe they create flashy distractions during fights. They might even use decaying or dying things to their advantage.

(from @/communistvriska)

Role in the Session: Rather like the Prince of Doom, this role’s title kinda has “edgelord” written all over it, but that’s not a set-in-stone character trait. The first thing that comes to mind re: what the Knight Class and the Aspect of Doom have in common is a strong sense of obligation. The Knight of Doom is bound to take their duties and responsibilities Extremely Seriously, perhaps rather too seriously at first ... Knights also tend to be very protective of both their Aspect as a concept, and of themselves and those close to them; while the Knight of Doom isn’t likely to be outwardly aggressive, given Doom’s reserved, slow-burn tendencies, woe betide those who try to deceive or confound the Knight or their allies. One of Doom’s internal contradictions (which I find personally fascinating) is that the aspect is associated both with cynical resignation and with a profound albeit restrained sense of passion and persistence. Doom is what’s left after everything else gets burnt away.

The Knight of Doom will likely be a very skilled combatant, as the Knight is a class strongly associated with Strife / battle, and Doom is one of the more overtly destructive Aspects. I’d put them in the Top 5 Roles to use a cool flamin sword, at least. They’re not going to be eager to fight, per se, but they’re not going to have much trouble scaling the echeladder when it comes to that either. Internally, they’re likely to struggle with a perceived (but largely imagined) inability to fulfill their duties, and they could well stumble once or twice in their quest to be perceived as reliable and stoic, or as someone who their friends can lean on. They’re probably doing more than enough already, but if they’re not careful they might overexert themselves and take on too heavy a burden, and they’re liable to be crushed by their own expectation that they face their challenges alone. This is going to factor into their capital-Q Quest and the environment of their planet, and will be the biggest obstacle in their path to Ascension. A Knight’s duty is to protect their co-players, but their co-players also have to support them.

[kishimoto-did-us-dirty]

Naruto Arts School AU

Reposting bc I love this post and bc I can lol

Character

- major

description

Naruto

-Drums

okie nobody can deny that our main boy over here is a loud soul, however, he can also carry a damn good beat that compliments his band mates’ music really well. Tbh, he sucked at music to begin with and had trouble matching rhythms and listening to his band mates when they played, however he eventually became a really good rhythm maker.

Sasuke

-Guitar (lead)

He’d be assigned to the same band as Naruto, and that’s how they met. This boy is a damn good guitarist y’all, but has attitude problems™, and used to not be able to deal with Naruto’s haphazard beat making, thus perpetuating a rivalry between the two. He constantly feels overshadowed by his elder brother Itachi, a piano major.

Sakura

- Dance

Ya girl fucking demolishes every single dance routine. Initially starting out with a focus on ballet (pre-shippuden in canon), our pink headed queen soon realized that she wasn’t getting the full experience of what it meant to dance. Her point shoes were her loves, however they hurt and nipped in places not just physical. She realized that she didn’t want to be pigeonholed into a genre of which she would be inhibited by standard, and rather to dance so as to forget technical perfection. Thus, what would partner with post-shippuden Sakura in canon, Art School AU Sakura got into hip-hop. And bitch, she goes hard. A lot of the other girls who she used to dance ballet with admire her for her absolutely BODYING her dance routines, but also for never sacrificing her femininity to dance and not taking BS for being a girl who goes so hard in a male-dominated genre. (Some people believe that hip-hop is heavy hitting and a little metaphorically “dark” so to speak, which Sakura is not. So obviously I expect a little disagreement regarding this, however if you look at people like Delaney Glazer or Kaycee Rice, that is how Sakura would dance).

Hinata

- Creative Writing

Shy and bookworm-like, Hinata can write the best poetry, romance and adventure pieces out of all the creative-writing majors. She’s especially good at writing character relationships and development, and has such a subtle sense of intelligent wit in her writing, that if you blinked you would miss it. However should you catch it, you’re sure to chuckle. Her only struggle is that she tends to drag on in important scenes, stretching them against the regular flow of the rest of her writing. Needs validation for her writing through an IV drip.

