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#he catches sight of a yellow or purple blur and just sighs like 'god fucking dammit. I'm going home.'
arguablysomaya · 1 year
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dick, steph, and duke all working together are the riddler's greatest nightmares. dick is basically the master of every play on words you could think of, duke has wayyy more puzzle experience than a 21st century child should ever have, and steph was literally raised by his understudy 💀💀💀
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axther · 4 years
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devil may cry
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@tspice283​, @dreamydryads​, @hawks-senseis​, @unbreakableeiji​, and @ererokii​
ly queens mwah 
for sera - tama angst 
There were some things that Tamaki Amajiki could do. 
He could fight villains that made him bleed and yell and scream. He could work side by side with pro-heroes that made him feel small and ashamed. But he could never understand how he managed to fall in love with YN. 
Don’t get him wrong. She was loveable, someone so tangible that he could possibly hold her in his hands. But she would just run through like sand, disappearing into the sky. She was a free spirit, running as she willed and never pausing a moment. It only suited her; a quirk that allowed her to manifest a demonic motorbike and speed off faster than Tamaki could blink. 
Chevalier, she called it. 
There was even one time where Tamaki was running late to school (why, he couldn’t quite remember) and she swerved up next to him with a grin that would make the devil shiver. 
“Get on!” She was nearly yelling over the noise, revving the engine a bit. “I’ll make sure you’re early.” 
Tamaki got on after a minute of deliberation, and suddenly it was like the ground underneath him was swept from under his feet. His hands found YN’s waist immediately, shrieking and clinging her to her back. “D-don’t go so fast!” “What, you wanna be late?!” She yelled, and he could hear the devil-may-care grin plastered on her face. “Don’t worry! I won’t crash-yet!” “Yet?!” 
Tamaki arrived at school ten minutes early, of course, with fear on his face and his hair so ruffled that even Kirishima commented on it. YN swerved off with little more than a goodbye, gone like a gust of hot summer wind. He could only gasp as though an angel had dropped and disappeared. 
Tamaki never really realised just how little YN seemed to care for herself. Even in training, she used her whole body as an extension of Chevalier, ripping and tearing with little regard for her surroundings. It destroyed and caused absolute chaos to enemy and ally alike, and Tamaki would even think it was fair to say that it was cruel. It had no emotion and simply tore through ranks, regardless of who they were. It was like YN was reigning in a terrible, destructive steed every time she summoned it. 
But nonetheless. Tamaki didn’t understand how he fell in love with her. 
She was the complete opposite of what he was in every vein. Even being around her triggered his anxiety for a variety of reasons. She somehow created a deep, full well of every emotion that Tamaki had suppressed for so long. It was anger, regret, love, sorrow, everything pooling into one spot. 
And he knew it was going to burst. When, where, how, he wasn’t sure. Just that it would. 
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“Alright everyone, when I say lean, you fucking lean.” 
Tamaki and Kirishima were on Chevalier. He was sandwiched between the two; a cruel joke, if he said so himself. They were on a mission, but Tamaki’s mind was so foggy that he wasn’t sure what for. He could smell whatever deodorant YN put on, and it was clouding his senses. Chevalier rumbled pleasantly under his thighs, and YN had a grip on the handles. There was a storm looming overhead, and several villains loomed in the horizon. 
“To be clear, we are trying to get hit.” She laughed, rumbling like the bike, and it rang against his chest like a fire. 
“That’s not even funny!” Kirishima was chuckling, even, but Tamaki couldn’t bring himself to laugh. 
“I don’t wanna get hit…” He murmured, leaning a bit closer into YN’s back. 
“You guys will be fine.” She sounded ridiculously confident, despite what she said. “When I say lean, y’all lean and then get off.” “What?” Tamaki whimpered, but before he could say anything more, YN took off. The wind rushed past them, and it was like gravity or traction had nothing on them. It was smooth, like siding on ice. It seemed like only a second before YN reared up against him and he felt the bike begin to tip over. “Lean!” At once, he was thrown off and onto the concrete. There was a horrible burst that rang in his ears, and it made him whimper before he was able to rise. A wave of heat hit his face as he watched Chevalier burst, splitting into two. Kirishima rushed forward as YN shakily stood, grabbing the parts and thrusting them forward. They revved up, and out forged two spikes. 
Weapons. Just like her. 
Tamaki stood and started rushing towards them, only to be cut off by a wild gust of wind. A villain ran up to him, and he heard YN give a heaving sigh. She was bleeding, bruised, and a bit of her hair was on fire, but she shook it out with a victorious grin and started throwing the two parts around like they were baseball bats. Villains were being swept left and right and she was hurling them about. She looks ready to collapse, and she was still fighting. 
Tamaki realised she didn’t care about herself. 
She was flinging it all like she was killing God, giving everything she could. She was bleeding, she could die, and she was having fun. “Eyes on the enemy, Tama!” She called with a wink before launching a villain into an organic food store. Tamaki smacked away someone without thinking. The battle was a blur, his head full of the one girl that didn’t care if she lived or died. 
All she wanted was to fight. 
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“Why d-do you do that…?” 
It was the aftermath. Some stores were still on fire from Chevalier’s burst, and YN was getting bandaged up. Her arms and face were covered in white cloth, and when she turned to look at Tamaki with a smile, all he could really see was her teeth and eyes. 
“Huh? Whaddya mean?” 
“You just…” He paused. Maybe it wasn’t his place to ask. Maybe it wasn’t his issue. But then he saw red seep through on her cheek. “You don’t care.” “What?” She smirked, confused. “I do care.” 
“No, you don’t. Not about you.” 
Her face fell, and her mouth dropped open a bit. 
“I...you didn’t...listen.” Her brow furrowed. “It’s none of your business.” “I...but I’m worried.” Tamaki let his head hang, but YN  just kept on frowning. 
“It’s not gonna kill me.” “It could. I...I d-don’t want you to die.” A bit of Tamaki seemed to die when he admitted it, but when he saw YN look at the ground, he felt his nerves steel for once in his life. “I’m scared you will.” 
“Why?” YN’s voice was a bit sharp, though shaky, and Tamaki realised that he was crossing a line he shouldn’t have even been close to. 
“Because it’s stupid.” He whispered, hoping she didn’t hear. “Excuse me?” 
“Why don’t you care about yourself?” 
“Because, if I don’t, I won’t be remembered.” Her voice dropped and she rose. “And sometimes, having a fancy quirk is enough.” 
“I don’t have a fancy quirk.” Tamaki’s voice didn’t rise, but he felt offended. “I just know how to use it.” “Oh?” YN’s head bobbed a bit, and instantly he could see how he said the wrong thing. 
“I didn’t mean it like that-!” With a flash, she summoned Chevalier. It was together as one at her side, and she ripped off the bandages. She was still wounded, still bloody, but it was all to the point that she looked like some sort of angry goddess., with her  
“Don’t try to catch up.” She bit, straddling the seat and putting her feet on the pedals. The exhaust lit up with purple fire, and Tamaki stumbled back to avoid getting burned. “Let me learn how to use my quirk, since you clearly are so knowledgeable on yours.” 
Tamaki could only babble as she sped off, smoke and the smell of burning tire filling his nose. 
He wasn’t sure what happened after. There was maybe five minutes of stunned silence before he heard someone scream, a yell, a crash. Several medics rushed off, and there was a cry for help before Tamaki suddenly had the sense to see what the hell happened. He rushed forward, and god. 
Oh god. 
Before him was a wreck, unlike anything he had ever seen. There was some sort of fancy car, one that was decimated. Some sort of snobby looking man was standing outside of it, hands up in the air with a frustrated look. There was fire, all too familiar, purple fire, and it was everywhere. It overtook Tamaki’s senses. People were yelling. His head was swimming “I didn’t run the light!” “Bullshit!” “That shit was yellow!” “That means to fucking slow down!” 
“Where is she?!” “Fuck! Where’s the kid!?” 
“Find her!” “It’s not my fault!” 
“Oh my god!” 
