taintedhunts - Tumblr blog

[taintedhunts]

the  way  fenway  softened  with  them  didn’t  go  unnoticed  by  ekko  —  they  ignored  it,  regardless.  it  was  an  unspoken  thing  between  them,  a  thing  none  of  them  dared  to  address  yet.  they  themself  had  the  most  tender  spot  for  fen,  too,  and  they  knew  he  knew.  that,  for  ekko,  was  enough . however,  as  he  moved  behind  them  and  their  small  face  was  taken  in  his  strong  hands,  that  affection  quickly  turned  into  feigned  annoyance,  a  displeased  yet  half - heartedly  grunt  leaving  their  lips  as  the  only  protest.  they  didn’t  try  to  get  free  of  it,  though,  just  went  with  it,  and  as  fen’s  threat  was  made,  a  smile  was  poorly  managed  in  the  grip,  devotion  melting  within  like  a  warm  cup  of  milk  and  honey . his  answer  to  their  request  once  their  face  was  once  again  free  brought  back  their  irritation,  a  hint  of  childish  protest  in  it  this  time.     “  but  fen  !  ”     they  whined,  a  pout  protruding  their  lower  lip.  the  gift  he  snatched  for  them,  though,  made  all  traces  of  protests  and  discontent  disappear  from  their  system,  replaced  by  an  undignified  squeak.    

“  thank  you,  ”     the  expression,  still  holding  part  of  their  previous  squeak,  came  with  a  jump  onto  fen’s  back,  trusting  he’ll  catch  them  —  his  tall,  firm  frame  never  having  trouble  holding  their  light  one.     “  let’s  get  dinner,  then,  something  greasy,  please.  then  ice  cream !  ”     a  self - satisfied  smile  painted  their  expression,  knowing  well  fen  wouldn’t  say  no  to  ice  cream  this  time .

he did. every damn time a new store popped up in the territory he and ekko wandered through, he had to investigate it. "when you reawaken and don't have to worry about shit gear, then i don't have to worry about cleaning up the shit stores." Honesty ... he'd give them that. it was as close as he would come to saying that he worried about them, and he was taking precautions to make sure that they weren't put in serious danger due to poor gear. he looked away from the shopkeeper as his stray came up to him, and there was a shift from his grumpy growing attack mode to the way he turned and lowered his head to rest it against the top of ekko's head, like a dog seeking contact. the brief moment of affection over, and he moved behind ekko to take their chin in his hand and hold their head steady so the shopkeeper could see. "They ever come in - you give them the shit you hold onto for B rank and higher - the good gear, not this shit. Remember their face." The threat was clear because now i know yours...

"ice cream before dinner will upset my stomach," he grumbled. "dinner, then ice cream. followed by pie." compromises - he could offer them.

even as he let them go and turned to walk out the door - though, a sword caught his attention. Dirty, needed to be sharpened, but he could feel the enchantment on it - they'd need to work to unlock it but that's what training was for. He took it off the wall and handed it to them. "here, happy monday. get ready to train until you throw up."

[taintedhunts]

rory  was  startled  by  the  sudden  voice  coming  from  a  few  stools  away  from  hers,  and  if  she  didn’t  have  a  few  boulevardiers  in  her  system  already,  she  would’ve  reacted  in  a  very,  very  different  way.    but  she  had,  and  the  whisky  running  through  her  blood  made  the  bewilderment  in  her  countenance  quickly  morph  into  amusement.     “  don’t  worry,  i  don’t  want  kids  either.  ”     a  decision  made  early  in  her  life,  as  early  as  her  family  was  taken  away  from  her.    how  could  she  form  a  family  when  hers  and  everything  left  to  be  learned  about  it  were  snatched  from  her  very  hands  so  prematurely ? rory  gave  her  drink  another  sip,  a  mocking  smile  touching  her  gesture.     “  so,  why  would  we  get  married  in  the  first  place ?  ”     she  engaged,  an  atypical  curiousity  and  entertainment  filling  her  at    the  weirdness  of  it  all.    her  third  drink  of  the  night  about  to  be  finished  helped  in  abundance  with  how  loose  she  felt.     “  i  mean,  not  that  i  would,  you’re  ...  not  my  type,  but  hypothetically.  ”

Location: Dennys at 3am For: Anyone

"you're cute and all, but don't you think that we should trade names before we jump into something as long-term as marriage? hell, you don't even know if i want kids or not," he said. it was absolutely not what they had been talking about just a few seconds earlier. though, the ringing in his ears meant that he wasn't quite sure if they had been talking at all. the problem with c-ptsd was the patchy memory when stressed, the physical tremors and the fact that even three stacks of hotcakes with bacon, sausage and eggs wasn't cutting through the stupor. Charlie whined and set his head against his knee, reminding him that they weren't in a dungeon - people weren't dying - there wasn't a mountain of corpses reanimating and shuffling towards them.

but he liked to keep things light. he wasn't in the middle of inwardly panicking. no anxiety. his heartrate was normal. he was fine. "but hell, i'm game for some hand-holding and a cuddle."