Kiba

- Drums OR Photography

Drums for obvious reasons (loud and obnoxious), although ruff boi looks good with a camera, too. Great at landscapes and street photography.

Shino

- Creative Writing OR Photography

I could definitely see Shino having fucking beautiful handwriting, and being a beast at writing anything within the sci-fi realm. I could also see him doing some journalism, and writing for the school paper. He’s very good at the logic of his sci-fi books and coming up with logical but enrapturing stories, that intermingle knowledge and mystery. He’s a very specific type of read, however, and may not appeal to all, however if you enjoy anything similar to Star Wars or Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy, then Shino is your author. If this doesn’t float your boat, though, try photography-major Shino. He can get the best angles of bugs he sees, and has an extensive portfolio with entomology-related snapshots.

Ino

- Dance

Like Sakura, she, too, began with a focus on ballet, however began to branch out into contemporary ballet a little later than Sakura. This is another reason why Sakura switched her focuses, as she and Ino had always had a fierce rivalry for dieting (ballet dancers are pressured to be as thin as possible) as well as battling for technical perfection when they were ballet focused. As the two grew, Ino focused more so on contemporary, but can certainly do some hip-hop with Sakura every now and then, just as Sakura occasionally takes a contemporary class with her. The two still have a rivalry, however, just not to the previous extent as when they were actively competing against each other. They’re more like sisters.

Shikamaru

- Guitar (bass) OR Creative Writing OR Architecture

Smart boy’s a tricky one. He would either be a bassist, a mystery and historical fiction writer, or, of his school offers it, be great at architecture. Idrk.

Choji

- ermmmmm….. maybe graphic design? Tech theatre (props)? Vocal???

Choji is hARD dwnccnpc (that’s what she said). I could see him behind a computer screen, animating and designing games/covers/posters or whatever. He could also do something in theatre, but I don’t think he would do anything up on stage. Something like props would suit him. He might do something in music, tho???? Can he sing???? Help???

UPDATE: Choji is a band kid. He plays tuba or some shit. Big boy got big lungs.

Tenten

- Dance

Always has been, and always will be a hip-hop dancer. She wanted to be like Tsunade, a legendary dancer and followed in her footsteps, taking up hip-hop. (that’s why Sakura focused on hip-hop, too, because Tsunade mentored her and taught a few of her classes, too). Tenten is fast and can keep up with any beat. Not only is she a great dancer, but she’s also athletic, and does track and field (cross country), football, and softball at another school too, since the arts schools doesn’t offer it. Overall great dancer with styl. She’s really looked up to by some of her underclassmen for her cheery, but badass style and skill.

Lee

- DANCE (hip-hop, too)

It’s sweat. It’s burn. It’s energy. It’s Lee.

Neji

- Violin

First chair violinist in his freshman year for the school’s philharmonic orchestra. He be extra like that.

Gaara

- Guitar (bass)

He had a lonely childhood with neglectful/abusive parents, and rock music really helped him with that. Emo music is emo and often made fun of, but the songs have messages and Gaara related, so self-taught himself the bass guitar to help cope, and bring him closer to the music that salvaged him.

Kankuro

-Art

Specifically sculpting. For obvious reasons.

Temari

- Acting

Girl can make you cry with some of her monologues. Total lead. Has a seriousness in her acting that makes her believable, however can falter on the less-serious roles. She may also double-major in whatever Shikamaru does. And she’s better at it than him.

Itachi

-Piano

Boy could play any etude at age 7. Performed at Carnegie Hall when he was 10. And no, he didn’t pay to play there. The hall invited him. Began composing at 9. Has perfect pitch. Owns international awards. If he’s not at school it’s because he’s traveling to play for crowds. He excels at classical and baroque, however has an ear for romantic, and enjoys playing/composing pieces either written or inspired by romantic pieces. Enjoys Schumann, Debussy, and Tchaikovsky. Hates modern classical music, though. Can only take cinematic pieces composed by people like Williams, however can’t stand Prokofiev at all. He does like modern music, though, so long as it’s outside of the orchestral/classical music realm. He likes R&B. He would have liked to do film with Shisui, particularly producing, however his parents pressure him with piano, so he helps Shisui with student films and projects outside of school (will probably pursue film after graduating, tho).