Tamaki turned his head, slowly, and he saw the parts of Chevalier. It wasn’t just in two; it was everywhere, having effectively exploded into large chunks, shards, even. There was rubble as it looked like it had been tossed into a wall, with portions of the concrete having fallen into the street. Tamaki stumbled forward, pulled forward as though in a daze. 
Then he saw her. 
She was splayed out against the rubble, arms out and twisted in the ugliest ways. Her hair was everywhere, and there was blood staining the stone. It dripped down her face, but her eyes were shut. Had it not been for the chaos and the company of death, Tamaki would’ve even thought she was asleep. 
“No…” He finally managed to trip over himself and over to YN, crippling onto his knees as he bowed before her. It was like he was praying, hoping before some sort of image of a lost god. 
But she was no god. And she was lost, ripping out of life’s grip. “No!” He bellowed, holding his arms out and gripping her close. She dangled like a doll in his arms, her own arms flopping. 
“He found her!” Someone rushed forward, a medic, but Tamaki held her tighter than ever. “Son, let go!” “No! No! I can’t! This is my fault! She died, and it’s my fault!” “Son, this isn’t your fault-” “Don’t call me son!” He was weeping, holding her head to his chest. “And don’t you dare try to take her!” “She needs help!” “She’s gone,” Tamaki whimpered, his voice dropping and growing hoarse. “I made her leave.” 
“Tamaki!” Kirishima rushed forward but froze at the sight of YN. “No way…” “She’s gone,” Tamaki was rocking himself and YN, not caring about the blood. 
“Tamaki…” Kirishima knelt, gently touching YN’s bloody arm. “Tamaki, let go.” “I can’t.” His voice hock and wavered, cracking under the weight of what he had done. 
“They need to get her to her family.” “But she-!” “Tamaki.” Kirishima whispered. “Let her go.” 
“I love you,” Tamaki cried, placing her nose against his and letting his tears run down and wash off the blood. “I love you.”  
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fallenrepublick · 4 years
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Falling
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A/N: So considering the fact that you guys said you like sad shit... here ya go. As always, its horribly written, but if this gets received well for gods know what reason, I’ll give ya a part two. This is the “panic cry” part, and the hypothetical part two will be a “soft and uncontrollable cry” sort of deal. I promise I’ll give you something happy after that. Gods know you’ll need it.
Warnings: Death, bad quality
“Baby, I love you, but when I picked your ass up off of Malachor, I did not see myself trekking through the fucking desert for days on end looking for someone that I at least thought we were done with.” The wind began picking up, swirling clouds of sand up around each step you took, like confetti… just less… fun.
“It’s Kenobi… He’s here… I know he is…” Maul’s seething rage was constricting, even in the vast space available to you both. “I saw him here. Where it all began…”
You scoffed at him, gesturing lightly around you. “What, your ‘rivalry’? Look around you, Maul. We’ve been walking for how long? And where’s that gotten us? If it were really that important, don’t you think we would’ve found him already?”
The suns beat down on the black hood Maul wore over his head, covering his horns and shading his face just enough so that his yellow eyes glowed in the pseudo-darkness. He turned around, gaze piercing into you. “This is everything,” he growled. “Nothing matters except my revenge.” He continued on, marching through the sand and heat.
“Hey,” you sped up, catching his arm and pulling him back to you. “Hey. You promised me. You promised that if this doesn’t fix anything, if you can’t find him, you’ll stop. This has gone on long enough. I just found you again, I’m not letting you be consumed by this any longer. If you can get your revenge, great, but this is it. We can’t have a life together if I fall by the wayside.”
His shoulders loosened, eyes widening as if waking up from some sort of trance. With a small smile, he held your cheek, gloved hand warm against your skin. “Yes, my Starlight. I promised you that, and it’s one I shall keep. I will not betray your trust, my love. However, I ask that you trust me now. I sense his presence through the force. That child, Ezra, will lead us to him. And once it is over, I will take you far away from this place. You will live in fear no longer.”
You held his hand against your face and sighed, nodding your head, albeit reluctantly. The two of you had reunited on Malachor after years apart, the execution of Order 66 having caused unforeseen issues with the Siege of Mandalore, and by extension, your escape together. The Empire had risen, and by the time you had found your footing again, the only things on your mind were survival and finding where Maul had gone. Unfortunately for the both of you, those two things often clashed, and one had to take precedence over the other. You pulled your scarf tighter around your head, wondering how much longer you’ll have to be walking or if Maul will even be able to let it go should Kenobi slip through his grasp.
Hours passed, and sunlight softened into a night sky speckled with stars and the glimmering of distant systems. The heat no longer exhausted you, being replaced with a cool breeze that swung strands of your hair when you looked up. Reality was so much more peaceful, as if the wind blew away all of the problems you both carried with you, the weight of the galaxy that once rested on your shoulders being shrouded in the darkness. Each night that you had been traveling, you hoped half-heartedly that Kenobi would be found, if only to allow Maul an opportunity to heal. And yet, you wondered if Obi-Wan staying lost would change something. Anything.
In the distance, smoke rose from a wavering flame. Maul stopped in his tracks, his hearts racing in his chest at the sight. He began his march, but paused. He turned back to you, placing both hands on your shoulders, pressing down like he was trying to plant your feet into the soft sand below.
“Stay here,” he whispered to you, his forehead resting on your own. The determination in his eyes fusing with pain and slight panic. “This will end soon, and I will be back for you.”
You frowned, wishing you could object, but still knowing he’d never allow it. Instead, you nodded, giving him a small smile of reassurance. As he stepped away, you called back to him. “Maul,” You sucked in a shaky breath, instincts beginning to overwhelm you with warnings. “Come back to me.”
And he was gone, his figure growing smaller as he approached the light in the distance that was his enemy. You could also sense another presence, Ezra, though he began to move further away from you. This was it. Everything would change, and after all these years, the peace in your life would be restored. You couldn’t see him any longer, but you knew how he hunted, circling his quarry, building tension until it could be sliced through with a knife. Then, he would strike, the beginning of the battle determining its length and complexity. With luck, it would be over soon.
But it was too soon.
You were blinded. A stripe of fire tore across your torso and you fell to your knees, heaving and gasping from the pure pain that you succumbed to. You looked around frantically, searching around you for the source of what attacked you, hoping they wouldn’t get another opportunity. But when you looked back down, arms covering the area that had been hurt, there was nothing.
The light in the distance had gone out, puffs of smoke rising in its place, the only hint that the fire had even been there at all. Your hands trembled, head shaking back and forth feverishly as you looked on from your place on the floor. “No… no… no no no no no…” you repeated to yourself as if you could change anything.
Your knees were weak, every step you took threatening to give out beneath you, but you carried on, vision blurring from tears that were filling up your peripherals. Maybe it wasn’t what you thought. Maybe it was something else. Maybe you were wrong, the force was wrong. He wouldn’t leave. He promised he wouldn’t.
Kenobi knelt before the now cold fire pit, a look you couldn’t quite read on his face as he held the body that lay on his lap. He looked up at you, your breathing shallow and your reaction failing to register in your mind.
“I’m sorry,” was all he said to you. He had grown visibly older, a relic of what he once was. He stood as you fell, pulling the man you loved close to your chest. You wanted to scream, to yell, but your sobs caught in your throat as burning tears streamed down the sides of your face.
“Don’t,” you whispered to him, begging to whatever gods that would listen that he could hear you. “Please don’t do this. You promised me... You promised me you’d come back…” Your hand held his face and you pressed your head against his, tears dripping onto his tattooed face. 
The sky glowed purple, the tops of the suns beginning their ascent in the horizon. 
“Don’t leave me.”
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keeroo92 · 5 years
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Crimson Tide Ch3 (V x Reader)
Chapter 3 - Amber Hum
Soundtrack here, battle starts at 3:13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IU0rowyzjCY
Enjoy!
September 12th, 2:05 pm
The fifty-seven minute drive to the portal passed in a blur. You sat beside V on the worn couch, idly stroking his palm as your other hand held on for dear life as Nico’s driving made the van careen wildly across the road. You were as used to her driving as you would get at this point and easily compensated for her panic-inducing style.