[taintedhunts]

          "   THE  INSIDE  POCKETS  OF  HER  AVIATOR  JACKET  had  been  tailored  to  be  practical,  her  favored  seamstress  from  the  guild  always  delivering  just  what  she  wanted,  and  most  importantly,  what  she  needed.   yet  they  weren’t  made  to  save  the  personal  items  of  an  unprepared  girl  hunter,  if  her  request  and  outfit  were  anything  to  go  with.  rory  contained  the  scoff  tickling  her  throat,  however,  her  furrowed  brows  and  hard  jaw  made  her  vexation  clear  as  day  —  she  couldn’t  deny  her,  though,  not  when  they  needed  to  fight  these  beasts,  and  that  bothered  her  more  than  the  simple  request.   rory  stretched  a  heavy  pause,  then,  a  sigh  evidence of her  defeat  replaced  the  bitter  sound  previously  held  at  the  back  of  her  tongue.     “  fine,  but  this  will  be  the  first  and  only  time,  ”     she  relented  at  last,  hand  extended  toward  miyeon,  her  short  patience  running  shorter  already.     “  you  can’t  be  this  unprepared  to  handle  a  gate,  you  know  that,  right ?  ”     she  wanted  to  comment  on  what  seemed  —for  her—  a  ridiculous  clothing  ensemble  too,  yet she  knew  better  than  saying  something  that  could  make  a  person  self - conscious  about  their  appearance,  so  she  refrained  from  it  with  a  new  scowl .

. . . open starter: outside of a dungeon

another day, another dollar, right? miyeon is grateful to not be a ranger or an assassin where stealth and concealment are preferred. no, she was a fighter standing mere feet from the entrance of a gate in quite possibly the worst outfit to go to battle in. the saving grace was the biker shorts she remembered to put underneath her all-too-short, intensely pink dress with the arm sleeves to match. "you didn't happen to bring a bag with you, did you?" she says, turning to the person beside her, offering a charming smile their way. "two accessories don't really go with my look today, and i already have to count my jingum as one." the smile turns sheepish, as if she's embarrassed in the slightest for her shortcomings. "it's just my phone... and my keys, promise."

[taintedhunts]

*          CLOSED  STARTER          ›          san  francisco, california ,   mid - afternon ,  eleven  years  ago .       /       flashback  ft.  @unmak1ngs .

          "   DARK  WERE  THE  DAYS  OF  HER  FIRST  GATES,  yet  nothing  as  dark  and  hideous  as  the  one  she  had  to  face  a  year  into  her  life  as  a  hunter.   a  gate  opened  in  san  fran,  so  massive  they  need  us  there,  her  rescuer  shared  in  a  rush,  throwing  clothes  and  weapons  into  a  bag,  stoically  denying  her  the  minute  she  asked  if  she  could  go.   however,  san  francisco  was  her  city,  hence  against  all  advice,  she  went  regardless,  hiding  the  smirk  tugging  at  her  lips  when  her  mentor’s  protests  fell  silent  in  the  face  of  her  obstinacy.   but  it  wasn't  just  any  portal  the  one  so  recently  opened,  she  came  to  realize,  and  its  location  wasn’t  either.  the  moment  she  caught  sight  of  the  bright,  colorful  park  in  the  corner,  right  where  she  spent  endless  afternoons  swinging  along  with  the  breeze  coming  from  the  shore  during  her  childhood,  panic  seared  through  her,  turning  her  blood  to  ice .  that  was  the  first  time  flashbacks  of  them  plagued  her  senses,  making  her  reckless,  acting  on  pure  instinct  as  her  legs  carried  her  to  the  only  target  in  mind,  the  sharp  call  of  her  rescuer  muffled  under  the  ring  in  her  ears.  not  her,  please,  she  begged.  to  who ?   she  couldn’t  tell.  still,  she  did.  she  prayed   —   not  zoya,  everyone  but  zoya.   and  somehow  her  prayers  were  listened  to,  though  not  without  despair,  not  without  loss,  because  who  was  aurora  osbourne  without  them ? her  mind  was  a  fog  as  she  reached  her,  as  her  shurikens  flew  from  her  hands,  as  her  dagger  sliced  across  the  red  fur  of  the  jackal  that  had  left  her  best  friend  an  orphan.   her  heart  squeezed  in  her  chest  when  the  job  was  done,  memories  of  it  forever  lost  in  the  haze  of  her  clogged  mind.     “  come  on,  baby,  let’s  go,  ”     she  whispered,  hand  carefully  reaching  zoya’s  elbow,  not  a  single  plan  on  the  horizon  except  taking  her  away  from  there,  from  the  gate,  from  the  street  that  would  never  be  a  home  to  any  of  them  ever  again.     “  we  have  to  leave,  it’s  gonna  be  okay.  trust  me,  zo,  it  will.  ”     the  awakening,  the  loss,  the  grief.  any  of  it  never  got  better,  at  least  not  in  her  experience,  yet  one  survived  anyway .