Shisui

- FILM / VIDEO PRODUCTION

Fight me on this!!! THIS BOY IS SO GOOD AT CINEMATOGRAPHY MY FILMMAKING ASS CAN’T EVEN. AS SOMEONE WHO IS IN LOVE WITH FILMOGRAPHY, TRUST ME, SHISUI HAS IT™. THE IT™. HE’S GOOD AT EVERYTHING. CINEMATOGRAPHY. DIRECTING. SCREENWRITING. GRIP-WORK. EDITING. PRODUCING. HE’S SUCH A FILM NERD TOO, AND WATCHES OLD FILMS ALL THE TIME. HE’S JUST TOO GOOD AT IT. DOES STREET PHOTOGRAPHY TOO. HE’S OVERALL A GENIUS WITH CAMERAS. Does film with Itachi outside of school and teaches him, and the two are overall geniuses at filmography. They want to start their own studio together (they do, and it becomes huge). He becomes a leading director, while Itachi becomes a producer and directs sometimes too.

Sasori, Deidara, and Sai

Guess.

Kakashi

- Saxophone

It’s the only thing that suits him and it suits him so well. Has suave.

Obito (omfg his arms y'all)

- Not to say drums or anything, but…. drums.

Narutard 2.0. But he also dabbles in other areas of music. Like, he can also play guitar and sing. He’s also pretty good at music production. Makes R&B sometimes. He wasn’t always the best musician but proved to be a late bloomer, and really harnessed his potential. Tries to be as suave as Kakashi and his saxophone. He isn’t.

Hashirama

- Vocal

OkaYYYYYY. VOCAL GOD. CAN DO RIFFS AND RUNS AND HAS PERFECT PITCH. ALSO THE SWEETEST GUY??? WAS A CHAMBER SINGER AS A FRESHMAN. EVERYONE LOVES HIM, GOOD BOY ENERGY.

Likes to belt.

Madara

- Piano

Total prodigy, but hates classical music. Once was accompanist to Hashirama for a solo vocal performance and hasn’t been left alone since.

Tobirama

- Viola or Cello

Some sort of string instrument and takes it very seriously. Probably plays cello because violas are violas and that’s lame (if you know, you know). Has almost as many awards as Itachi and Madara, but hates his usual piano accompanist, Izuna.

Izuna

- Piano

Also a piano god. The uchihas breed them. Hates being accompanist for Tobirama. They’re secretly best friends though, don’t tell anyone.

Karin

- Tech Theatre.

Idk why. Probably started out with props and made her way up to TD (technical director) in senior year.

Suigetsu

- Tech Theatre

Fucking hates theatre kids. Assistant TD. Karin hates him.

Jugo

- Visual Art

Paints landscapes and nature. Really good with oils and gouache respectively.

Yamato

- lmao Trumpet.

Met Kakashi since they both play brass, but boy he ain’t got that suave. That’s why he plays trumpet. Lmao he plays the fucking trumpet anjdwcnojdnn.

Rin

- Vocal

Sweetest voice and could also play the acoustic guitar when she sang. Died in a car accident junior year. Kakashi was at the wheel when they got hit by a drunk driver. Obito saw the whole thing.

Kurenai

- Visual Art

Can create dream like paintings that almost seem like illusions.

Asuma

- Cello / guitar

Used to play cello because of his parents, but loves to play guitar. Can sing but his voice is raspy from smoking.

Gai

Who the fuck do you think teaches dance?

