#deathfavor: earl

[moonsmourning]

@deathfavor: [ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐭𝐡 ] : sender drapes a coat / cape / etc. around receiver's shoulders. (Earl & Bai Yi)

money was how she survived. it was something she thought about far too often, way too worried about tying up loose ends and paying off debts she still finds herself adding to. whitestone industries did every job, no matter how small or too grand. granted, k.k would tell nearly everyone that most of the jobs were for dog walking, plumbing, and on the odd occasion, a decent babysitting job. but that wasn't entirely the truth. some of the jobs were dangerous and gruesome, not the kind of jobs bai yi wanted to subject her precious little k.k to. che, on the other hand, could deal with much worse, but even then bai yi sheltered the boy from a lot. he was a very important person in her life, as was k.k.

and recently, so was zoya. ever since the black ring bai yi was tasked to take the leader of the legion and hide her away, to protect her and nurse her back to health. whoever thought it was a mission fit for someone like bai yi was an idiot, but, so far, she's done well. she managed to keep the woman alive and well for everyone's favourite silver fox to wiggle his way out of the clutches of the mbcc and locate them. ( word got around and reached bai yi's ears, and she disclosed her location to him. )

the money she was receiving for this job was enough to settle her debt, it was enormous. but, in doing this job, she has missed a lot. she missed an attack on drifter camp, missed che getting injured and coming across that man. now, the brunette is in no way an emotional woman, not to others. it's not the side of her she lets people see, because the idiot, clumsy, and flirty bai yi everyone knew was a facade. but when she found out about che, k.k, and the chief... and that che had to face that bastard again, she found herself resenting zoya for a moment, wondering how the powerhouse could fall so easily. but it was bai yi's fault for being swayed so easily by money, it was her fault she was here instead of there, where she could have protected che and k.k.

the thoughts pluck away at every nerve inside of her brain, sending tension throughout her body as she stands by the entrance of an abandoned building, watching the rain pour from an endlessly dark sky. when she feels as though her thoughts were growing just that inch too large she feels a sudden weight be laid upon her shoulders, literally, and turns her head to see the taller man standing by her side, without his usual trench coat. after a quick glance downwards, she confirms he had kindly wrapped it around her.

a soft laugh is her response, taking note of how the ends of his coat almost touch the ground. he was taller than she was, evidently, but it was amusing to see how his coat, which fit him handsomely, was much too large for herself and sort of enveloped her. she wanted to thank him, to spill all the thoughts that resided within her head out into the air, knowing that he would understand her more than anyone. he has a sister. che was like a brother to her. instead, she shifts, leaning against the wall with a charming little smile. ❝ lending me your clothes now, are you? look at us, we're practically in love, earl. ❞

[barrenstars]

brows are knitted together, dark hues fixated and staring daggers at her brother as he sits across the table from her in the cafeteria of the mbcc. he's healed up well and is now able to walk around, no longer confined to the hospital bed horo, too, was glued to. because he was her brother and she loved him. but apparently, he didn't care about her. not one bit, actually. not with the new information she received. her pudding is half-eaten before she juts the spoon at @deathfavor, finally speaking her mind. " you ass, i know what you're planning! "

starter call!

[soulsballad]

@deathfavor: care, sender takes care of receiver when they're sick. ( Horo & Earl LAST ONE I PROMISE )

the mission went horribly. absolutely, entirely horrible. when she woke up this morning she felt the ache in her throat and congestion in her head, but she's a warrior, and warriors don't put their blades down for something as pathetic as a sore throat and head. and so she pushed on, and it ended with her almost collapsing in front of corruptors. she was just lucky she wasn't alone, otherwise she would be dead.

the minute the team returns to their base horo is swiftly wandering off, squeezing her way through fellow legion members to escape what she knows is coming. one of them would snag her; but which one would get to her first?

