#tararu

[yzeltia]

Handed Down from Stone

Chapter 18: Etched in Sapphire Characters: Y'zel Tia, Leonnioux Ouraux, @erickgage 's Erick Gage, @autumnslance 's Dark Autumn, and Tataru Taru Rating: T for Tipsy Notes: Thanks @autumnslance and @driftward for helping me with punctuation, and all three tagged for letting me borrow characters!

-Ishgard 1556-

The masked hero fluttered his ears as he crept along a high wall, pink tail twitching to keep his balance. His young Elezen target, unaware of his pursuit, soon headed down an alley, taking a shortcut to get to the Brume. Once well secluded, he hopped up on an overlooking bridge and looked down at the young man.

"Halt evil doer," he bellowed, blue cape flapping behind him, "Halone has judged you and you've been found wanting, Lord Ouraux! In the name of the Fury, I've come to punish you!"

Leonnioux looked up, visoring his brow and giving a little squint, "Y'zel?"

"No! I'm the Wooly Warrior!"

"...what?"

"Sardine shuriken," the boy called out, tossing six frozen fish at the other.

"Augh! Are these fish!? What the heck Y'zel!"

"Had enough, evil doer!?"

"I don't understand what's even going on! Come down here now!"

"Not until you repent for your crimes against my da- I mean Au Ra everywhere! Ice Spike," the masked Miqo'te called out before raising his hands over his head.

Leonnioux looked down, finding himself standing in a pool of ice that just barely lifted little points up into his boots. Clenching his fists, he yanked each foot free then squatted down before launching himself upward and into the Wooly Warrior, tackling him against the plank bridge before sitting up and huffing in annoyance. 

"Gotcha, er, Wooly Warrior! The uh… Azure Avenger won't be stopped by your parlor tricks," the Elezen boy fumbled before starting to tickle the young hero's sides.

The poor masked Miqo'te rolled around in agony, trying to kick away before tanking the other's ankle with his tail to disrupt his balance. Crawling away, he hopped up and started whipping his tail at his frenemy, "Tail Screw!!"

Leonnioux recoiled, shielding himself from the fluffy pink appendage before finding the other hightailing it away. Blinking, the Elezen tilted his head then stood up to dust himself off.

"I'll get you next time," the Wooly Warrior called out before disappearing into the street, leaving Leon confused and slightly annoyed.

-Gage Acquisitions Headquarters, Present -

A hush had fallen over the Goblet. It had been an uneventful evening, save for a Scion popping in to have a meeting with the directors of Gage Acquisitions with the intention of discussing future trade propositions as she expanded her brand. All-in-all, it should have been uneventful…but in the wake of Zoissette Vauban's sabbatical and being booted from the lawyer's office, Y'zel Tia had a bit too much free time on his hands…

Leonnioux had thought a touch of Green Selene would calm the Miqo'te's nerves, the green liquor putting many out after a few shots. Unfortunately, the well intentioned Elezen had not been apprised of just how lightweight his love was. The shot was downed and then a second…and shortly after Y'zel had mentioned something about getting justice and was gone.

Sometime after the halls echoed with the sounds of footsteps, someone running down the hall accompanied by something that slapped loudly each time its feet hit the ground. Peaking out of the bar, Leonnioux went pale, seeing a blue-masked Miqo'te round the corner and hurry upstairs toward the office, Alpaku at his side. 

"Erick Gage! The hero of -hic- justice is here," Y'zel's voice boomed through the halls.

A mix of laughter sounded followed by the boss screaming "What on Thal's name are you wearing Y'zel!?"

Leonnioux hurried down the hall, hissing as he felt pain shoot up his legs, starting to hop a little. Bracing himself on the stairway, he looked up groaning as Y'zel continued his stupor.

"I don't know this Y'zel you speak of! But I'm sure he was…is…a fine lawyer! I'm the Wooly Warrior, and this is my sidekick, the Raging Ram! We're defenders of justice and -hic- we're here to deliver!"

Leonnioux clamored up the stairs as he felt Y'zel's cool aether start to flow down from above. The mixed laughter continued.

"I was wondering what he was going to use that outfit for," Tartaru Taru's voice mused.

"Y'zel, please come down before you hurt yourself," Dark Autumn's voice sounded stern but with lingering amusement.

"Get off the damn table-"

Erick's voice was interrupted as a loud wet slap sounded out through the halls followed by Tataru and Dark's laughter.

"D-Did you just throw a swiven tuna at me!? On my new suit!? That's it! I'm sending you back to whatever alley Ioh plucked you from, cat!"

Arriving at the door, Leonnioux found Y'zel swaying on the table while Erick held the large flopping tuna out in front of him in disgust.

"By the Fury! I am so sorry, Mister Gage. I just gave him a little Green Selene-"

"The green-fairy!? Has everyone lost their damn minds," the boss shouted, tossing the tuna to Dark before scruffing Y'zel by his costume's collar.

With a fling, he chucked Y'zel into Leonnioux's arms, the Elezen silently praying that Halone would smite him and the Miqo'te where they stood. "This is my fault…I'll bear the responsibility. Y'zel was just a bit down about his shortcomings as a lawyer and I thought I might treat him to something top shelf."

Erick pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a loud sigh. "Well, then he shouldn't have come looking for a job in law in the first place."

"Well, actually, Y'zel was employed as a researcher given his education and ties with the Gubal Restoration Effort. Zoissette just happened to be in need of a paralegal at the time," Dark corrected, moving to the aquarium in the hall to put the tuna into.