Jiraiya

- Guitar (lead)

Used to major in lead guitar. Sucked at first. Probably has a couple, casual Grammy Awards (they’re actually not that hard to be awarded with, The Recording Academy award many people outside of mainstream media. My school has a few). Now teachers as head of the Band department at this school.

Tsunade

-Dance

Legendary dancer. Probably toured with a few famous people. Now teaches. Mentored Sakura, and mentored Ino but for a shorter time.

Orochimaru

- Idk, didgeridoo, or some shit

Definitely a wood wind. Flute maybe??? Teaches now but no one knows what he does. Pedophile. Has a thing for Sasuke.

[the-moon-prince]

The Last Of us~Kurapika x Reader ~Chapter XI

AN: Hi my lovely fellows!

I’m sorry for the delay! Thank you so much for your patience and support! I’m here with another chapter! I put some uncany descriptions and a tiny fight scene in this chapter. I hope it will dynamic and intresting enough. If you have any feedback, I would be more than glad to recive it! I have some work this week, however I’ll do my best to upload the next chapter as quickly as possible! Thank you, have a great day and I hope you will enjoy the new chapter!

I wish you a pleasant read, and I hope you’ll enjoy the new chapter of my story.  (Chapter I) (Chapter II) (Chapter III) (Chapter IV ) (Chapter V) (Chapter VI) (Chapter VII)(Chapter VIII)(Chapter IX)(Chapter X) (Chapter XII coming soon!)

Paring: Kurapika Kurta x GN! Reader

Word count: 2 317

TW: Blood // Morbid Descriptions  // Violence (? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I don't bother. I want to make sure that I'm not selling one of my prized items to anyone."-The black-haired man dictated.

(Y/n) cleared their throat-"Understandable. Your collection is impeccable. I can clearly see the devotion put into it."-they agreed with their smile. sitting down on one of the bar benches. Kurapika mimicked the action.

Human and animal parts were too part of the person's collection.

Just another one of those sick scums for Kurapika. He loathed this guy. Referring to (Y/n)'s family as an article in his collection. Still making the reclaim difficult with an air of false supremacy and narcissism.

"I'm glad you recognize it."-the man seemed pleased with the adulation.-"Especially because I'm going to confer you one of my favorite pieces."

(Y/n) nodded-"If I were giving one of my pieces, I would as well be concerned about who was receiving it."-they added with their smile.

"Speaking of, tell me about your collection."-the man challenged. 

He pulled up a crystal bottle filled with a dark drink. At the moment of uncovering it, an intensive scent of alcohol came off. He proceeded to pour a generous amount of liquor in a spacious glass with ice

(Y/n) had no collection. Kurapika started to bug. What are they deemed to say to persuade him? 

"I have a peculiar appreciation for bodily oddities."-they tilted their head-"I own a hand with polydactyly, another one with syndactyly. A fetus with 15pp tetrasomy, a specimen of dipygus, a pair of lungs with tracheal agenesis, the list can go on."

The man lifted his chin at the answer. Kurapika relaxed. Using his medical knowledge to give examples of abnormalities was skillful. 

"That is in the human realm. My favorites are the animal eccentricities. Aren't beasts beautiful?"-they advertised, directing their gate to a taxidermized Golden Pheasant displayed on the shelf behind the man.

By this point, both (Y / n) and Kurapika were certain they had convinced the man sufficiently for him to finally sell them what they were seeking.

"Are they, right?"-the man bragged with his gruff voice-"Your interest shows, kid, that's good."-he nodded, drinking his liquor and refilling the glass-"But do you know what is special about my Fuse?"

Fuse? Didn't that mean beastman or dogman? Kurapika was perplexed. By what right did he refer to them like this...

"It would be the least! The Fuses, aren't they intriguing? Wonderful beasts."-(Y/n) praised, trying to widen their smile.  Kurapika could only imagine the pain they felt having to fake that excitement.

The man finished his drink in one gulp and served more.