Nero… Dante… please be okay. We’re coming.
A low hum echoed in your mind, growing in intensity until you cringed. You’d never heard a sound like it, the audible vibration making your head pulse alarmingly. No one else seemed aware of it, to your shock.
We must be close.
Nico confirmed your suspicion with a squeal of rubber as she slammed the brakes. The van lurched to a full stop, leaving skid marks on the asphalt in its wake. The instant the vehicle was still, Lady took off, her thudding boots racing to the door and darting outside before you even rose to stand. You shared a glance with Kyrie as you hastily followed, gripping your sword in readiness for whatever awaited you.
Oh shit.
As you exited the van, you easily spotted the monstrous amber outline on the horizon. It glowed with a malevolent light as a massive demon wriggled through. The five story fiend resembled a satyr, his lower half goat like and hooved. Horns wrapped around his masculine face, ending in harsh points two feet over his slimy forehead. More pointed extensions of bone grew from his elbows, the dark flesh meeting white in a gradual blend of coloration. His skin was close to black and glistened in the afternoon sun as if the beast was wet.
“Thadeus,” Trish growled as she took in the sight. She already had her twin pistols drawn.
You stood beside your friends, taking a moment to memorize their faces before leaping into battle. V, focused and ethereal as he summoned his three demonic allies at once with a dark glare. Lady, teeth bared as she heaved her huge bazooka onto her shoulder to aim. Trish, her blonde hair flying as she stepped forward and cocked both guns as one. Adrenaline surged through your veins, blood-lust pooling low in your belly.
Lady and Trish fired in the same heartbeat, long years of working together on display in their cohesion. You leaped skyward to land beside V on Nightmare’s back, wrapping an arm around the poet’s abdomen for purchase. He steered the golem forward, its steps quickening until it was full on sprinting at the demon before you. Just as you reached the foe, you released V’s waist and sprang up with a roar, slicing your sword deep into the demon’s shimmering flesh.
You used the last of your momentum to flip backward, landing on Nightmare as it shot its signature laser, the familiar explosion following soon after alongside Lady’s second ferocious blast. A wave of heat blasted past you as flames lit the demon.
“How dare you!” Thadeus roared. His clawed hands rose, swiping across the space where you and V perched atop the golem. He released his hold instantly, the bubbling ooze dissipating and lowering you both out of harm’s way just in time. Griffon flapped forward and you raised your arm in preparation as he drew closer to lift you.
“As high as you can!” you instructed him. His wings heaved, bringing you to the demon’s shoulder before dropping you. Using your sword, you cleaved the flesh below the beast’s clavicle. Deep purple blood spilled from the wound, splashing you as you fell a dozen feet before Griffon caught you. Shadow shifted from below, her limbs multiplying and forming stakes and lunging forward to poke holes in the creature’s ankle.
“You shall perish!” his grotesque mouth howled.
“No way, asshat!” Griffon cackled.
The mouthy bird flew back with you in tow as Lady fired again, the fresh round of explosions sending pillars of flame roaring into the sky. As the flames faded, Trish streaked forward in a blur of buttery light to land a flurry of high-speed kicks against the massive foe. Thadeus extended one clawed hand to grapple the blonde, but with a second flash of gold she darted out of his range. She shot more yellow tendrils of energy forward to wrap around Thadeus’ extended wrist and tug him to his knees.
Lady took the opportunity to land an additional explosive blow directly in his face. Thadeus screamed, his uninjured arm belatedly trying to cover his pained features. The taste of victory began to flood your senses as the enormous demon pathetically tried to rise.
That was too easy.
As if your thoughts had triggered it, Thadeus shifted. His horns grew another few feet, his wounds healed and a horrible grin stretched his cracked lips as he stood tall once more.
God damn it.
Demonic energy crackled around his hands as black lightning burst from his fingertips towards you. The training you’d focused so heavily on over the last three months kicked in and you pirouetted away with ease. Another tendril of dark force was headed right at V, but Trish blocked it with a glowing line of her own yellow light.
“Take this bastard down!” Lady screamed, firing another booming shot at Thadeus as her features twisted in fury.
With a simple gesture, you signaled to V your intention. He nodded, positioning his fingers in preparation to snap at the perfect moment. You sprinted forward, heart pounding as you zoomed within ten feet of the demon. With a powerful push of your legs, you went airborne just as Nightmare materialized beneath you. The golem rose swiftly, far more swiftly than it had during the Qlipoth crisis. Its massive arm was preemptively lifted high for you to spring off of and with another mighty jolt, you reached Thadeus’ chest.
You heard Griffon’s wings beating nearby as you thrusted your sword deep into the demon’s body, your weight dragging it downward to leave a gaping wound. Hot blood gushed forth, coating you in its violet hue as you descended. You tilted your body, angling your hips so your feet could push off the dark flesh while your arms ripped your blade free. The motion sent you into a flip as Griffon streaked forward to catch you.
With a fierce caw of triumph, the blue bird flapped away to bring you back to terra firma. Even as you retreated, Lady directed three quick blasts straight into the fresh hole you’d made for her. Trish’s yellow lightning struck a heartbeat later as Shadow and Nightmare clobbered the beast from ground level.
The joint assault was too much for Thadeus and he hit the earth with an echoing thud. V ran forward, cane at the ready to deal the death blow. You watched in nervous anticipation as he paused near Thadeus’ forehead.
“What have I to do with thee?” he recited, and with a sick squelch he plunged the tip of his cane into the demon’s face, purging him from your plane with a familiar smirk.
You wiped the still-wet blood from your face as your panting breath slowed. The purple fluid drenched you, staining your clothing irrevocably. Trish and Lady approached, stowing their weapons away as they joined you.
“Thadeus… I haven’t seen him in many years,” the blonde commented.
Before anyone had the chance to respond, the hum from before reached a fever pitch and abruptly stopped. Instantly, your eyes flicked to the open portal to see its status.
It was closing.
“Guys, we gotta go!”
As if a child were on the other side slamming it, the vast amber gateway shrank. You started running, not bothering to check if your friends followed you as you pumped your limbs.
The gap was only forty feet across when a yellow blur darted past you as Trish empowered herself with speed, her eyes fixed on the now narrow entrance.
It was thirty feet wide as you heard Lady curse beside you, her own sprinting legs a mere step behind your own.
Twenty feet. There was V, in Griffon’s purple talons. He swooped overheard in a blue and black blur, easily outpacing you.
Ten feet. You heard Nico’s van galloping by, Kyrie’s strained face in the passenger seat as Nico drove like the devil himself was chasing her.
Five feet. You reached out, straining to even touch the light as it vanished entirely with a soft pop.
“God fucking damn it!” Lady shouted. Her fists clenched, her fury rolling off her in waves.
“We’ll find another portal,” Trish tried to reassure the enraged brunette, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Lady glared at her in response, her voice nearing a growl as she responded.
“What does it matter, they’re dead for all we know!”
Trish sighed, unable to refute her remarks. Her blue eyes looked to you for help, not knowing what phrases to use to ease her friend’s suffering. You walked closer to look Lady in her multicolored eyes, giving her a grim smile. Your thoughts have echoed her words several times as time went by, your hope dimming with each passing day. Yet you refused to give in to despair.
We kept V alive. Maybe we can manage two miracles.
“Considering the fact that Dante survived a month unconscious right next to Urizen, and you and Trish both recovered from being inside demons, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say they’re alive.”
Lady sighed, her angry energy dissipating into sadness.
“Let’s just go home.”
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The drive back was silent. Even Nico seemed upset by the failure, driving almost like a normal person in her distress. You’d never seen everyone look so glum, not that you could blame them. Defeat was… painful, and vanquishing Thadeus was cold comfort. You sighed, turning your head to settle more comfortably against V’s dark chest. His hand stroked your side as Nico drove on, the silence unbearable in its loudness.
It was still light outside when Nico pulled into the dirt path leading to Sparda manor. She put the vehicle in park and sighed as she took the keys out. None of you moved for a few minutes, still struggling to rekindle your hope.