"Wait. Really," Erick asked.

"Yes. Our Wooly Warrior here has helped the Scions authenticate certain documents from time to time," Tataru agreed.

"I do remember a point when we were young where Zel had stumbled upon a forgery hanging in the Vault. He typically had his head in some sort of art or history book…I think they witch-dropped the fellow below that procured it. Something about smuggling the original," Leonnioux mused, moving a passed out Y'zel over his shoulder.

"Well, regardless-," Erick started.

"His extended family has forum members among them if I remember correctly. Ones that have floated us a few contracts," Dark added.

"Where there's Gil, there's a way. Sober him up and have him come to my office in the morning to start appraising our collection," Erick said, holding out his arms and looking down at the water stains on his jacket, "Throwing a damn fish. Does he want the building to be overrun by stray cats? This is how you get overrun by stray cats!"

Leonnioux exhaled as he turned, holding Y'zel's limp body against him, getting a little reassuring pat from Dark as he passed. Returning below with the Alpaku, he put Y'zel in the bath and let him rest with the bird. Costume hung up, he smiled, taking it to his own quarters to fold up and put in a box along with the knife Y'zel had given him for Starlight years before.

[agentark88]

Think: Chapter Ninety-Three: Doku Kobura: The Cobra of Tartarus

My Hero Academia Fan Fiction by Agent ARK 88

Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction using characters and settings from My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not claim any ownership of characters present in this piece that are owned and created by Kohei Horikoshi. I do not own My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia.

Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Warnings: This work contains mild language, blood, abuse, death, and violence. If you are easily triggered by violent scenarios, please do not read this chapter. This chapter could be triggering to some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

Please be aware this chapter is in third-person perspective, following my original character, BioVirus, Doku Kobura, who is a villain currently a part of The League of Villains.

Chapter Ninety-Three: Doku Kobura: The Cobra of Tartarus

Kobura stared up at the dismal cell ceiling. His back ached. His head hurt worse. He continued to contemplate his decision to be willingly taken into custody. Toga and Twice were beyond capable of handling themselves, but with The League of Villains moving forward with their well-in-advance plans for villain domination, it was hard not to worry. The Doctor had started yammering on about more advanced Nomus right before Kobura had been imprisoned, which only made Kobura’s stomach twist into knots at the thought of Anna coming face-to-face with one of those monstrosities now that she was back at U.A..

Kobura sighed heavily, his breath echoing back at him. He wished he’d done some more research on Dabi’s whereabouts before he’d been arrested. Doku had the uneasy feeling that he was up to no good, above and beyond what was normal for him. With Anna to look after, any idiotic thing that Dabi was doing was the least of his concerns. Kobura had heard Dabi was working on bringing someone into The Leagues of Villains for better intel, but he knew little beyond that. It made Kobura’s skin crawl not knowing more, not being able to warn Anna about what villainous activities were to come.

Kobura shifted again on his slab that they called a cot. His fingers felt frigid in these conditions, and it was getting harder for him to move. Kobura’s cold-blooded nature did not adjust well to colder climates. The prison barely gave him anything to wear, a thin orange jumpsuit, let alone materials to cover himself with. Villains didn’t exactly get first-class treatment in Tartarus. They’d removed all of his piercings. He ran his tongue over the now empty snakebite holes, wondering if they would close before he’d get out.

Shigaraki should have defeated Gigantomachia by now, based on the rumors, which made Kobura feel a little bit better about his current predicament. Doku’s quirk would have been a detriment to those extended fights. He would have only made Gigantomachia more powerful against Shigaraki. The fact that Shiggy won, meant that going to prison wasn’t a total waste. Word spread quickly, even within these thick walls. The League of Villains went up against the Meta-Liberation Army and kicked their asses. The new name circled Tartarus like a ghost. The Paranormal Liberation Front was what The League had started calling themselves now.

After everything, Doku chose Anna. Kobura would never regret choosing her. His friends understood. You only find true love once in a lifetime. He only hoped his sacrifice gave Anna what she always dreamed of. He would return to her in time. He wouldn’t want to miss seeing her smile again.

The days had blended together. The graying walls of the Tartarus facility didn’t allow for an appropriate count of time. Kobura was a model prisoner in the interim. He kept his head down, stayed out of trouble. He felt that doing his time made up for some of his past villainous deeds, even if it was just in a small way. Being behind bars, taking responsibility for his actions, would put him in a better place with Anna. He’d stay as long as it took in this hellish prison for her. He’d break out if she ever needed him.

Doku’s door beeped, indicating that the lock had released. Kobura sat up in the next breath. There should have been no reason his cell door opened now. They hadn’t requested him to put on a quirk-nullifying mask, nor was it mealtime.

The air left Kobura’s body as his eyes met his father’s single golden iris. Kobura froze. He never thought he would come into direct contact with his father, especially here. The last he knew, his parents were being held at a lesser facility, one for smalltime villains.

“Finally. It’s been ages since I’ve seen my treacherous son. I bet you had hoped I had rotted away in here.” The door slid shut behind Kobura.

“I didn’t know you were—”

Kobura’s words were cut short by his father’s hand snapping out and crushing his neck. A guttural hiss pierced Kobura’s eardrum, and his head slammed against the back wall as his father held him there.

“Of course you didn’t know, you sad excuse for a child. Did you think abandoning us in prison wouldn’t come back to haunt you? I was transferred here weeks ago for bad behavior. Your mother was left to rot in the same facility you left her in.”