"Even more for the few that remained. A true rarity! I had a good time studying them."-he shouted. It inflated his ego to be able to show off his collection.-"Imposing! Some tremble with fear when they see them. The demons robed, mated, and killed men, women, and children alike to eat their souls. Since they were disguising themselves as humans, they hid for a while. But they smelled like animals, you know? Beasts in body and soul."-he voiced and made motions of greatness with his hands. Letting out a pant that stank of alcohol.

All of this disgusted Kurapika. The man was putting on a deplorable show: spitting pest and bile out of his filthy mouth. All the collectors were rotten to the core. Would it also own scarlet eyes? What would the miserable bastard state about the Kurta? They were dull and reckless forms who were better off in vases on shelves? His blood was boiling.

(Y/n) didn't took their eyes off the dark-haired for a moment.

"It must be outstanding to hold one! I've been seeking a chance like this for a prolonged time now."-they exclaimed, putting their hands together in triumph. Kurapika felt sorry for them. 

"But beasts after all."-the man continued, finishing his drink and serving one plus anew. He was presumably drunk.-"Poor fools, they didn't stand a chance against us."-he started to laugh.-"But enough is enough, I'll go for what you want, kid."

The man finished his 3rth drink, got up, and left his bar counter to climb a wide staircase. Kurapika, who had stayed muted the whole exhibit and was staring at the glass of alcohol, let out a groan once he was assured the bastard was gone. Fuse, it even sounded awful. He turned to see (Y/n). They were looking at the things on the back furniture, their head resting on their hand. 

The man went back inside, and they both followed him with their eyes from the entry to his seat. He placed a head on the bar table on a polished wood plank. The head was of a dog. Its fur was light in color, and it had a longer, darker coat on the top of its head from which its ears poked out. His muzzle was somewhat elongated with a slightly recurved blackish nose A dog with human-like traits, resembling (Y/n). Only that he was a child and his grimace was a mixture of surprise and terror. His eyes had been replaced by doll-like ones, cold and lifeless. However, it wasn't him.

They degraded a child to wall decor.

"Look at it!"-the drunk man blurted, elevating the head by the ears to the level of his head.-"A real treasure! Even more, being from a predator, they were the most unusual among the Fuse!"

A twisted and degrading spectacle.

(Y/n) has a face of admiration, and started to clap.-"Wonderful!"

The man laid the head back on the table and sat.

"It is, it is. But it's a pity that it is dead. It would be even more impressive to have it as a pet."-He interjected with a grin, showing his open hand, waiting.

(Y/n) took an envelope out of their bag and handed it to him. The man took money out of it and began to count it. At that, Kurapika took the head and pulled it towards him. On its own, it was quite heavy, and the wooden base didn't help. The fur was soft and covered the moderately battered neck. When viewed up close it was worse. 

"Okay, take good care of my Fuse."-he teased displaying his hand to them. They watched it for a moment before pulling their own out and shaking it.

"I will. So you don't have to trouble about that."-they responded smiling.-"We will with-"

"Fuse."-The black-haired interrupted them.

(Y/n) inclined their head, and Kurapika looked up at him. How drunk was this bastard?

"You are a Fuse kid: you have claws. When you shook my hand I saw them, even if you put black nail polish. Your aura is not human either, although you mirror it well. But specialize in hunting beasts, you can't trick me."-the man condemned, with a severe look.

Kurapika felt his blood run cold for a second. (Y/n)'s smile got substituted by a sober expression.

"Why don't you kill me, kid?"-his face changed into an expression of repugnance.

Kurapika was already preparing to attack.

"There is no use in such an act. We will withdraw now."- they calmly declared standing up. They held the head with both hands, and the two directed to the exit. 

The man looked down at his now hollow glass, it did not seem that he was going to launch an attack. Nevertheless, Kurapika didn't let his guard down all the walk to the exit. The man didn't seem to move from his chair.

Still, the walk from the bar counter to the door felt heavy. Neither of them would show fear, they couldn't permit it. They would not indulge the wretch.