“I’ll go make something to eat,” Kyrie murmured, breaking the spell as she left the van.
You followed her inside after a beat, the others not far behind. You stayed in the kitchen to help Kyrie cook and to keep her company, waving V off when he offered to stay. Trish went straight to the phone and called Morrison, digging for intel. You didn’t see where Lady went, but you would’ve bet your left arm she was by the computer, waiting for the next portal to form and for the screen to light up in announcement.
You sat at the island counter, drumming your fingernails against the marble countertop you had helped V install last month. It made you smile to remember his enthusiasm for renovation, his excitement whenever a new idea struck him. You had to admit, he had a knack for it. The kitchen felt so comforting, its gentle yellow walls a haven from chaos amongst the white cupboards. The day spent painting felt like something out of a cheesy made-for-tv film, every cliché coming true as you and V enjoyed the time together.
A soft sigh shattered your reminiscing. You lifted your eyes to watch Kyrie, reminding yourself to wake up extra early so she didn’t have to make breakfast tomorrow. Following Dante and Nero’s descent, you initially cooked almost as often as she did. For those first few weeks she had been chipper and full of hope, but as the weeks kept ticking by her joy faded. The only times you found her smiling were when she cooked, so you had backed off and let her take over the role.  
Now, the sadness that stained Kyrie’s eyes as she rummaged about for ideas broke your heart. You couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be in her position, not knowing if the one you loved was still alive and barely holding on to the hope of bringing him home.
I should help her more.
You stood and headed to the sink to wash your hands, tearing off a paper towel a moment later and rubbing them dry. Without a word, you picked up a knife and took some of the bell peppers she was hollowing out and helped complete the task. You glanced at her sparingly, catching the tremble in her hands as she methodically chopped an onion.
“Hey, I can finish up if you want to lie down or something,” you said, worried she might cut herself if she continued. Kyrie shook her head, refusing to stop. Another few minutes passed silently before the first sniffle from the gentle woman. Her hands were outright shaking, her grip on the knife perilous. You set your own blade upon the cutting board and turned to face her.
“Kyrie… stop. Please.”
You reached out and grasped her forearms, forcing her to halt the repetitive motion. She met your eyes with another sniffle.
“It’s just the onions, I’m fine,” she insisted. You gave her a doubtful look, gently taking the knife from her hands.
“No you aren’t.”
She sighed heavily, her eyes swimming as her composure cracked at last. She looked back at the cutting board as the words began tumbling from her mouth.
“It’s just that… this is all I can do. I’m not a fighter, I’m not a demon or a nurse or anything. I feel so helpless, and cooking is the best I can do to make sure Nero comes home. It doesn’t feel like enough.”
You turned around and pulled your hips up so you were sitting on the counter beside the young woman. You crossed your arms and hummed thoughtfully.
“You undervalue yourself. When we were dealing with the Qlipoth, I was the only one who cooked. It was rare for the four of us to share a meal, and each of us kinda just ate whenever we felt like it since I’d leave the food in the fridge afterward.”
You chuckled wryly, uncrossing your arms and leaning back to stare her dead in the eye.
“But with you, it’s different. I mean, first off you’re a way better cook than I am, and second… you have this way of bringing people together. Having the whole team eat together, it’s helped me stay hopeful and helped V adjust to his new life so much. Sure, maybe you aren’t the best asset during a fight, but after the fight’s over? When everyone gets back exhausted and heartsick? That’s when you shine. You help us remember what we’re fighting for.”
Kyrie looked at the floor shyly, listening to your earnest words as her shaking subsided. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear to meet your eyes with a soft smile.
“Thank you, Y/N.”
You hopped off the counter, turning around again to pick up the knife before she had the chance.
“No problem. How about you cook the meat and I’ll do the parts that involve sharp objects?”
Kyrie nodded and turned to the stove as you pulled the cutting board in front of yourself and started chopping. A snippet of music played in your head, the rhythm matching the strokes of the knife in your hands as you hummed it. Kyrie smiled, joining in whenever she recognized the tune. Together, the two of you prepare stuffed peppers and a loaf of sourdough bread within half an hour.
The wafting aroma of cooking meat summoned the others as if you had cast a spell. Lady still looked downcast, but her anger had faded and she helped V set the table with a smile. Trish helped Kyrie carry over the food itself as Nico brought out a collection of sauces and a butter dish, reaching over Lady’s head to set them on the centerpiece of the table.
As you took your seat, you whispered to Kyrie under your breath and winked.
“Shine on, you crazy diamond.”
For the first time, you saw Kyrie truly smile.
  ________________________________
11:12 pm
The full moon cast a pale glow upon the balcony extending from the French doors, your bed barely visible around the corner. You sat wrapped in a blanket with V in the light as he read, your mind occupied with your troubled thoughts as he stroked your hair. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t think of a way to respond faster to the next portal or how to deal with whatever threat may have crossed over.
You briefly toyed with the idea of asking someone to stay behind, but losing any of the team’s firepower was too great a risk. Maybe you’d get lucky and the next door would open near a military base?
Fat chance.
You huffed in frustration, making V’s tattooed fingers pause as they explored your scalp.
“What’s on your mind, little fox?”
You shifted to find a more comfortable position as you formulated your answer. The soft fabric covering your pajama-clad body slipped away and goosebumps erupted on your arms as you moved, the autumn air colder than usual.
“Do you really think we can still bring them home?”
You heard a soft thud as V closed his book and set it aside. He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you closer, shielding you from the chilly air. His obsidian hair fluttered in the breeze as he gazed at you with a conflicted expression.
“I can’t say for sure. I want to believe that we can, but it’s been a few months and there’s no way to know for sure. All I can say is I won’t believe Dante is dead until I view his corpse myself.”
You hummed in acknowledgement, but not agreement.
What if this only leads to more of us dying?
What if, in trying to get Dante and Nero home alive, we end up dead ourselves?
“Hey.”
V’s voice pulls you back to reality to find his emerald eyes staring at you in concern. You sat up and leaned closer to press your lips against his, letting his soft mouth soothe away your worries as he pulled you closer. He pulled away to plant a tender peck on your forehead and you snuggled into his chest once more, enjoying the view of his writhing tattoos as he held you.
“One way or another, we’ll find them.”
V hummed his agreement, resting his chin on the crown of your head. Another cold breeze blew past you and you shivered, despite his warm embrace.
“Come, my love. Let’s get to bed. Tomorrow will be a fresh start.”
You smiled and stood, V following a moment behind as you stepped toward bed and collapsed upon the soft sheets with one last sigh. You heard him close the French doors before all faded to black.
September 13th, 1:18 am
________________________________
Lady
The pale glow of the screen cast an ethereal light upon Lady’s sleeping form as her face rested on the table beside the keyboard. Her eyes twitched beneath her closed lids as her dreams played a movie in her resting mind. A high-pitched chime broke her soft snoring as an alert lit the screen, but the young brunette didn’t stir.
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shooter-nobunagun · 6 years
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Unseen Village: Yahar’gul [Bloodborne AU]
//At last we explore the “forgotten village” proper, Yahar’gul. Spoilers abound for the latter half of the game, especially after the events of the blood moon!
Note: I ended up writing waaay too much (was wondering why this chapter never seemed to be any closer to being done) so I split it. I gotta pace myself better...
“This place...what happened?!” Once again they stood before the bloody moon, only this time the sky seemed to have changed with it as well. Gone were the murky clouds and dim sky, now replaced with a garish streaks of purple and yellow and the color of fire. Sio hadn’t seen much of the actual village during her first trip here, but it seemed like perhaps it was for the better. “The moon...it’s so large now!”
“And that color...I don’t like it.” Hunter shook his head. “This must be the blood moon that Rom an’ everyone else is talkin’ about...though I’m more worried about those things.”
“What things—oh...” Her gaze turned upwards and suddenly it came into view, sitting like a monstrous human spider, its body an alien blue-grey and a head that appeared more like a rock. It sat there, hanging off the spire with its too-long limbs and many-fingered hands, the numerous eyes constantly opening and closing in rapid succession. Sio felt her frenzy growing rapidly as she continued staring at the terrible creature. It wasn’t until she nearly burst did she finally tear her gaze away, panting and gasping as her frenzy slowly dissipated.