Kobura’s white prison-issue shoes slid down the wall, trying to gain some traction. His father had always been taller than him, broader. His speed far surpassed Kobura’s alone. Doku clawed at his dad’s hands, trying to wrench them away from his windpipe.

“I hope you enjoyed your little vacation because your delusions of a life on your own are over. I think you need a reminder of who owns you.”

Kobura’s father put more force into his grip to the point that Doku started seeing spots. Just before Kobura thought he was going to pass out, his father let go, dropping him back down to the concrete. Doku gasped for air, coughing.

“You don’t own me,” Doku bit back through ragged breaths.

Kobura’s father didn’t hesitate to jam his sneaker against his fallen son’s head, holding him down. “I own the air you breathe, you little wretch. I own the mind you think with and the body you so uselessly didn’t use to get me out of this hellhole. Without me, you would never have existed. Without me, you would have amounted to nothing.” Kobura’s father pressed harder onto Doku’s skull.

Doku gritted his teeth, trying his best to keep the pressure off of his head by holding his father’s ankle. There was nothing more for him to say. Doku had left his parents to rot in prison. He was tired of busting them out, only for them to do something heinous again or involve him in something he never wanted to be a part of. The League gave him choices, options. Shigaraki gave him a position, a role within their group. Kobura’s parents never gave him a choice. They never considered his feelings.

“Have nothing more to say, boy? Pitiful.”

Kobura’s father gave Doku a few swift kicks while he was down. All Doku did in his defense was cover his head.

“You were always so weak,” his father spat. His single golden eye widened wickedly, while the grotesqueness of his hollow one seemed to become harder to ignore. “It’s laughable how you thought a little time away from your parents made you all grown up. Did you really think joining that second-rate villain group made you anything?” He kicked Doku again. “You’re not the only one that can make connections, Doku. Never forget that your father was a villain before you took your first breath. I know people, powerful and horrible people. I can find my way into your cell whenever I please. But, that’s not all. Oh, no. I didn’t just learn that you’d been put in Tartarus. I’ve learned everything about you, boy. Things you’ve been doing, people you’ve been seeing, and where you reside. And, I can’t wait until I escape this place to destroy everything you’ve created without us, everyone you thought would keep you safe.”

Kobura’s eyes widened. The fear within him morphed into rage. His skin boiled with anger. His father couldn’t know about Anna. There was no way he could know about her. Doku tried and failed to calm himself. The League of Villains could hold their own against Doku’s father, but he wouldn’t let him lay a hand on Sweet Anna.

Kobura’s father reached down, gripping Kobura by the back of the head and hoisting him up from the ground. His lips came close to Doku’s jugular. His sharp venomous teeth grazed his son’s throat as he spoke again. “I know about the girl.”

Dark spots filled Kobura’s vision. He twisted his body, hooking his legs between his father’s, forcing him to lose his balance. Kobura’s father released Doku to catch himself. It was enough for Kobura to get a swing in. His bare knuckles cracked against his father’s cheek, snapping the older man’s head to the side.

Silence. Dead silence. Kobura’s father twisted his head back toward his son. A grin widened on his unnatural face, his snake-like features stretching to their full capacity.

“I will never let you touch her,” Doku snapped.

“Ah, you poor hopeless soul,” Kobura’s father said. “You won’t be able to do anything to stop me. To think, this all could have been avoided had you just behaved and done what you were told.”

Kobura’s eyes widened. His silent vow to stay put dissolved into dust in a matter of seconds. He swung at his father again with murderous intent. His dad dodged with ease, golden scales shimmering against the low-quality fluorescent lighting.

“I’ll be sure to kill her slowly, watch as she screams for you to come and save her,” Doku’s father taunted. He chuckled. “A little hero student begging for a villain to come rescue her; how tragic does that sound?”

Kobura’s venom roiled in the back of his throat. His teeth ached in his jaw. He swung again, another miss.

“Maybe she won’t even think of you in her last moments. You probably spent all of your freedom obsessing over a star-crossed fantasy. Didn’t you, boy? So predictable.”

Kobura lunged at his father again, but this time he struck back. Kobura staggered, slumping against the far wall.

“I wonder what expression she’ll make when all the blood leaves her body.”

Kobura’s skin itched. His senses overwhelmed him. His father seemed to blur in front of him. Doku bent over, holding his stomach. His muscles stretched and groaned within his toned body. A searing hot ache emerged into his gums.

“You’ll never get the chance to see it,” Kobura hissed out in pain.

“You’re beginning to bore me with your false promises, boy.” Kobura’s father crossed the room, standing above his doubled-over son. “Let’s finish this little reunion with you bloodied and beaten, shall we?”

“I won’t let you hurt her.” Doku’s consciousness flickered in and out. It hurt. His whole body was in horrid agony. But, he couldn’t pass out. He had to fight. If he couldn’t for himself, he’d do it to protect her.

“I’ll carve her heart from her chest and make you watch,” his father threatened. He slowly and deliberately reached for Kobura, relishing in his mental and physical torture. “Once I’ve killed her, you’ll never disobey me again.”

A feral hiss escaped Doku’s throat. A change had set his adolescent body ablaze. He struck, faster than he ever had before, evading his father’s outstretched hand. Doku sprang onto the man. His fangs plunged into his father’s neck. Sharper teeth, like his mother’s for grinding and tearing soft flesh. Blood filled Kobura’s mouth as he bit deeper into his father. Doku jerked his head back, taking a section of his father’s neck with him. Blood sprayed violently onto the graying walls. Surprise filled Doku’s father’s expression. The man’s hand moved up to his throat, now missing a vital portion of it. He choked. Coughed. Once. Twice. Three times. Then, he fell with a heavy thud to the floor of the cell.