As soon as they were out the front door, they heard another scream from the man.

"Fuse!"-he shouted that name again. The smell of strong alcohol reached up to them.

 Kurapika and (Y/n) stopped, standing on the small path between the porch and the gate. Kurapika turned to see him. This man was nothing to him but a wretch. And he was already on the last nerve of him. 

(Y/n) continue to turn their back to the drunk.

"I'll tell you why you don't kill me!"-he shouted-"You don't kill me because you know it won't change anything. You will never get anything back. Because your kind never had anything."-he raged. He seemed almost offended.

(Y/n) tilted their head and remained silent for a couple of seconds. Kurapika was ready to deliver a punch to the man right into his face. At any circumstance, in his current shape, he wasn't going to be capable of much.

"No."-(Y/n) alleged, without turning to see him-"I already reclaimed what was robbed from us."-their tone was not the same as before. This one was more pressing. 

Kurapika hadn't heard that tone of theirs before. While they weren't screaming, it radiated indignity.

"They only robbed our bodies."-they maintained-"They will never be able to take away our pride, dignity, nor greatness. And that reality pains you."

The man rushed towards (Y/n), he was fast. In a fit of rage and giddy with alcohol, he concentrated his nen in his right fist and delivered a punch into their head. This action pushed (Y/n)'s head to the floor and their entire body hit the concrete, releasing the puppy's head from their grasp. Which fell to the ground, slightly staining its fur.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Kurapika's eyes glowed scarlet. It could be subtly perceived under the contacts he wore. The man had made the mistake of revealing his type of nen. He was an Enhancer, practicing hand-to-hand combat. That puts him at a disadvantage against Kurapika's ranged techniques. 

Kurapika conjured his chains. He dashed towards the man and unleashed his fury in a blow that struck the man in the side, targeting the kidney. The hit was potent enough not only to beat the man off but also to thrust him a few feet away from the two of them.

He was writhing in the grass, panting.

Seeing that (Y/n) didn't get up, Kurapika went to his side and helped him to their feet. Their legs were shaking. They had hit their noses on the pavement. It was bleeding heavily, and their eyes were watery. They also had their left cheek bruised. Neither of them noticed the blow coming. 

Once steady on their feet, (Y/n) stepped to the head and lifted it. Whipping the dust and dirt off the pup's face.

"Let me see your other form. Transform yourself."-the man whimpered between gasps, still in the ground.

"Sir, you are drunk."-(Y/n) finished. 

In other conditions, Kurapika would keep pounding the bastard. However, the blow (Y/n) received was considerably strong and had a great deal of concentrated aura. Above, they had little physical resistance against direct attacks; their physical fragility could not be ignored. His priority was to get them out of the place. The man did not move and did not say anything again.

Kurapika put a hand on (Y/n) 's back to help them advance to the car.

Getting to the safety of the truck, (Y/n) sat down after putting the puppy in the back. So far it had been a disastrous night. They had to put up with a drunken narcissistic idiot and (Y/n) got beaten, insulted, and denigrated.

When they put their weight on the seat, their frame inclined forward, still shaking. They put their trembling hands together and supported them on their legs meanwhile they puffed.

Kurapika was troubled for their well-being. He moved closer to them to get a better glimpse at the wound. They would have a mark on their cheek and their nose continued to bleed.

"(Y/n), how do you feel?"- he pleaded, a hand in their back.

They sniffed and pulled out a tissue to clean their face. 

"I feel better. It is not grave, I'll be fine. Thank you, my love"-they affirmed, turning to see him and offering him a smile.

Kurapika didn't understand. He knew how affable his darling was, except this was exceedingly much. A narcissistic and vulgar man had insulted, not only them but their entire deceased family. Not having respect for the gone is the limit of acceptable decency.

 He referred to them as demons, assassins, and other barbarities. He had even demoted them to pets. Yet with all that, he was the one who attacked. He was the one who was boiling in pure anger, not making the smallest attempt to be polite with the bastard. Not (Y/n).