“Oy, Sio...you all right?” Adam’s worried gaze peered at her, but she simply nodded, leaning against him for a few seconds to regain her senses. “Careful; those Amygdalas are everywhere now, it seems...”
“A-Amygdalas...that’s what they’re called...” Groaning, she rubbed her temples, trying to will the headache away. Was this another symptom of her blood sickness? Sio felt a sudden sense that there was something she should be trying to figure out, in this strange world of blood moons and unnatural skies and filled with creatures beyond her imagination. But for some reason the more she tried, the less she seemed to understand.
“Sio...will you be all right? If you’re not feeling well, you should head back to the dream and get some rest.” She and Adam were trailing a bit behind the group, partly for safety (so a large-scale attack wouldn’t wipe them all out at once) and also because she sensed that Adam was trying to keep her away from those who might use her condition against her. “There’s nothing to be gained by pushing yourself too far.”
“N-No...no please, I’ll be fine. Trust me,” she searched his eyes, and he could only sigh and nod. “I’ll be all right...after all, I have you and Hunter to help me out.” A pause, before he gently placed a hand on her shoulder as if he was about to say something but instead he just rubbed the junction slightly, before nodding wordlessly.
The Amygdalas. Where did they come from in the first place? From what she’d heard the others talk about, there were suspicions that they’d been there all along, but for some unexplained reason, weren’t visible until now. Vidocq was insistent that the blood moon had something to do with it, but Sio felt there had to be something else, either triggered by the blood moon or maybe it was what she’d heard from Rom...
‘When the blood moon rises, the line between man and beast will become blurred...’ 
She shuddered slightly and tried not to think too hard about what those words specifically meant. There was no doubt what the end result of her blood sickness would entail: victims became the very beasts they hunted, stripped of all reasoning and humanity and replaced with a lust for blood and mindless killing. Already she could feel the primal urges increasing, especially when they fought; at times the frenzy was so strong it was all she could do to focus it on their enemies, rather than her fellow hunters. Swallowing thickly, she tried her best to catch up with the rest of the group, as they approached what appeared to be a deserted plaza.
“Careful...remember what we encountered las’ time, those blasted chime maidens—”
“Sshh, you’ll give our position away!” Geronimo gave a severe frown at the surgeon, who only returned it with equal fervor. “I think I see her; against that stone wall? Trying to blend in, eh? Cheap tricks like that don’t work on me...” Without another word, the crow hunter dashed forward with her axe raised, but before the killing strike could be dealt—
SSCCHHWWWWWIIINNGGG—
An intense beam of blue light, similar to the one they’d encountered in Byrgenwerth and against Rom sliced the ground in half, a trail of flame scorching the rock as everyone dodged haphazardly to the sides and alcoves. 
“God damn it, what the hell was that—”
“—It came from the Amygdala—but why would it attack us now?”
“Nevermind that, get that chime maiden before she summons anyone!” Adam barked at the other hunters to get back on their feet, but it was too late; already a hulking troll and several hunting dogs were materializing, followed by a crowd of insane villagers, all of whom were more than ready to tear them to pieces. “Blast it all to hell! As if we don’t have enough to deal with...!”
Whining was for losers however, and as soon as he could get a clear path Adam dashed towards the ghostly maiden and sank his stake into her body. Now there was just the matter of getting rid of her minions...and that alien creature. Adam cast a wary glance upwards, trying to fight off the brick troll while watching for the next time it decided to fire that magic beam. “Umph—” His side exploded in pain as the troll swung a particularly brutal left hook as he barely sidestepped the fire, sending him face-first into the stone ground. “Fuck...”
“Adam!” He heard the sound of her gun before she came into view, the spear ripping into the troll’s body as she pulled off another spectacular visceral attack, tearing out its guts with a gleeful smile... Wincing, Adam blinked a few times, trying to convince himself that the girl hadn’t actually grinned like she enjoyed killing and bloodshed; it was probably just the angle that he saw her at, and the light...had to have been, after all Sio was just an ordinary girl caught up in something so much larger than all of them combined...
“Adam! Adam, are you all right?” The face that appeared now was frightened and worried, but determined. “Hold still, you might’ve broken a rib or something—”
“—Let’s get out of the open, first—that Amygdala, it seems to be firing whenever it sees anyone,” he grunted, limping around to a half-ruined gateway with Sio’s help. “Thanks for that, back there; shouldn’t have gotten sloppy like that...” he coughed up a few bloody strands of saliva, Sio carefully checking his torso for any broken bones as she gingerly touched each rib. “Ughn—”
“Sorry! But, it’s here...” Taking a small knife from her pouch, she quickly sliced away at the fabric, revealing a mass of bruised and bloodied flesh. “O-Oh...that looks pretty bad...”
“Tell me about it...sure as hell feels broken,” Adam hissed through his teeth as Sio cleaned it the best she could with some alcohol, before attempting to bandage it without hurting him any further. “Where’s Hunter?” 
“Uh, last I saw he and that Tell guy were trying to get rid of the last of those dogs, down the steps...” Sio glanced around nervously, peeking at the Amygdala that was still curled around the rooftops. “Do you want me to go get him?”
Adam shook his head. “No, there’s no sense in running out there and putting yourself in danger just for one person; we’ll regroup with everyone after the battle. ‘Sides, you’ve gotten pretty good at this,” he ran a hand over the bandages, nodding in satisfaction. “This’ll do for now. Can’t be wasting blood vials for every little scrape.” Grunting, he rearmed the Stakedriver, but Sio noticed his movements were more hesitant.
“But...Adam...” Despite her worries, she knew he was right; it would be easier if they got rid of the remaining enemies first, and then find a place that would shelter them from the Amygdala’s gaze. Steeling herself, she followed him out from their hiding place, making sure to take the lead in clearing their path and warning him whenever she heard that peculiar sound of magic. ‘I don’t think we’ll be able to defeat that Amygdala...not from here, at least.’ She’d fired off a few bullets just to see if it could be dissuaded, but they only bounced off its skin harmlessly. Besides, every time she merely glanced at the creature she could feel the frenzy boiling up; if they didn’t get out of its sight soon, who knew what other difficulties they’d have to deal with.
It took a few seconds for her to recognize their chosen “hiding” spot, but after the others started commenting on that broken lamp, Sio suddenly realized they were back at the top of the Hypogean Gaol, where she’d first arrived after being knocked unconscious and dragged around in a dirty sack. “Th-this is...” Unconsciously she shuddered, gripping her weapon so tightly it felt like even the spear’s shaft would snap in two.
“Easy there lass, there’s no need t’ fear. We’re all here now, an’ yur much stronger than before, ye?” Hunter gave her a kindly pat on the back, though Sio was only slightly reassured. “Mind ye, doesn’t mean we should let our guard down...”
“No...we need to get ready,” William Tell was sighting his bow off into a dim corner. “We’re not alone...”
Nobody said a word, but all gazes turned to the direction of the bow’s aim. Three figures in the dim light, standing there but Sio knew the second they got their attentions, they would be in for a fight.
“There’s three of them, I’m fairly certain...” Tell lowered his bow and it changed back into a single blade. “Since we’ve a large group as well, it makes sense to split up and face them separately. We’ll have a much better chance of success than tackling them when they’re together.” 
“A spear, cane whip, and...what are those, claws of some sort?” Sio was looking through her own monocle at their foes; the first two hunters wielded fairly standard weapons that one could easily find, but the third... “He’s all crouched over...like a beast itself...”
Before she could make more sense of it however, the others were already assembling into three teams. “Ogura, you go with Hunter an’ Tell; you’ll be taking on the whip wielder. Vidocq’ll be with Jess and Mirza against the spearfighter, and I’ll take the last one with Geronimo.” Adam’s tone left no room for discussion, and so she could only nod in agreement, despite the fact that he was about to take on the unknown hunter with only one other person for back-up—and it wasn’t her at that. Though she hated to admit it, she was slightly miffed that he hadn’t asked her to team up with him—but after having been with him all this time, something told her that it wasn’t because of personal reasons. ‘But still, did he have to ask Geronimo of all people? I thought they disliked each other...’