Kobura shook in reaction to the impact. He spat out what was in his mouth, vomiting out whatever had managed to make it down his throat. Something had manifested inside him, an unruly beast rearing its ugly head. He’d killed his father, and he’d barely been in control of himself while doing it. Burning tears trailed down his face. He scrambled to the back of the cell, staring at his father’s lifeless body. The smell of death overwhelmed him. Every noise, every scent, and every color had intensified. He killed his father. It had been too easy. All those years of abuse, and he could never overpower him, and yet the old man was now dead before him.

Kobura reached up to his mouth, feeling the extra set of fangs that had formed. He never meant to hurt anyone else. He didn’t want to hurt anyone else. He had no choice. His father would have killed Anna. He would have. As soon as he set foot outside Tartarus, she would have been in danger. She might even be in danger now, if his father wasn’t bluffing about the connections that he had. Kobura had no choice. He had to kill him. There was no choice.

Kobura grabbed his head, hyperventilating.

“What have I done?” he asked. He quivered. A wave of cold washed over him. He clutched his knees to his chest, shaking uncontrollably.

The body was removed from the cell first. Blood stained every corner of the lockup, before anyone had arrived for cleanup. Kobura was too shocked to react to anyone entering. He stared off distantly. Some part of him felt relieved. The other part only felt guilt.

Doku didn’t know how long he sat there in his blood-soaked jumpsuit, minutes, hours, days. Time had become irrelevant, as he stared and stared at the bodiless crime scene in front of him. The pool of blood never seemed to dry no matter how long he stared at it.

The next voice that entered the cell was calling Doku’s name. He looked up, bleary-eyed and exhausted.

“Place the quirk nullifying muzzle on, Doku Kobura. You are being moved immediately,” the speaker announced.

Kobura complied, much like a robot, and he placed the mask over his mouth. As the device engaged, Kobura could feel his newly formed jaw tighten under the pressure. The device no longer fit correctly. Two guards entered the room, cuffing Kobura with a more technologically advanced handcuff, one that probably would set off an alarm should it be removed without the proper digital key, before escorting him out into the hallway.

“You’re being transferred to a different facility,” one of the guards stated dryly.

Kobura had just murdered his father with his own lethal bite, and they were transferring him? Tartarus was the best facility to detain villains like him, but he wasn’t about to argue. He didn’t want to be put back in that cell with the stench of death reeking in every crevice and the blood that never seemed to congeal.

Doku was led through several passageways and security gates, before he was finally put in a transport vehicle. He didn’t understand. None of this made sense. He deserved to be in the most secure penitentiary there was. He belonged in the prison they were removing him from. They should have left the monster in his cage.

“Your father traded some good venom to get the two of you transferred back to your mother’s facility. I may be a corrupt cop, but I keep my damn word. Too bad you killed him. His venom sold for a pretty penny to the villains.”

Kobura raised his head, tilting it to the side as confusion turned to mild understanding. His father intended to bring him back with him. But, why go through all that trouble to beat him? Why taunt Kobura like that if his father wanted to keep them together?

To use me, Kobura thought. Doku’s father intended to use Kobura like he’d done for his entire life. Had his father been able to escape prior, he would have. He did not have the skill to escape technological gates, nor did his father have the resources. He had intended to beat the lesson into Kobura, make him suffer for leaving him locked up for so long. Kobura’s father wanted to become the puppet master of his marionette again, but he failed to calculate how Doku had changed.

He was dead now. His father was dead. His mother was still in prison. Kobura had a chance to be free, a chance to live his life again the way he wanted to. Kobura’s attention slid up to the two men in front of him.

“Why not sell my venom instead? It’s more potent and reactive to the feral part of quirks,” Kobura’s muffled voice came out of the muzzle.

One of the guards raised an eyebrow, looking back at Doku with curiosity. His eyes narrowed, as he looked Kobura up and down.

"Come now. What could I possibly do with my hands cuffed?” Doku asked.

“It’s hard to believe you, kid, especially with all that blood on yuh,” the other man scoffed, watching him in the rearview mirror.

“My father abused me since the day I was born…” Kobura gulped, his fingers tensing. It pained Doku to have lost control like that, even with how horrible his father could be to him. “He threatened someone very dear to me. I had no choice.” Of course, there was a choice. Kobura felt the guilt snake around his heart. He thought he’d gained some self-control with Anna’s affections on the line, but he lost himself in base instinct. His jaw still hurt from the sudden mutation of his quirk. “If I didn’t kill him, I’m almost certain my mother would have. It was only a matter of time,” Doku said coldly, but his chest clenched and ached, thinking about the ordeal. He’d be haunted by his father’s death in the years to come. He was almost certain every night he’d awaken from a new night terror.

The passenger guard looked interested but uncertain in response to Doku’s proposal.

“It would only take a few minutes. No one would ever know that you stopped.” What Kobura needed now was to escape, make certain Sweet Anna was actually safe. There was no point in mourning a man that he himself murdered. What justification would there be to killing him if Anna came to harm regardless? Kobura knew his father enough to know that he would have already sent villains after Anna to make sure Doku would obey him. He would have held it over Doku’s head as a failsafe to ensure his cooperation.