[taintedhunts]

          "   BEWILDERED  BY  THEIR  MOTHERFUCKING  AUDACITY,  rory’s  eyes,  wide  with  astonishment,  were  suddenly  set  ablaze,  the  challenge  implied  in  her  unexpected  companion’s  words  sipping  through  her  body  like  a  warm  milk  bath.   grin  pulling  at  her  lips,  her  head  shook  in  a  mix  of  emotions  quite  hard  to  pinpoint,  that  she  didn’t  dare  to  dwell  in  deeper.     “  you’re  absolutely  ridiculous.  you  don’t  go  to  someone  else’s  house  and  barge  into  the  kitchen  or  start  opening  every  door  without  permission,  ”     or  maybe  they  did  if  the  fucking  nerve  of  their  statement  was  anything  to  go  with.     “  this  is  the  same.  ”     her  point  was  made  clear,  arms  crossed  over  her  chest.  she  looked  serious,  the  wrinkle  between  her  eyebrows  giving  away  the  annoyance  she  often  carried,  yet  one  she  didn’t  feel  that  intensely  this  time   —   the  immediate  attraction  she  felt,  simmering  between  her  ribs,  melting  until  it  dripped  to  her  lower  abdomen  made  being  irritated  an  arduous  task . and  then  she  caught  it . the  way  their  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  slow  motion  of  her  dagger  one  moment,  checking  her  out  shamelessly  the  next,  an  infuriating,  self - sufficient  smirk  perched  on  their lips.   saying  her  brain  shut  down  under  the  heat  engulfing  her  body  would’ve  been  an  understatement.   and  she  quickly  discovered  how  much  it  truly  affected  her  the  moment  an  arrow  passed  right  above  her  shoulder,  a  slight  breeze  hitting  her  ear  due  to  its  speed.   turning  around  so  fast  she  almost  lost  her  balance,  her  eyes  went  wide  once  more  as  they  landed  on  the  monster’s  corpse  in  the  distance.   this,  this  is  precisely  what  happens  when  you  start  thinking  with  your  cunt  instead  of  your  head,  she  reminded  herself,  before  taking  a  deep  breath  to  face  the  epitome  of  satisfaction  that  awaited  her.     “  well  …  thank  you,  i  guess.  ”     going  down  without  a  fight  was  not  an  option  in  any  of  aurora  osbourne’s  books,  and  no  matter  how  attractive  the  stranger  was  or  how  needy  she  felt,  it  wouldn’t  change  that  fact.   hence  crossing  her  arms,  walking  a  little  bit  closer,  she  signaled  the  hunter’s  bow  with  her  head.     “  you’re  pretty  good  with  that  thing,  anything  else  you’re  good  at ?   because  courtesy  isn’t  your  thing.   clearly.  ”

RYLAN WASN'T A FIGHTER. they had never craved the feeling of a blade in their hand nor the impact of a fist on skin. the portal opening had been a pure coincidence, a case of right place, excellent time. since arriving in the area, they had been starved for an opportunity to put their skills to work. the mountains had grown tiring, their guild dull, and they could almost feel their talents wasting away. now, their lungs ached, chest heaving with exertion. if they kept it up, it wouldn’t be long before the wheezing would begin… how painfully embarrassing. and yet they didn't stop, couldn't. they were high off the adrenaline, and it would take a miracle to reign them in. that, or a quip from a blonde who appeared loathe to share their bounty. ❛ where’s the fun in that? ❜ came rylan's retort, thrown over their shoulder as they ducked from around a rock to take out another beast. ❛ i would argue the host should show some hospitality by letting the guest take the lead. ❜

not that it appeared to be in the blood-splattered woman's nature. green eyes were drawn to the dagger, clinging to it like a magnet as the blood was wiped clean. that is, until the glint of steel gave way to combat boots attached to toned legs, gaze raking over them at a disarmingly slow rate given the situation. when they finally land on a face befitting a grecian goddess, a crooked smirk has taken shape.