earl. of course, he was quick. and commander zoya would have probably waited until horo got out of the way of other members. earl enjoyed his big brother role, that's why when he's grabbed her by the arm and tugging her towards the medical tent she was already rambling an excuse as to why she 'almost passed out'. but he's having none of it, no doubt because of how dangerous it could have been. the look he gives her confirms that, so she shuts up and just decides to sulk as he sits her down and a medic comes over to check her over.

she's got early symptoms of some sort of flu, she's told to stay put and rest for a while. of course, naturally, when the medic turns and leaves horo is right back up on her feet, reaching for her sword. but earl's metallic hand swoops in and grabs hers. " hey! " her voice is hoarse and scratchy, contradicting what she says next. " come on earl, i'm fine! i'm- " she's shoved back down onto the bed, and before she can protest and move to stand again, her brother pulls up a chair beside her and sits, resulting in her giving him a rather cheeky side-eye.

silence easily falls around them and horo knows what is happening. he'd keep her company, or he'd tie her to the bed to make sure she did as told. giving a soft roll of her eyes, the sinner shifts onto her side, facing the man and blowing him raspberries. you suck. love you.

[shackld]

look at me while I’m talking to you (from Earl ofc. You're not getting out of this chief unless Zoya saves you)

send me “look at me while I’m talking to you” for a starter with your muse scolding mine for something they did, and my muse avoiding confrontation

"Oh, I'm looking, I am simply admiring... is that a new coat? It looks nice on you, very handsome..." Maybe it wasn't the best idea to poke the already irritated bear, but there was little Chief feared more than what she'd see in his eyes. Which was why her gaze lingered juuust below; as if she'd find more solace in his clenched jaw than disappointed stare. Maybe it was a little childish of her, she'd be the first to admit it, but it was mainly the result of aching joints and exhaustion than trying to frustrate him further. Even if she could be found doing so any other day, with much more exuberance and outward smugness. Right now? Well, call it a coping mechanism.

"But if that's all, old friend, I'll be on my way!" Preferably to her bed, where she'd lie down for a few hours until work forces her to deteriorate further. She gives Earl a firm pat on the shoulder, using that as leverage to push herself away (and keep weight off her twisted ankle a second longer). "See you later!"

[sinnersshackled]

Che waves a hand lazily to the man before him in greeting. In spite of his intimidating appearance, Che doesn't seem particularly bothered at all.

"Hey." he starts, casual as ever. Che isn't unfamiliar with Legion - there's no way he could be, but Whitestone Industries has a bit of a... reputation of sorts, so to speak. It's not exactly reliable - is the nicest way to put it - so that's why Che was surprised when Earl wanted to speak to him specifically. He doesn't know what it's about, but...

"Sorry I'm late. So? Got a job for me? Or is there some other reason you called?"

@deathfavor ( starter for earl! )

[queenoftheboard]

♕ what is holding you back?

the inability to rely on others without feeling like a burden

you're spending way too much time trying to find an explanation for everything you do and think, aren't you? you feel like all of the answers have to come from inside of you, since that's the role you've grown into. from the outside, people think you have it together. they see your open arms as invitation, and therefore keep leaning on you. at first, it was okay, since you wanted to help. but slowly, you're being dragged further and further down. you need help, too. but you're supposed to be there for everyone else. you're the one they go to when they're struggling. you've put everyone else first, and now you feel like you can't allow others to know that you need help. please, stop telling yourself you're fine. deep down, you know you aren't. things don't have to be this way. you can let those people in. if anything, they will be grateful that you reached out. can you imagine how nice it'd feel to take a break from dealing with this all on your own?

tagged by: @tanjodos (ty, sweetie!) tagging: @dojimakaichou . @svnsworn (listen, it can be any muse, but you know I have a favorite) . @cxnvicts (Cinny!) . @ephixltes (your choice!) & @deathfavor (Earl?)