Kobura had done something unforgiveable, but it wasn’t him. It was something else entirely. He’d never felt such power in his veins, such feral instinct. Killing his father was a horrible accident. A mistake needs no ulterior justification. Kobura’s father’s death was not Doku’s fault. It’s what he wanted to believe. He couldn’t live with himself otherwise.

Kobura’s mind continued to contradict itself. Whether or not what he’d done was an accident or pure vengeance, it didn’t change Doku’s original objective: Keep Anna safe. If he focused on his main goal, he wouldn’t have to think about what he’d done. It wouldn’t matter if no harm came to his Sweet Anna.

The car pulled over to the side of the road. The passenger guard opened a secret compartment within the glove box, where he removed some specimen cups. The guard at the wheel kept watch as the other moved to the back, leaving the back door slightly ajar behind him, so he could easily get out. There was a metal grate separating Kobura from the front of the vehicle, but there was now nothing separating him from one of the guards. It would only take a little viral venom to make the man go ballistic.

“Don’t try anything funny. It’s not like you could get very far with those cuffs on and your prison jumpsuit anyway. You know as well as I do that a Pro Hero would be able to capture you and throw you right back in prison should you try to escape,” the guard in front of him stated dryly.

Doku didn’t respond. His eyes scanned over the man for the best place to infect him. His hands were the obvious choice. It would be easy to get saliva on him. Doku would take his chances with the Pro Heroes. Even if the technologically advanced cuffs couldn’t be removed with something on the guards, Kobura could remove them himself with the right digital tools.

The corrupt guard barely looked up at Kobura as he adjusted his position in the back seat. His hands fiddled with the lid of the cup, which surprisingly already had the proper material atop for venom extraction. Doku watched in frustration as the man put on gloves. Kobura would only have a few moments to somehow get the venom on him, but his original plan, to simply get his saliva to drip on the side of the cup, would not work if the guard had gloves on.

Kobura’s jaw ached. His newly grown teeth dug into his sensitive gums. He gulped, but he already felt a significant increase in his saliva and his venom. He was practically drowning in the nullifying mask at this point. His quirk felt like it was burning the inside of his mouth.

The guard grabbed Kobura roughly by his white hair. It had grown a bit longer after having some time within prison walls. He balanced the cup on his lap as he unlatched the device around Kobura’s face. The guard’s expression twisted in disgust as gobs of toxic green venom and drool dripped out of the device. With the device removed, Kobura could finally breathe again, adjust to the weight of his newly formed teeth.

The guard shoved the device onto Kobura’s lap, so he could retrieve the cup to begin the extraction. In an uncivilized manner, he jammed Doku’s face toward the cup, forcing his aching teeth into the material to begin the extraction and treating Kobura no better than a mangy animal. Gobs of green venom spewed into the container without Doku having to do much. It wouldn’t take long to lose his chance to escape.

The cup felt small in Doku’s mouth, so small his bottom teeth nearly grazed the bottom of the cup. His eyes widened in realization. There was a chance to infect the guard after all. With enough pressure, he could probably destroy the receptacle altogether. It shouldn’t be hard with Kobura’s new strength either. The guard pushed harder on the back of his head, nearly making Doku gag, but with the oncoming force, Doku stretched his jaw further, no matter how excruciatingly painful it was. Finally, with a little adjusting and a subtle tilt of his chin forward, Kobura managed to fit his whole mouth around the cup. Without another moment’s hesitation, he bit down as hard as he could. The plastic cup shattered between the guard’s fingers. He yelped, nearly getting his digits bitten along with it, but the guard had enough instincts to pull back.

The venomous green liquid splattered and sprayed in every direction from the force of Kobura’s jaw shutting around the container. Several droplets splashed against the guard’s skin in the driver’s seat and nearly a whole half of a cup splattered across the man’s face in front of Doku. The guard sputtered, attempting fruitlessly to wipe the substance off.

“Dammit! You little snake. You did that on purpose. Can’t trust a damn one of you!” He started screaming out a series of choice words, before he turned for the door behind him, completely forgetting to put the mouth device back on Kobura.

Doku sprang after him. The guard and Doku went tumbling onto the street. Kobura could feel the heat pulsating off of the man’s skin, the sweat already glistening from his pores. Doku’s quirk had somehow entered his bloodstream faster than normal. Perhaps, the guard accidently swallowed some, or, perhaps, Doku’s quirk had changed, advanced. The scuffle wasn’t long, nor was it drawn out. Rage filled the guard’s eyes, and his skin bubbled and transformed with whatever quirk he had been keeping hidden. His rough textured features began to harden, as if the man had some kind of physical shield quirk, but his body was so bloated that he could not get up from his prone position, even in his angered state. Doku wasted no time, searching the man’s pockets to find the key to his cuffs. He dodged the guard’s swiping hands, as he made guttural and unintelligible noises. It didn’t take long for Doku to find the right USB type mechanism that unlocked his cuffs. He escaped them easily by angling his fingers in just the right way with the key. Kobura dropped the cuffs to the ground beside the writhing guard.

The other guard must have been affected by Doku’s viral venom too because no one came out of the escort vehicle. In fact, it sped off with a screech, suggesting a form of road rage had ensued or been forced upon the man with the feral activation of his quirk. Kobura winced as he heard the car crash into the back of another vehicle, but he didn’t look back.