their focus lingered there for a moment, inspecting goading brown eyes, before shifting to the horizon. it took less than a second for them to send an arrow sailing just above the woman’s shoulder, darting past to embed in a fleshy side. ten feet away, a monster fell with a heavy thud. now, the smirk is a little less than a cheshire grin. ❛ you’re welcome. ❜

[taintedhunts]

♡ @ofkairos .

[taintedhunts]

Lora Mathis

[taintedhunts]

" A  SNORT,  BLITHE  AND  UNLADYLIKE   (  as  if  she’d  care,  please  )   caused  her  throat  to  flutter  at  his  last  words,  knowing  very  well  how  utter  bullshit  they  were. yet, the  previous  praise  got  to  her  nonetheless,  and  she  barely  managed  to  restrain  the  upturn  of  her  lips  in  consequence.     “  right,  ”     was  the  nonchalant  answer  instead,  body  already  turning  towards  the  open  gate  once  more.     “  maybe  you  should,  it’d  be  wise  of  you  to  do  so.  ”     she  advised,  arrogance  and  a  hint  of  mirth  coloring  her  tone.   then,  as  a  grunt  emerged  from  the  dungeon,  as  her  posture  stiffened  and  small,  sharp  weapons  were  yielded  between  nimble  fingers  again:     “  are  you  ready  for  another  round ?  ”     rory  turned  to  him,  just  the  tiniest  bit,  just  enough  for  him  to  see  the  mischief  dancing  in  her  big,  brown  eyes .

the knife whirling past to the right of his right ear is a surprise, but the arm that sent it isn’t. in fact, it’s almost enough for satya to shoot a hint of a smile at the owner of that very arm. if he were a lesser hunter, perhaps, he would have known to never sneak up behind rory—least of all in a dungeon. then again, if he were a lesser hunter, he would have never thought to feint left as soon as he tapped her on the shoulder. so no harm done.

“well done,” he says, as if someone of her caliber needs to hear it from him, out of all people. “you almost got me there.” a lie. they both know that he has better reflexes than that. “maybe from now i’ll only call out hello to you when i’m still well out of knife range.”

for @taintedhunts ( rory ), at the beginning of a dungeon.

[taintedhunts]

          "   A  LOUD,  ANNOYED  GRUNT  emanated  from  rory’s  throat,  ragged  breath  rubbing  her  sore  throat  due  to  the  exert  she  put  her  body  under.   the  order  coming  from  lou  echoed  against  her  aching  muscles,  hands  coming  up  to  frame  her  hips  and  head  hanging  for  a  second  to  take  a  deep  breath   —   she  felt  tired,  sweaty,  and  irritated,  and  though  two  out  of  three  of  those  weren’t  really  hard  to  achieve,  they  were  getting  on  her  nerves  more  and  more  every  time  she  failed  to  fulfill  lou’s  orders.   why  was  this  a  good  idea,  again ?     “  oh,  babe,  that  would  be  awesome  if  i’d  only  knew  what  the  fuck  i  have  to  figure  out,  ”     rory  snapped,  raising  her  head  at  last,  voice  coming  out  in  something  more  akin  to  a  growl  than  a  human  answer.     “  i’m  fucking  tired,  lou,  can’t  we  keep  …  doing  this  tomorrow ?  ”     lou’s  response  would  most  likely  be  a  resolute  no,  but  she  had  to  try,  at  least  try,  she  wouldn’t  forgive  herself  if  there  were  a  chance  to  get  out  of  this  shithole  she  dug  for  herself  and  she  didn’t  take  it .

closed starter ›› @taintedhunts

when they were even a decade younger, lou minded when hunters asked after their advice. their mentor had been kind-hearted enough, but still tended to leave lou in the midst of a thicket in order to figure things out for themself. it was, in their own opinion, part of the reason how lou gained their abilities ( and not due to the right of birth. no birthright could replace discipline. ) they decided, staring at the closed lid all those years ago ( so far, so close ) that, when the time came, their mentoring would take on a different style. even if it resulted in them getting a headache from whatever questions were being asked. still, they let them be asked. if only to be that support in these desperate times. "start from the beginning." they keep their tone even. when a person is on their last emotional leg, any small change can set them off. "the more you tell me about it, the more i can help you figure it out."