They could have attacked at any time. However, they didn't even conjure their ribbons. They didn't shout at him, they didn't insult him. They remained terribly calm. Even now, when they were alone in the car. It seemed as if they had forgotten everything. They even smiled.

As someone dares to speak like that of the Kurta clan, Kurapika would grind them with his chains and fists.

But this was an enigma to him. Was (Y/n) even vexed? Whatever it is, they had enormous self-control, even excessive...

Kurapika would reflect on this entire experience several times in the future. Despite the fact, there were diverse imports one particular thing adhered with him like glue: the response (Y/n) gave the man screeched they would never recover what was lost. 

Kurapika embraced (Y/n) and drew circles on their back, attempting to comfort them. They rested their head on his chest, he could feel them quivering.

"(Y/n)."-he called softly-"It's over, dear, let's go home."

They shook their head.-"Not yet."

[quazartranslates]

Welcome to the Nightmare Game - CH114

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

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Chapter 114: The Dream of the Holy Nun (IV)

"So, you’re the one who took Rudd away from the pub just now? Do you know him?" Qi Leren asked.

"I do. He and Mr. Arnold were my mother's friends, and I recently learned that Mr. Arnold has passed away," Ning Zhou said. The knight Arnold was his first teacher, and most of his fighting skills were learned from him. When Arnold died a few months ago, he didn't find out right away. Although he’d been to the Village of Dusk, he had been in too much of a hurry and didn't visit Arnold, and he didn't hear the news of his death until recently.

Because he didn't know where he was buried, he had come to Arnold's friend Rudd, who brought him here. Then he came to visit Maria, who was also buried nearby, and then he met Qi Leren.

Qi Leren thought deeply at that instant, and some of his thoughts made him afraid.

If he had chosen the left door instead of the right one in the abandoned church, would he have met Ning Zhou in the game?

Maybe, maybe not.

If he had met Ning Zhou at that time, would the plot of the Nightmare Game have changed dramatically?

The answer was yes.

If Maria was really the Holy Nun then, as her child, Ning zhou in the game will definitely make the same choice as him now. If he took Ning zhou to the Holy City…

Qi Leren gave a wry smile in his heart. So he had given his "first drop of blood" in the Holy City because he hadn't brought the task’s key NPC?

He didn't want to think like this because it made him think Ning Zhou was an NPC in the game, not a living human being.

Maybe there was such a possibility if he had seen Ning Zhou composed of a series of data through the computer screen. He wouldn’t have a problem regarding him as an ordinary NPC, and he wouldn’t explore his life, nor be moved by his emotions. Even if he saw him die, he could only sigh for him and forget in an instant.

This was too cruel, too cruel…

"Let's go and find Rudd. He knows that Arnold has a key item in his hand. With it, we can cross the fog outside the Holy City and enter the 'Holy City'," Qi Leren said, clearing the mood.

The Holy City in the fog was also the Dream of the Holy Nun, or in a more colloquial way, a field created by Maria, a world shrouded by the illusion of peace and tranquility, where the human beings who had survived the demon invasion lived happily and were ignorant of the world, under the appearance of peace. However, after the death of the Holy Nun, the illusion of peace has become increasingly fragile, and would eventually reveal the ferocious and horrible contents.

The two men turned back to another path. Ning Zhou had just returned from Arnold's grave and returned there now with Qi Leren. He found Rudd in the cemetery. Qi Leren remembered that Rudd had easily given him the task in the game and had told him that the keepsake was in Arnold's former residence, hoping that he would take the keepsake to the Holy City as soon as possible and rescue the human beings trapped in the Holy City.

But this time, Qi Leren hadn't chatted with Ruth in the pub. He was worried that Rudd would no longer tell him this key information since the son of his old friend was here. Would Rudd be more cooperative?

While he was weighing his words, Ning Zhou asked straight away: "Give me her field memento."

Rudd, who was still drunk, suddenly sobered up and denied it: "I don't have that kind of thing!"