[barrenstars]

the last thing she remembers is the black spots spreading and seeping into each other, eventually taking over her sight entirely. then came nothing. after losing consciousness bai yi can't remember much, but she was very much so aware that she was being whisked away, she knows she was set on a stretcher, she recalls the sensation. it wasn't the sort of unconscious like it was when you were sleep, but the kind where your mind was awake, but your body wasn't. quite an uncomfortable experience, but there wasn't much she could do. especially when the fogginess made her forget what happened moments after it occurred. she could only recall tiny fractions and fragments.

unaware of how much time had passed, when the woman begins to stir, it's silent and barely with any movement. soft blues flutter, allowing the time for them to get used to the light before she actually shifts, raising both hands to her face to rub at her eyes. when she does, she becomes aware that the top half of her jumpsuit had been removed, no doubt to allow the doctors access to the wound. the wound, which now seemed to be all fixed and wrapped up. turning her head with a quiet, sleepy moan, bai yi's gaze lands on earl, who was sitting by her bed, appearing to be looking over and marking some paperwork.

she is still sleepy and woozy, but ignores it and fights to raise her hand once again, reaching up and over to gingerly poke the man's arm. the smile that graces her lips is lazy, but happy all the same. ❝ hey... how long have you been here for? were you worried about me~? ❞ even in her current, vulnerable state, she teases.

humming as she allows her arms to fall back onto the bed, bai yi stifles a yawn, turning to peer up at the ceiling, allowing her eyes to drift closed a moment later. ❝ see, we're already acting like a married couple. ❞ / @deathfavor moved.

[barrenstars]

@deathfavor : Earl opens his eyes slowly, blinking against the harsh lighting that glares down from above. He can’t remember getting here, but he can hear the steady beeping of machines in the air and the medical smell in the air. Where? How? The last thing he remembered was Zoya and the wall of sand to stop. Then it was nothing until now. Earl turns his head slightly and whatever physical pain he feels is nothing compared to the pain in his chest. Because he can see Horo sitting by his bedside, and it reminds him of when they were younger and he’d first lost his leg and she could do nothing as he writhed through the agony for days and nights on end. He’d never wanted her to be in such a position again. But here they were, although at least this was a proper medical ward and not just their living room couch. “  H…Horo.  “  Earl struggles to speak. Both from lack of use and the severe damage he’d taken. But he’s looking towards her, eyes sharp even with how brutally his body is damaged ( I got more to send don’t you worRY  this is just the first batch <3 ).

the chief had kept it from her for a while too, offering her little information while she healed from her own injuries. only when she could get up and move from her bed did the chief come to her and inform her of her brother's condition, and that he happened to be in the ward beside hers. he had always been just on the other side of the wall. from that day on horo spent most of her time, when not being questioned or being poked and prodded by nurses, by her brother's side. however, this time he wasn't crying out in agony, but instead fast asleep, peacefully. truthfully, horo wasn't sure which she preferred. seeing him in the state he was in now... he looked so peaceful and at ease, like he was dead. it's because of that reason horo often refused to leave his side at night, constantly checking the machines to make sure he was still alive, going as far as fixating upon the rise and fall of his chest - she'd even hover a finger under his nose just to feel the soft exhale of breath.

earl was alive. barely, but he was alive.

the first week was hard, but since then she's been in a strange state of limbo. she would keep to herself, despite the numerous attempts at getting a reaction out of her from that loud sinner that follows the chief around. other sinners would try and converse with her, but she was too preoccupied to think about anything else other than her brother and the legion. her day would consist of medical check-ups, breakfast, which she would take from the cafeteria and eat in earl's hospital room, spending the entire day sitting by his side, chatting to him as though he were awake and able to respond, or simply nap by his side. funnily enough, when she took these naps later in the evening, she'd wake up back in her own bed.

this day is like the rest, she's eaten half a yoghurt and a banana, leaving the small tray by the bedside table. it's later on in the evening now and horo's head is resting flat against the sheets, her face pointed towards the bottom of the bed while the back of her head faced the top. mauve-coloured hues are tiredly fixated upon his hand, the one that is flesh and blood, and being used to pump whatever the nurses have in his iv into his body. her bandaged arm remains awkwardly by her side as she lays flat, her other, mostly healed hand is on the bed, nimble fingertips idly playing with his fingers, prodding and lifting them up just to see them fall back down lifelessly. horo would hook her finger around his and wait a few moments to see if he moved, hoping he'd squeeze his finger around hers, but he never did. so she goes back to simply playing around with his fingers, opting to just sit and hold his hand when she grows too tired to move her fingers.