Doku removed the top half of his prison jumper, rolling it down to his hips. He’d rather strut around half naked, than clearly be an escaped convict. He started running. Eerily, the streets were quiet. Japan seemed like some off-kilter ghost town. And, even more strange, there wasn’t a Pro Hero in sight. Usually, this part of the city was crawling with them. Kobura brusquely stepped into an abandoned open shop, grabbing a few items of clothing. His eyebrows furrowed when he didn’t spot a soul in the building itself. There was even a pile of change left on the register counter. He didn’t question his luck further, discarding his bloody clothes for the plain new ones: a light green t-shirt, a pair of baggy dark gray sweat pants, a dark black mask with a cheeky cat mouth, a plain black baseball cap, a pair of black gloves, and a new pair of white sneakers. He left the store, half-expecting for the owner to come running out to stop him, but no one did.

Kobura then started noticing the empty cars near him, the other abandoned buildings. As he jogged down the sidewalk, it became abundantly clear that the whole area had been evacuated. But, it didn’t make sense for an evacuation of this scale to happen so suddenly. He’d never seen something like this in all his years of being a villain.

Kobura continued down the desolate road, listening for voices, until he heard some. A crowd seemed to be moving away from the main center of the city. Kobura sped toward the group, sneaking between alleyways until he was close enough to become a part of them. Doku spent little time blending in, his eyes finally catching sight of a young hero, one that could have been Anna’s age, ushering the crowd forward.

“Keep moving, citizens! You must all evacuate for your own safety!” another hero announced, one only a few years older than the last.

Kobura shifted with the crowd who were going at a rather leisurely pace. Abruptly, some people started looking back. A few citizens even started screaming. Doku turned around, distinctly aware of the heroes at the back moving their attention to their flank as well. A rippling wave of destruction flailed out across the horizon. Panic ensued. Kobura’s eyes only widened. Everything caught in the blast seemed to gray and decay as if Shigaraki was holding it in his bare hands. Shigaraki had actually gone through with it, the doctor’s crazy procedure to enhance him, and it must have worked.

Doku stood amidst the fleeing citizens. He watched as everything in the shockwave’s path crumbled to dust. How much had he missed while he was locked away? How much had changed? He should have been there for them, for him. Shigaraki had given Kobura hope that he could live a life without strings.

Doku took a few retreating steps back, gauging where the destruction might end based on its speed and current radius. The pre-emptive panic was understandable, but it wasn’t necessary. This group of civilians Kobura had blended in with had been moved far enough back to avoid harm. A cloud of dust washed through Doku as the decay halted only a few feet away from him. As the earth settled, Kobura scanned over the damage.

One of the young heroes beside Doku shuddered, rightfully so. The destruction in front of him was probably far beyond anything he’d ever seen. With shaking hands, the boy motioned for Doku to keep moving.

“W-we should get you to safety,” he said, ever the model hero-in-training.

Kobura shook his head. “There’s no safety from this,” he stated bluntly.

A flash of green and an explosion grabbed Doku’s attention next. His eyes followed the new onslaught of color over the gray and dulled landscape. Doku recognized the one youthful hero as Katsuki Bakugo, not so much the other green-haired boy. They must have lost their minds to head into the decay. Shigaraki would wipe the floor with them both, especially after his quirk transformation.

A sparkling young hero followed after them. Doku’s whole body stiffened. His heartbeat sprang to life, and he was running before his feet had even caught up with his mind. Anna was chasing after the two idiots, of course she was.

“Are you crazy?! The Commission and the Pro Heroes want all civilians to evacuate! Don’t head toward that chaos!” the young hero pleaded for Kobura to return.

Doku had no intention of turning back. He knocked off his baseball cap, ripping the stolen mask free from his face. There was no way he’d let Anna rush into danger like that. She had no idea what she was about to face. Shigaraki would kill her without even realizing what he’d done.

Doku tucked his head down, going faster, as fast as he could run. With their quirks in comparison to his, he might not be able to catch her in time, but he had to try. He would lay down his life for her. Whether she wanted him to or not, he would sacrifice his life for hers.

Please, Anna. Please don’t leave me.

[otherworldseekers]

FFXIVwrite2024: Surrogate

A rare bit of non-WoLNero writing! Featuring Severia in early ARR.

686 words.

“Severia! I feel like I haven’t seen you in an age!” Tataru exclaimed as the adventurer stepped through the doors fo the Waking Sands. “What have you been up to?”

“Ah,” Severia said somewhat sheepishly. “I’ve been keeping busy. Here and there.” To be quite honest, she’d needed a break after all the business with Ifrit and so she’d gone back to Gridania for a time and ended up joining the Botanist’s Guild. The next month she had spent wandering to various corners of the Shroud looking for medicinal plants and herbs. It had been just what she needed. But now she felt ready to face the work of the Scions again. 

“Well, I was just about to pour myself some tea so why don’t you join me for a cuppa and we can catch up on the news,” Tataru said brightly. By news, of course, she meant gossip. 

They settled in around Tataru’s table and the Lalafell secretary regaled Severia with a series of amusing workplace anecdotes. But eventually Tataru realized that Severia was barely participating in the conversation. She decided to try to draw the taciturn adventurer out. 

“So… you’ve been with us a little while now. What do you think?”

“Think?” Severia parroted mindlessly. 

“About our organization. About the members.”

“Oh,” Severia stopped to think. “After fighting Ifrit, I can see why the Scions are needed. All those poor people.” She shuddered. And she still couldn’t get the monster’s words out of her mind. 