“No need fer the green-eyed monster, lassie. I’m sure Adam’s got his reasons...” Hunter gave her a slight nudge, after she kept turning around and staring at the other two. “‘Sides, Geronimo’s too professional t’ be stickin’ her beak in others’ businesses.”
“I-I—wha—I didn’t say anything!” 
“Ye don’t hafta; yer eyes say it all, Miss Ogura,”  Hunter teased, but got serious soon after. “Anywho, ye can chew ‘im out after ‘f ye want; but fer now, let’s figure out how the hell we’re gonna deal with this mess.”
“Have either of you had any experience fighting against this type of weapon?” Tell split the bowblade apart, turning the single blade into a formidably-sized bow. “I’d rather keep my distance of course, but if need be, I can do melee-combat...”
“A threaded cane, similar to what Vidocq has; it was contrived as part of the original Workshop, and fairly common among hunters. You can use it as a bladed cane, or split it into the whip for crowd control. ‘Concealing the weapon inside the cane and flogging the beasts with the whip is partly an act of ceremony, an attempt to demonstrate to oneself that the bloodlust of the hunt will never encroach upon the soul,‘ or so they said... We’ll have to time our attacks carefully, it’s probably best to strike when he’s switching between forms.”
Though Tell did not say anything, his eyebrows raised slightly at the girl’s impressive description; not only on the weapon’s detailed background but the strategy to fight against it, as well. “...You are Ogura, correct? And according to the others, this is your first hunt...?”
“A-Ah, yeah...I’m not exactly experienced, so...” Sio rubbed her head sheepishly, suddenly keenly aware of how much younger she seemed compared to everyone else.
“That doesn’t matter; clearly, you are much more knowledgeable than even some of the most veteran hunters.” He gave her another peculiar look, not threatening but curious. “Are you perchance from a family of hunters...?”
“H-Huh? O-Oh no, no no no—I’m just your average girl from a regular old family, I guess...” Well all right that, wasn’t quite true, otherwise she’d still be back in her village and not about to face a deadly enemy in the middle of an abandoned prison. “I...I’m an only child, but I never had much friends...so I just mostly kept myself busy, studying weapons and strategy...a-ah, n, not that I hated it! I actually found it quite fascinating...”
“Hm. Fair enough. Perhaps you will become one of those they speak of in legends...” Tell sighted his bow once more, as the others started heading down to separate their quarry. “Careful; we’ll have to move quick so they don’t try and rejoin each other.”
The spear was now engaged in combat with a Kirkhammer, Vidocq’s whip-like blade cutting through the gloom with a silver gleam while Mirza worked to parry the blows. Their opponent headed towards their corner as well, Sio switching her rifle spear into its trick mode and Hunter separated his blades in two. Tell was off on his perch, firing shots when the opportunity presented itself, but even while dodging the serrated whip and striking back, she noticed that the third hunter, and Adam and Geronimo for that matter, were nowhere to be found.
“Where did those two go? This place is only so big...!”
“Focus on the battle at hand, lassie! Those two can take care of themselves!” Hunter grimaced as he nursed a gash on his cheek. “Knowin’ them, they probably took the fight outside...where there’s more space.”
Although she knew it was logical, and that Geronimo was honorable enough to not try anything, somehow the very fact that those two were out of sight didn’t sit well with her; Sio didn’t recognize this strange burning in her chest, but she knew she didn’t like it. ‘Am I really that jealous...? Even though I trust Adam, and Geronimo wouldn’t...she wouldn’t do anything to him, right?’ Not just those illogical feelings of possessiveness, but the uneasy fear that Geronimo wasn’t someone they could trust completely. 
Her anxious feelings translated into an increased frenzy on the field, the bloodlust growing as she lunged straight down at the hostile hunter, effectively splitting his spine in half as she landed on the bloody corpse with a ‘thump’. Neither Hunter nor Tell said anything much aside from the usual acknowledgements, but she could sense that both of them were viewing her with a sort of feared respect. Elsewhere, the other trio had also finished their fight, and was now in the middle of salvaging and weapon repairs.
“...I’m going to go look for Adam and Geronimo; they’re still not back, and it was only the two of them.” Without even waiting for a response, Sio armed her weapons and headed out the entrance, with Hunter and Tell looking silently on. --- “Watch it! He’s transforming...already more beast than man!” Adam dodged the claw’s swipe, countering with a ferocious thrust as the man-beast howled in fury.
“Hmph, that’s not a problem...” Licking her lips, the Crow Hunter neatly blocked the monster claws with the blunt side of her axe, before firing a shot and nearly decapitating the mad hunter. “Muirhead!”
“Don’t even need t’ ask.” With a grin, the Stakedriver plunged into the beast’s chest, Adam ripping out the insides with a visceral attack that was not unlike the one Sio had pulled off earlier. 
“Well, we managed to make a pretty good team, Muirhead,” the other woman drawled, pushing aside the remains with the end of her giant axe. “Sure you don’t want to change your mind about changing partners?”
“Hn. Thanks but no thanks; besides, don’t you work alone? Why are you still hangin’ around? The beckoning bell’s effects ended a while ago.” Adam didn’t even bother looking at Geronimo, instead more concerned with studying the mangled, mutated body and those claws. “I wonder...if this weapon accelerates the beasthood process...”
“That doesn’t mean I won’t consider the prospects of teaming up...especially with a strong hunter like yourself, we could do a fair bit of damage...maybe even end this scourge, and prevent more hunters from becoming beasts...” Before he knew it Geronimo had gotten much closer than he liked, those dark eyes narrowed into a enigmatic smile as she brushed the bottom of his chin—
“—Adam! Oh...” He pulled away immediately, but not before he caught sight of the petite huntress’ expression: shock, a slight embarrassment, and...anger? “...Geronimo, Muirhead. We’re uh, all done inside...so...”
“Sure.” Geronimo slipped by cooly, as if nothing had happened at all except for a whisper—
”—she’s an interesting one, isn’t she, Muirhead? Very interesting...”
And then Adam was staring at that cape of black feathers, the Crow Hunter whistling casually as Sio slowly trudged forward.
“Sio...you all right?” The air was thick with some sort of unspoken tension, but Adam had enough sense to know that this was not the time nor place to sort it out...whatever it was. “Everyone else all right?”
“...Yeah...” She was definitely upset; her single-word, callous answers notwithstanding, the girl was deliberately not looking his direction, instead adamantly pulling her hat lower and stalking back to the Hypogean Gaol. Great, just what he needed to deal with in a realm that was already more dangerous than usual: emotions. Not for the first time, he questioned the wisdom of attempting to pursue a relationship with the girl. Even though Hunter had more-or-less given them his blessing, Capa’s warning, and his own inner doubts, continued to sit with him.
Don’t fall for her; she’ll just make you cry, in the end.
The emotional turmoil did not make it any easier as the group trudged through the abandoned town, making their way across an especially precarious tower that was filled with foes both human and inhuman. More Amygdalas seemed to have made their home here, as well, but unlike the one they faced earlier, these seemed content to just leave the group alone. Still, he kept a close eye on the girl, who hadn’t said much since they left the crypt; for some unknown reason, the Amygdalas were making her condition worse, even when they weren’t engaged in combat. Hunter had cast a dark glance back more than once, especially after Sio nearly stumbled for no apparent reason, most of the group just shrugging it off as fatigue but Adam didn’t miss the way Mirza’s eyes kept watching her. Gently he tried to reach out to her, to tell her that she didn’t have to push so hard and that...thing with Geronimo hadn’t meant anything at all, but she coldly shrugged it off, only saying that she had tripped and would be fine.
“Leave ‘er be, Muirhead. She’ll be fine.” Hunter said lowly, not wanting to attract attention. “This has something t’ do wit’ Geronimo, don’t it? The lassie wasnae too pleased ‘bout it...” The silver-haired hunter cast as irate a look as he had in a long time, leaving Hunter frantically trying to mollify the other man.