dark lashes flutter closed and horo can slowly feel her exhaustion creep in. she is moments away from succumbing to her tiredness, but a voice breaks through her consciousness and snaps her straight back to reality. eyes spring wide open and her senses dial to one hundred. it doesn't take her more than a split second to lift her head and turn towards the voice, pupils blown wide and her mouth ajar. seconds go by in silence, but it feels like minutes as she's eye to eye with her brother, their matching hues locked together in some kind of stare-off. naturally, horo is the one to react first, abruptly standing from her chair, causing it to skid back and topple over with the force of her actions. ❝ earl...? ❞ horo asks weakly, her voice timid and meek; everything she is not. well, everything she wasn't before.

hovering over the bed, her only hand moves from his to his face, moving strands of his hair out the way, as though that would help her process the fact he was awake better. the closer she gets the quicker her heart beats and reality sets in. he's awake. he's awake! joy hits her like a train, and she lets out a weak laugh, contradicting the tears that have already begun to stream down her cheeks. her laughter turns into sobs, and it was something she had tried her best not to do. she cried every single day the last time he was badly injured, so she promised herself she wouldn't cry this time. but she can't help it now she's locked eyes with him. he's awake. ❝ earl...! ❞ sniffling, the teen shuffles close, carefully leaning over to rest her head on his chest in an awkward hug, though making sure not even a quarter of her weight rests on him. ❝ ... you're finally awake. ❞

[shackld]

Earl sticks a note in her hand. Inside, it reads Go the fuck to sleep.

Give the muse an object and see how they react.

"Oh, thank you," was muttered with a distracted tone as she let Earl lift her arm by the wrist to stick the note in. She hadn't even looked up, not even when she felt the pricks of a stern gaze staring down at her. Instead, her body acted on auto-pilot.

And now Earl's helpful suggestion was in the pile where they all went on her desk. She'd get to it eventually... or Nightingale would have a look through before then. (More likely the latter...)

"Is that it?" The Chief piped up innocently, rubbing one of her eyes with the heel of her hand before finally, finally glancing up and sending a polite smile his way.

[shackld]

𝐏𝐒𝐘𝐂𝐇𝐎 𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐒 ?

bottled emotions

tell them. tell them right now. you keep your emotions bottled up and it is doing absolutely no one a favor including you. you're the type of person that incorporates your feelings into art because you have no idea how to say it out loud. you fear rejection and the fact that you might not be good enough. i'm sensing recent heartbreak or unrequited love. if it's for you, it will come back to you. you're enough, i swear.

tagged by: @vulpesse YOU tagging: @untowonder @prcvidentia @thornicidxs @serpentsexile @zorkaya @deathfavor (Earl uwu) @ahogedetective @zhanhuos

[shackld]

i keep thinking about this fuckin tiktok audio- tags @deathfavor for reasons

earl: "don't matter what you think, a different gender best friend is a red flag" i'm sorry zoya, i don't think we can be friends anymore

earl: and tell your girlfriend i fucking hate her too now like i-i can't-

zoya: oh...

zoya, on the phone w/ chief: uh earl says he doesn't wanna see you anymore

chief:

chief, crying: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[shackld]

which tragic death would you suffer

the prophetic hero

you die saving the world, as you were always supposed to. peace comes only with your blood. the world will remember you for centuries. they will write poems, create art, and film movies all about you. no one will remember what you were before your death. maybe you don't even know it either. you have spent so long saving the world time after time that there is nothing left of you except the heroism. you die never knowing love.

tagging: @serpentsexile @thornicidxs @fatecrafted (Phoenix) @bravevolunteer @deathfavor (Earl!) @zorkaya