Tataru nodded sympathetically. “It was a truly horrifying incident. The extent of the conspiracy… I’m not sure we’ve seen anything like it before. It may be there are hard days in store for the Scions. And we will need you.” Tararu placed a small hand on Severia’s arm and smiled encouragingly. 

The shocking revelations that had come in the wake of her defeat of the Primal had seemed to come one after another without cease. The fact that it was her so-called Echo that made her immune. Her Echo, the reason she had been recruited in the first place. Her Echo, making her fit to fight Primals. The road of her future as the Slayer of Primals had stretched out before her and she wasn’t sure that it was what she wanted. One thing had brought her back.

After she had made her report to Minfilia, when she and Thancred had turned to leave, Minfilia had stopped her for a moment. She had placed her hands on Severia’s shoulders and there had been tears in her eyes. “Thank the Mother,” Minfilia had said as she pulled Severia into a hug. “That you returned unscathed. I was so afraid.” Minfilia had held her for several seconds before letting Severia go and wiping the tears from her eyes with a self deprecating smile. 

When Severia told Tataru about it, Tataru nodded knowingly. “She had to put on a brave face in front of Thancred. He takes things too much to heart, that man. Blames himself at the slightest chance. Behind his back however, she could show you how she really felt.”

Perhaps more than anything that hug had taken Severia by surprise. Had anyone ever hugged her that way? Had there been a time when her mother, who she only remembered as a cold back, ever cared for her that much? 

Tataru continued without noticing Severia’s furrowed brows. “Minfilia really does view us all as family. She lost her own, you know. Most of us, in fact, either lost or left behind our families to do this work. Minfilia is like a surrogate mother for us all. She holds us together, keeps us doing good work. Course I help too. All of us do our part. We’re all truly happy to have you with us, you know. And not just for your talents.”

She looked up sharply. Tataru was too shrewd sometimes. Severia drank the last of her tea and stood up. “I’d best report to Minfilia.”

“Yes, go on. She’ll be thrilled to see you.” 

And as Severia looked at Tataru’s confidently smiling face, she realized that she believed it.

[veggieblt]

Tararus is a regular building and Gekkoukan High School is the maze. Live with @fivetail and Wes as we continue PEAKsona 3 Reload! https://www.twitch.tv/veggiebltail

[seaseren]

...thinking about how (almost*) all of my wols are absolute busybodies who cannot stand still for the life of them but, like, in subtly different ways. Entlona is just always doing something but for entirely internal reasons- she travels and learns and creates and meddles basically entirely for her own whims and benefits, and as much as Tararu might despair cataloguing types of shrimp or slowly excavating pottery shards is Entlona's idea of a relaxing week off. Ves is mostly self motivated too, but with a bit more of a something to prove edge- she has just a hint of the mad scientist in her, just a dash of "They'll all see!" and that, along with sheer frustration at the limits of her own body, is what drives her to work herself to absolute exhaustion. Conversely, Aggi and Alan are extremely extrinsically motivated- they have all, to various degrees, tied their self worth to acts of service. Alan is more openly low self esteem about it- he very much does not think he's capable of doing much beyond carrying heavy things and taking hits for others- but while Aggi doesn't have low self esteem, exactly, she definitely ties her worth to what she can do for others, and is always pushing herself to do more. Chiaki is in somewhat of a middle ground- they are definitely more realistic and mature about what they can do for others- which is probably at least a bit because of the five or so years they have over Aggi and Alan- but their driving motivation is trying to help people the way they were once helped, and they are definitely focused on doing as much as they can, now that they can- if they have power, they need to use it as much as they are able.

(*Dion was once a busybody but he is very old and very much just wants a fucking vacation. Unfortunately he has been forced to work, on account of the war crimes)

[destiny-islanders]

if you build it, they will come

[velvet-apricots]

In better bjd news, my IOS Taurus head just now shipped! So now i need to get my sleep back in check so I'm awake for him.

Still need his body but i already picked out a 72cm resinsoul. Ill just do a layaway with DenverDoll and ill be set :D

[nostalgiatm-a]

.

[crystallos-sol]

I'm watching Fairy Tail and I realized:

He has udders like an actual female cow. Now my next question is: Is he t r a n s

[charlottedabookworm]

#30 - Abstracted

day 30! wow it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long yet according to gdoc i’ve totalled at 14788 words across thirty prompts. anyway spoilers for 5.0 msq because my favourite ghost fren took one look at what i was originally planning on writing and went move over, it’s my turn

“So,” a familiar voice says into his ear, his presence hovering behind his shoulder. “This is what your world is like.”

He huffs a silent laugh. You have seen my world before.

“I have, yes, but I wasn’t in a sightseeing mood at the time.”

No, really? Set thinks at an old friend, the corner of his lip twitching up. I hadn’t noticed.

Ardbert laughs, light and bright and warm, and he can feel the grin his friend sends him “You were rather distracted at the time, as I recall.”

The elbow he sends backwards passes through a ghostly torso with only the barest of resistance and Set winces as it slams into the wall and pain radiates up his arm. His friend laughs again, rounding in front of him so he can see the mirth in his eyes, and he scowls. I’d trade you for Seto given half a chance.

“The famed Warrior of Darkness, destroyer of Sin Eater’s, felled by an elbow strike to a wall.”

This time, he thinks, shaking his arm through his friend’s body, I am going to leave you to suffer on your own.