[taintedhunts]

          "   THEY  HAD  NEVER  AGREED  ON  THIS  PARTICULAR  TOPIC,  and  as  it  usually  happened,  the  back  of  rory’s  tongue  turned  sour  at  the  insistence,  a  derisive  smile  hidden  behind  the  glass  of  boulevardier  in  her  hand.     “  why  do  you  care  so  much ?  ”     the  question  came  after  a  generous  sip,  liquid  courage  to  face  the  same  conversation  once  again.     “  i  mean,  if  you  hate  guilds  so  much,  why  don’t  we  stop  talking  about  them,  then ?   why  are  giving  them  our  time,  even ?  ”     it  wasn’t  her  intention  to  call  alexei  out  on  his  bullsh—   nah,  scratch  that,  it  was  oh,  totally  her  intention,  she  loved  to  make  him  squirm  in  discomfort,  the  small  furrow  between  his  brows  signaling  confusion  making  him  the  cutest  thing  she’s  ever  seen  aside  from  nike  when  she  was  but  a  three  months  old  baby .

         𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧   𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫         ...        ›        𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬-𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐚𝐫

       [   ...   ]      𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐃  𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒  circled  around  a  glass  of  crystalline  ember  before  taking  a  small  sip,   the  burn  a  familiar  one  as  it  trickles  down  his  throat.   “   honestly   ?   i  don't  even  know  why  we  still  have  guilds.   doesn't  the  whole  idea  seem  a  little   ...   archaic   ?   ”   a  hot  take  if  you've  ever  seen  one   !!   “   gettin'  booted  out  was  the  best  thing  that  ever  happened  to  me.   no  one  to  tell  you  this  'n  that  like  you're  in  fucking  kindergarden.   come  on,    ”   maybe  the  rules  were  made  for  your  own  safety,   alex   ?   the  thought  never  occurs  to  him,   however   :   seen  by  the  roll  of  his  eyes,   and  the  ever-present  penchant  for  volatility  from  today's  dungeon  raid.

[taintedhunts]

*          CLOSED  STARTER          [ … ]         open  gate  at  the  griffith  observatory ,   seven  fifty - two  in  the  morning .       /       @suchtragedy .

          "   SLEEP  HAD  ONLY  JUST  LEFT  HER  FACE   (  unusually  bare,  free  of  the  sober,  well - done  makeup  that  often  covered  it  )   under  a  picture  of  monsters  being  sliced  and  partners  being  taken  away  by  healers,  the  moment  she  caught  sight  of  him,  and  it  was  too  early  for  this.   therefore,  as  coherent  considerations  weren’t  an  option   (  it  was  definitely  too  early  for  this  )  ,  only  a  growl,  frustrated  and  low,  forewent  her  verbal  warning,     “  stay  away.  ”     it  was  a  bark  more  than  a  full  human  sentence,  more  animalistic  than  first  intended,  but  the  sight  of  fellow  hunters  falling  yet  aodhan  o’murphy  still  standing  bugged  her  so  fervently  she  couldn’t  help  it.   why  did  he  always  have  to  be  such  a  nuisance ?   her  jaw  tightened  at  the  thought,  and  she  did  what  she  always  did  when  he  was  thrown  into  the  mix :  competitive,  reckless  decisions.   before  she  could  properly  ponder  the  idea,  her  favorite  shuriken  was  already  piercing  through  the  air,  reaching  the  jugular  of  the  monster  he  was  fighting  and  slicing  across  it  before  getting  stuck  in  the  horrendous  skin  of  its  neck.   then,  visible  again  and  brisk  as  an  untamed  horse,  she  approached  the  corpse  and  took  back  her  three - pointed  weapon,  lacerating  the  beast’s  face  in  a  swift  motion  just  for  the  fun  of  it.     “  that’s  how  you  do  it,  ”     idiot,  was  left  unsaid  in  the  snarl  her  words  came  out  in.   as  her  gaze  fell  upon  him,  chagrin  twisted  her  countenance  splattered  crimson,  adrenaline  jostling  through  her  bloodstream  like  a  heroin  fix.     “  and  i  told  you  to  stay  the  fuck  away,  didn’t  i ?   are  you  fucking  deaf  or  something ?  ” 

[taintedhunts]