“Piss off,” Adam muttered, though his tone was more resigned than angry. “...Are you seriously accusing me of...underhanded actions, even after all...that?”
“Of course not,” the lanky surgeon hastily replied, “I meant it when I said I trust ye, Adam. I figured ye had yur reasons...but I’ll admit, I’m curious meself. I thought you detested the Crow Hunter?”
Adam snorted. “Beast huntin’ ain’t exactly a profession for the choosy. The woman’s a fair enough fighter...if she could just stop actin’ like this is all some kind of grand game. Of all the hunters in this group. she’s probably the one I’d want t’ avoid going toe-to-toe with the most...’
“That’s fair, but why her? You think none of the others can match you?”
“...That hostile hunter we faced. You saw his weapon—hell, even the squirt pointed it out herself. Beast claws,” he added, and Hunter’s face dawned in understanding. “I was afraid...if she got too close, and with her already like this...”
Neither man said anything more, Hunter now visibly broodier as they pushed their way through mobs of creatures, each spawned by a hidden chime maiden. Yahar’gul may have been abandoned, but it certainly wasn’t dead; it seemed like every corner was filled with some sort of hazard, even compared to memories of his previous hunts—and it was anyone’s guess as to what made the Amygdalas attack, if at all. It wasn’t until the road opened up to some sort of open street did they get a chance to breathe...somewhat. A hissing noise before a gush of vile liquid arched through the air, just missing the group as it landed on the stone walkway, where it proceeded to sizzle and smoke, seemingly burning through solid rock. Sio lept back in shock, before tracking the venom over the side of the wall to the streets below.
“What’s th...th, th-that?!” She didn’t even have any words for the horror that had spat the vile liquid: what appeared to be a tangled mass of half-rotten skeletons, somehow all fused together and shoved into a casket that was much too small to fit them all, forcing the hideous creature to spill out and writhe onto the cobblestones. The many arms and hands clawed and pulled every which way, and what remained of the bodies squirmed randomly as each individual seemed to have its own mind. The creature’s contorted movements and twisted designs left Sio feeling nauseated, and before the group had even decided on how to deal with these monsters she heaved, a puddle of vomit splashing right next to the poison itself.
“Easy there now, lass. Here, drink some water,” Hunter kindly patted her back as Sio emptied the last of what remained in her stomach, breathing hard. “Those cramped caskets probably rank as one of the ugliest sods out there...as dangerous as they are ugly, to boot.”
“H-How...wh, why...” Those large maroons open wide with fear and just plain confusion; she knew that Yharnam was home to nightmares that were indescribable, but this was just too much. “Why is it so...terrible?”
“...If we knew the answer t’ that, we wouldn’t be here.” Adam answered quietly for her. “Chin up, Ogura. We’ve ground to cover.”
She was a little surprised at how civil he was towards her, despite the cold shoulder she was giving him. Which, now that she thought about it, was probably just a bit too childish of her, especially at this point. ‘I guess I really am still a kid,’ she thought bitterly, though when her mind flashed back to that single moment when he and Geronimo were so close...a flash of heated anger flooded her senses, and she wiped her mouth and forced herself to stand up.
It was decided that they would move as two groups; the street was too dangerous to just go waltzing about in the open, and splitting up would allow them to deal with several threats at once. Morbid as the caskets were, Sio discovered they could be tricked into a lit fire, making it easy for her to get in several visceral attacks on the flaming mass of flesh. The streets were littered with what appeared to be stone statues...and yet, as she gazed upon their faces, frozen with fear and something else... No, they couldn’t be real humans. It just wasn’t possible... A sudden roar, before she was pushed roughly against these stone figures and narrowly missed getting sprayed by that poison. “Keep your guard up, Ogura.” By the time she managed to right herself, Tell had already sliced up the monstrosity using the blade form of his weapon.
“S, Sorry...” She shook her head to clear it. This wasn’t the time to be solving the mysteries of this world, though Sio knew that wasn’t the only thing that was distracting her. This tension between her and Adam...it was getting unbearable, even before Geronimo decided to pull that stupid prank. It wasn’t the same as when she was seeking his respect and getting irritated with his put-downs, no...this kind of feeling was closer to seeking a type of satisfaction, to quell this strange desire she was feeling...
Like when they almost kissed that time; her cheeks became hot and she forced herself to pay attention to the battle. ‘Now is not the time to be thinking this, Sio...’ If this was what it was like to fall in love and all that romantic, mushy crap she’d heard so many of the village girls gossip about, Sio wasn’t sure she wanted it. It was very distracting, for one, but it was also frustrating that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to detach herself from it.
“Lass, you alright?” That strongly-accented voice cheered her up slightly, especially now that the streets were slightly-less-deadly than they had been. “C’mon, let’s find the others.”
“Right...how’s everyone else?”
“Eh, nothin’ fatal. By the way, nice work figurin’ out how t’ lure ‘em into th’ fires.” Hunter nodded in appreciation. “Seriously, findin’ you was like a single blessing in this wretched place.” Sio blushed at his comments, and wondered why Adam couldn’t be polite and caring like the surgeon. 
“Hunter. Ogura...” Speak of the devil. She gave him a single nod as he said her name, not sure yet how she wanted to act towards him. In any case, they were currently in the field of battle, so it would be understandable for her to be all business-like...right? “There’s a plaza of sorts coming up; I think we know what that means...”
“...There’s something there.” There was no proof yet, but after all these hunts, they knew from experience that coming across a seemingly-deserted area usually meant something dangerous lurked nearby. 
“Here, there’s a shortcut. We just need to use this as a stepping—” Adam’s voice cut off mid-sentence as the rotting carriage gave a violent shake, muffled cries coming from inside. “...Or, not...”
“...Right then. I vote we look for an alternative.” 
“But, we’d have to spend more time looking for one...and there’s no guarantee it’ll be any safer,” both men looked at the girl with a slight surprise. “If we’re fast enough...it should be fine...”
At least she hoped so; Sio didn’t want to admit it, but the rattling carriage was terrifying her to no end. Just knowing how things were, it was bound to burst open the second she stepped foot onto it...and yet, it was the quickest way down, perhaps even the only way. “...Worst case, there’s three of us...we should be able to handle anything...”
“Can’t say I’ve much faith in meself, but I’ll trust yer instincts lass,” Hunter shook his head gravely, but got up anyway, despite the fact that he was probably the least courageous out of the entire group. “Well, no use in puttin’ it off...”
“I’ll go first,” Sio volunteered the lead, after all it was her idea to go forward, despite the high risk. Steeling herself, she gingerly landed on the carriage, trying not to think about the vibrations underfoot and the awful moans as she cautiously made her way across, Hunter landing not too far behind.
‘Here it goes,’ she gulped and then leapt down, wincing a bit from the height but otherwise it seemed all right, nothing was broken and no monsters were in sight. “Hey, it’s all—”
The sentence wasn’t even out of her mouth before the carriage windows shattered violently, and the whole thing seemed to topple over as the what appeared to be an endless stream of mutilated corpses were disgorged. Sio briefly heard Hunter and Adam cursing as they fought for their footing, before the whole thing was drowned out by the cries of undead bodies as they seemed to cave in on her; she herself too shocked by the sight to do any but just watch through her fingers as she vainly tried to shield herself.
“Sio! Sio! Dammit, get off her you bastards!” Growling, Adam plunged his way through the seemingly endless number of flailing limbs and half-melted bodies, but he couldn’t risk just recklessly stabbing the pile, lest he accidentally hurt her. “Sio! Hang on!”
“Somehow I knew this was gonna happen,” Hunter bemoaned, but plunged straight in as well. The two men worked with a sort of possessed fervor, Hunter not even flinching as a wailing corpse tried to reach out and grab his neck.
“Sio! Can you hear me? Sio...!”
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nearcromancy · 7 years
Text
heres a draft of something that ill probably finish in like 2019 (the joke is that i write slow)
---
second best means winning the battles but losing the war.