Qi Leren was stunned at the plot’s sudden change. Rudd's attitude was too strange. Why did he deny it? In the "Nightmare Game", he couldn't wait to tell him the clue of the memento… Was it because he’d missed the pub part of the plot?

No, it was because of Ning Zhou.

Qi Leren carefully observed Rudd’s eyes. When he looked at Ning Zhou, he obviously showed nervousness. He was trying to hide something…

Ning Zhou said that Rudd and Arnold were friends of his mother, so why didn't he want Ning Zhou to go to the Holy City?

Why?

Although the "Dream of the Holy Nun" had started to have problems, wasn't it better to crack the field early and let the human beings there leave? Why did he want to stop Ning Zhou?

Ning Zhou's aura suddenly suppressed. He seemed to be trying to endure something and asked in a low voice: "Did she know that her domain memento had fallen into the hands of you and Arnold?"

Rudd's lips moved and he swallowed what he said: "I don't know what you’re talking about."

Ning Zhou took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His over-suppressed voice trembled slightly: "She was thinking about going back before she died..."

Rudd seemed to have been struck by lightning, and his pale face was stiff and sober.

"You knew she’d been thinking about going back. For more than a decade, she’d been worried and tormented, and she had woken up from nightmares over and over again... She thought that her domain memento had been lost in the Holy City, but she didn’t expect that you were hiding it." Ning Zhou’s blue eyes brewed with deep anger and disappointment, "Why did you hide it from her? Why?!”

Rudd, who was left without face, trembled in a way that made him look a little vulnerable in front of Ning Zhou’s anger. He looked at Arnold's grave and seemed to draw strength from his friend. He shouted, "If Maria knew that her field memento hadn’t been left in the Holy City, she would have definitely gone back, but her field is dead! The only way to solve the field is to destroy it completely. What's the difference was there between that and killing her? How could we watch her die?!”

"A soldier should die on the battlefield. This is the supreme honor given by the Lord. Accept it, don’t run from it." Ning Zhou took a step toward him and Ruth was intimidated by his imposing manner, retreating unconsciously towards Arnold's tombstone.

"Let me finish what she failed to finish. Now, give me her field memento," Ning Zhou said as he reached his hand to Rudd, staring into his eyes.

Rudd was silent, his clenched teeth revealing his fear as they rattled. He seemed to be a trapped beast pushed to its limit, struggling with his heart at a loss.

"I don't know," Rudd let this sentence drop and fled away from the cemetery.

In the sunset, only Qi Leren and Ning Zhou were left.

Seeing this, Qi Leren somewhat understood why Rudd would tell him the whereabouts of the field memento so easily in the Nightmare Game. Rudd was afraid. The pious Arnold would rather reveal his deception so that he could go to heaven after his death, but Rudd was not as persistent as he was. He wanted to relieve his guilt, so he chose to give the field memento to a stranger who was willing to go to the Holy City, and let him fulfill Maria's last wish.

Qi Leren could understand Rudd's feelings to some extent. Just like how when he was undercover with the Slaughter Secret Society, he would rather leave a letter about the  Nightmare Game’s main task and some scattered side tasks in his own room, expecting a stranger whom he had never met to take over the heavy responsibility rather than tell Dr. Lu about it.

The heart that wanted to protect relatives and friends was the same.

"I know where it is." After consideration, Qi Leren said it: "It's in Arnold's home."

Ning Zhou stood at Arnold's grave. He had been his first teacher and his mother's knight. He had vowed to be loyal to Maria, but he would rather break his oath and bring this secret to the grave, even if his soul would be condemned to fall into hell.

Ning Zhou closed his eyes, recalling how Arnold had patiently taught him many years ago, and helped him to correct one of the simplest knife-cutting movements carefully. After Maria died, he had followed Maria's last wish and sent him to the Holy See, where the Pope personally served as his guardian.

But this was the man who had sent Maria to her grave believing a white lie.

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