“No, you won’t,” Ardbert says, smile warm and eyes soft and knowing. Confidence and surety and love and it says: no, you will not because you were ready to sacrifice all so that my world might live. It says: no, you will not, you can not, you could never turn away from people who need your help. It says: No, you will not because you love my world too.

(No, Ardbert’s smile means. You won’t. Because it is our world. Of course you will save it again)

Tefh’a closes his eyes and sags into the wall, the assurance his friend has in him stunning. How do you-

He softens, stepping close. “If you had the strength to take another step,” the hume says and lets the memory Echo between two minds. “Could you do it?”

His head tilts back until it meets wood and Set opens his eyes to stare at his friend. He smiles and lets the past speak for him. What, all by myself?

“You will save my world, Tefh’a.” His personal name lilts easily off of the humes unpracticed tongue. “Just as you will save yours.” He says with utter certainty. 

I didn’t save your world alone, you know. Set thinks at his friend to change the subject because if he focuses on his words he’s like to cry.

Ardbert raises a brow, utterly unimpressed with him. “And are you alone now?”

No, he thinks but- I am more alone than I have ever been. His siblings are with him, true, and he loves them for it but it is so rare that he sees them, so rare that their plans allow for more than the occasional ‘shell call. They are off, manipulating the future for the better, and he-

Set is surrounded by the suspicious shadows of people who were his friends, by strangers who were once family, and it aches.

It is worth it. They are worth it. But it still aches to know that his friends are lost to him forever.

“You are an idiot, Warrior of Darkness.”

He laughs despite himself. And what does that make you, Warrior of Ligh-?

A hand pats his thigh and Set startles, glancing down to find Tararu blinking up at him.

“Set?”

“I- yes?”

She smiles at him with worried eyes. “Are you well? I’ve been calling for you for ages and you’ve been staring into space.”

“I’m sorry,” he glances at the empty space where his friend had stood without surprise. “I’m a little absent-minded today, it seems. Did you need me for something?”

“Not to worry,” the lalafell chirps. “A meeting has been called to discuss a more permanent move for the Scions; your presence has been requested in the back room.”

“Ah, thank you. I shall head right there.”

“Set,” Tataru calls tentatively and when he turns back to her, her head is tilted in thought. The weight of the future upon his shoulders feels a little less. “What were you laughing at?”

He smiles warmly at the scion who had once become one of his closest friends. “An old friend’s joke.” He says and feels the almost-familiar heft of an axe draped along his back.

“Oh?”

“He called me an idiot,” Tefh’a continues, words light. Ardbert’s laugh echoes in his ears. “And he was right.” He isn’t alone, not even here.

And together, they’re going to save them all.

[modawg]

i had this random idea that connects to my idea about if percy had been left in tartarus (it’s up there somewhere^ if you wanna read that anyway) where if for some reason they had to go back to cupid after percy was left in tararus and cupid targeted annabeth instead of nico

like even though annabeth feels super numb shes still a hard head so when cupid starts to taunt her with the love she’s spent or whatever she stands her ground but then cupid starts playing her memories back so everyone can see (like jason could see nicos)

cupid pulls the hardest worst moments that happened to her revolving around love as a way to get her to break (luke dying her mom being disappointed in her loosing friends her dad choosing her step moms family over her etc) but she stands her ground until cupid starts pulling out the percy shit

he starts pretty light with when they were younger and fighting then to when they were older and she had a fat ass crush on him their first kiss them starting to date things like that but then changes to hard ass shit like the night and the day after from when percy went missing the reunion and being separated again

annabeth obviously starts to crack but then cupid brings up that night on the argo where they talked about their future together and shit and annabeth is like

“i think he wanted kids, he really wanted kids. and i know he would’ve been the best dad.” and she just breaks down but no one can help bc cupid won’t let them

cupid keeps pushing and eventually annabeth just gets mad and she just beats the shit out of him while thinking about all the great things she’s done with percy and thinking about her new family and shit idk all of this was to say

imagine is percy was trapped in tartarus and everyone thought he was gonna die/never leave and annabeth and the gang ran into cupid again (if you actually write and shit please make this better i beg of you)

[grumfield]

My dad’s playing Hades too and he comes into my room today all sad “It’s so sad even tho Patroklos is in Elysium where heroes go he’d rather be in Tararus suffering of it means being reunited with Achilles 🥺”

[antipodeans]

Papunya Tula Artists

Dreaming Journey, Unknown

Children’s Goanna Dreaming, Timmy Payungka Tjapangati

Frog Spirit Dreaming, Charlie Tararu Tjungurrayi

Love Story of a Man and the Moon, Charlie Tararu Tjungurrayi

Dreaming  Journey West of Papunya, Unknown

Untitled [c.1971] Uta Uta Tjangala

(Left to right)

The Pintupi and and Luritja people had been displaced from their homeland in the Western Desert and placed into an overcrowded government settlement of Papunya, under a forced assimilation plan. Years later, in the early 1970s, Pintupi painting was a way for these male artists to retain a connection to Country.

Art: Papunya Tula Artists. Photo: Zuleyka Zevallos.

[newguineatribalart]

Charlie Tararu Tjungurrayi

[soslow-kun]

pink au ra boi for /u/tararu!!

[ask-percy-jason-nico-will]

Did any of you have sleeping problems?

Will: I can’t sleep very well after I’ve let a patient die.Nico: I’ve sort of always had insomnia.Percy: I’ve always had nightmares, but I started having real bad sleep issues after Tararus.Jason: I was always there to help him calm down, so I was awake when he was.