----
i.
near watched him slough through the door on spindly spider legs, never once breaking his line of sight. He was mello.
----
ii.
“Here.”
he jumps. mello appears at his side- he didn't notice how close he had gotten. couldn't have noticed. near sinks closer to the ground, nearly enveloped in the tall, yellowed grass, and mello stares at him with a pitying look before opening his hands.
“i saw you trying. they’re easy to catch if you have any reflexes at all.” It would be snide, but there's no bite to it, here in the field under the darkening sky. for emphasis, he lets it fly away only to snatch it again out of the air seconds later. “see? they’re slow.”
near reaches, but the firefly rises out of mello’s open palm before he can grab it, examine it; they are quite fascinating, these insects, and the light is- the light-
“God- you’re hopeless.” Mello grabs the bug out of the air, again, and this time holds near’s wrist with wiry, boyish fingers. a spell of careful manipulation, and the creature crawls into nears hand. “can’t even catch a firefly.”
he’s right, he can’t, for all his intellect near is never able to grasp the immediacy of action. he can plan and plan and plan but when his target runs on instinct, there's no point to it, is there? it feels strange, the tiny prickle, the crawling sensation. so unfamiliar, and it would set his hair on edge were it not for the more pressing, urgent contact of the other boy’s skin.
he lets go, leaves him cold.
Roger’s voice sounds over them, and mello snaps his head back towards the house. he’s been reprimanded recently, near knows. there's a startlingly high chance he shouldn't even be outside.
“come on, they’ll start looking soon. I told Roswell to keep his little mouth shut when he found me but i'm sure he’ll squeal under pressure.”
he sees fit to half-lead, half-drag him through the grass in a disorienting rush, more movement than near has ever experienced. by the end of it, his heart is hammering, explosive, and he can hardly catch his breath, his legs shaking from the weak strain of adrenaline loosed into his blood.
someone calls mello’s name- he lets near drop to the floor and leaves, a half-hearted glance over his shoulder and nothing else.
near opens his hand. he’s crushed the firefly in all the commotion.
he remembers. thats enough.
----
iii.
near doesn’t socialize, but he recedes even more so in the winter, when illness wreaths the house. He hardly touches the floor, heaped onto his bed for most of the day, away from the playroom. maddeningly boring with his limited selection of toys, but preferable over the idea of being sick, better than fever especially; it makes it hard to focus, and his dreams are so much worse-
the winter keeps them herded inside, restless and snotting on each other. other kids see fit to isolate themselves but the more social ones- nothing can keep them locked up for long.
mello likes to socialize. mello is the first to get sick.
they had snuck out into the snow despite the warnings- and Roger had pulled them out coughing and snotting with frozen fingers. An hour in front of the fireplace cleared up most of the symptoms on the spot, but after a few days it was clear Mello had come down with something more sinister.
“Get out of here,” Mello slurs. It doesn’t fit him, this exhaustion that has taken hold. He gestures weakly w his arm dangling from the side. “i doubt it's something you can handle.”
He’s right. He can’t. Near’s last brush with illness had him in the hospital for days- the dangers of a poor immune system. But he climbs onto Mello’s bed anyway, settled between the wall and its occupant. He’s already asleep, or maybe too tired to tell him off again, no protest as he curls up on top of the blankets and watches the slow pattern of his chest, listens to his labored breath.
he burns like a flame- doesn't want him to go out.
---
iv.
the first test results were in. near had become something like a celebrity.
he’s been accosted with people’s company more than he was comfortable with, but the afternoon proved quiet, with most out enjoying the sun and spring showers, and near breathed a sigh of relief.
that is, until-
Garou is his name- a star mathematician, but with a sour, brutish disposition, and easily discouraged. He has a habit of taking his frustrations out on others, but that isn't uncommon, among children.
Near doesn’t think to struggle or call out, but being lifted by his wrist does hurt- Garou’s grip is tight and he bruises easily and he doesn’t like being so far off the ground, he can’t see and it makes him sick to his stomach-
“HEY-!”
Something runs, leaps, and smashes into Garou’s side, catches him off guard, though most of his bulk unmoved despite the force. He drops Near with a yelp and snatches the newcomer up in an instant, by the neck, with both hands.
Mello swings his arm, just a blur in Near’s eyes but he’s sure nothing connects- the distance is just a little off- but Garou screams in surprise, clutching his cheek and there’s red, somehow, seeping from between his fingers.
“what the fuck is wrong with you?” he shouts. Mello doesn’t answer, only sneers, and steps forward with his hand outstretched. he steps forward. garou backs away.
children fight- it's just how it is. But Mello fights harder than anyone.
“Keep walking, Garou.” Mello is two heads shorter than the other boy, but holds his ground with no hesitation.
“he shouldn't even be here.”
some of it lands near his sleeve. a little splatter spray of red that has him recoiling. A knife in mello's hand, a tiny little switchblade clutched tightly in his palm, and near frowns, furrows his brow. it's something he definitely, definitely  should not have had.
“if he tries something like that again…well. he isnt anything to worry about”
Near doesn’t gaze up from the floor. “That was an excessive display of force, Mello.”
he snorts. “you're welcome, you ungrateful shit.”
He rubs his hand on his shirt. the black eats whatever stain the blood leaves.
mello grabs him by the wrist, but isn't so massive as to pull him off the ground. besides, it’s to near’s advantage; it gives him a rare, level glimpse of mello's face. “Listen up. my victory doesn't count if you let someone else take you out. This is between you and me, got it? no one else.”
he stares. near realizes his questions are not rhetorical, and manages one nod in understanding.
“so until you learn to defend yourself properly- and you better learn, alright- if someone's lurking around, you tell them i'm watching.”
the skin around his neck is already starting to bruise, purple-green-black, but mello looks unperturbed. it must hurt. near wants to touch it.
he doesn’t of course. He nods again for mello’s sake, and the other boy lets him go, off to do whatever he does in his spare time. .
-----
v.
“You hit all the notes, sure. But it isn’t right.”
mello huffs, eyeing near out of the corner of his eyes. flawless, which is the entire problem. near strikes up a tune, something cold and tinkling befitting the frost built on the windowpanes.
(he feels smug about it, sure. but to do nothing about it is the easy way out.)
“... Just listen.”
the piano was a new addition, relatively. the kids has poked and prodded and investigated as much as they wanted, but little came of it until mello decided to take interest in it.
After Mello plays, the other kids don’t touch it. No action on his part required- the instrument claimed as his in the way he made it sing, breathed something sparking into the steel and the ivory, a sound drawn from his very bones.
“Why teach me this?” Near draws himself further inwards, chin resting on the bony jut of his knees. to him, Mello is always so very… interesting.
“Hmph.” A few more chords struck on the piano, soft enough so the notes don’t echo in the empty room. “A win doesn’t matter if you aren’t playing at your best. his melody is more complex, wrought from the deft twists of his fingers. If you don’t get it, there’s no point.”
He presses the stopper, the resonance brought to a sudden halt. “I don’t need an advantage like that to beat you. figure this out so i can have some real competition.”
0.
He didn’t destroy it. The creases are heavy, photo film worn away from folding and unfolding.
“It was empty when i got there,” Lidner says. “No fingerprints or anything- not even dust. But this was on the table and i thought … it should go to you.”
Quietly, softly, he murmurs, “I see.”
it's strange to think for how furiously mello lived, there’s nothing left of him except for this fragile little image- something he could dip in the fire and have it be nothing but ashes on his fingertips.
lindner shifts her feet, an oddly casual gesture. “i think he knew he was going to die.”
of course. to mello, losing and dying are the same thing. it was only a shame Kira was the competition on which they had staked everything.
“i’m sure.”
lidner leaves, her steps echoing out on the tile. it’s just him and his towers and a fragment of a boy he once knew. the whine of the lights, the soft static of circuitry- they fade into the background of his thoughts as he sits, and he remembers.
of course he’ll miss him. mello was the puzzle he could start over and over and have the solution be different each time.
he picks up a card.
“So what now?”
he doesn't know. and mello doesn’t say.
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