*          CLOSED  STARTER          [  ...  ]         open  portal  at  granada hills ,   around  nine  pm ,   five  years  ago .     /     flashback  ft.  @ofkairos .

a  portal  opened  in  the  hills  wasn’t  a  surprise,  if  she  was  honest,  not  after  all  these  years,  after  all  the  training,  and  on  very  rare  occasions  they  featured  monsters  beyond  a  b - rank  atrocity  who  naively  thought  they  could  beat  her.   hence,  rory  hardly  ever  worried  too  much  about  the  job.   now  …  a  tall,  handsome  hunter  in  cargo  pants  beating  the  shit  out  of  her  monster ?   that  was  new,  and  she  would  be  laying  if  she  said  something  didn’t  ignite  her  insides  at  the  sight.   yet  distractions  never  resulted  practical  for  her,  and  a  blow  to  her  right  shoulder  that  left  her  without  breath  in  the  small  moment  she  took  to  blend  with  the  surroundings  worked  as  a  painful  reminder  of  it.     “  you  know ?  ”     she  panted,  charging  towards  a  monster  and  jumping  on  its  back  once  she  recovered,  the  edge  of  her  dagger  slashing  through  the  flesh  of  a  neck.     “  if  you’re  gonna  hunt  in  other’s  territory,  you  should  at  least  show  some  respect  to  the  hosts,  don’t  you  think ?  ”     always,  without  a  fail,  she  was  informed  if  they  were  getting  help  from  other  guilds   (  a  frequent  occurrence  considering  the  large  of  the  knights’  territory,  and  one  rory  osbourne  didn’t  enjoy  that  much  )  ,  but  not  this  time   —   a  portal  this  minute  didn’t  require  more  than  one  hunter  if  they  were  above  a  b - rank . she  jumped  off  the  recently  sliced  corpse  before  it  fell  to  the  ground  and  turned  around,  a  long  splotch  of  blood  crossing  her  face.   rory  cleaned  the  edge  of  her  dagger  on  the  thigh  of  her  pants,  eyes  fixed  on  the  other.   a  glint  of  interest  illuminated  her  big,  brown  eyes,  and  her  eyebrows  raised  in  silent  question  at  the  opposing  hunter .

[taintedhunts]

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

[taintedhunts]

Does anyone wanna act insane and do weird shit together and forget about the world a little?

[taintedhunts]

          "   EKKO  SNORTED  LOUDLY  ENOUGH  for  patrons  near  to  turn  their  heads  towards  them,  scolding  looks  engulfing  their  eyes,  frows  wrinkled  in  confusion.   they  couldn’t  recall  how  they  reached  this  point,  in  this  manner,  but  she  was  having  a  fucking  blast,  their  brand  smirk  stretched  devilishly  across  fair  features.      “  that’s  your  problem,  my  lovely  risa,  ”     condescension  permeating  the  note  in  their  voice,  ekko  shook  her  head  slowly,  lips  pursed  in  pretended  disappointment.      “  you  give  too  many  fucks  about  stuff,  ”     ekko  continued,  voice  low  now,  half  their  body  lounged  against  the  chair,  one  arm  hanging  from  its  back  giving  them  an  irritating  air  of  nonchalance.      “  i  don’t,  that’s  why  i  don’t  care  about  changing  your  mind.   if  you  believe,  great,  if  you  don’t,  then  your.   fucking.   loss.   ”     their  body,  utterly  relaxed  before,  stiffened  to  bring  them  forward,  mirroring  risa’s  motion,  leaving  their  faces  only  an  inch  away  the  moment  the  punctuated  last  words  left  ekko’s  mouth.   they  weren’t  lying,  not  completely,  but  they  might  have  spiced  things  up  a  little  in  their  story   —   she  had  jumped  in  front  of  that  b - class  monster,  but  it  was  thanks  to  fenway  coming  to  their  aid  that  they  managed  to  get  out  of  there  unscathed.      “  it’s  not  my  problem  you  don’t  have  the  guts  to  do  shit  because  you  believe  your  rank  defines  you.   ”     a  shrug  of  their  arms  accompanied  the  end  of  their  sentence,  their  body  going  back  to  their  previous,  casual  posture.   ekko  didn’t  know  if  that  was  risa’s  case,  not  truly,  they  just  said  it  to  spite  her,  to  ignite  that  reaction  that  made  them  feel  alive  .

closed starter ›› @taintedhunts

hardly able to refrain from an eye-roll, risa — didn't. setting their lips in a hard crimson line, staring hard across the table, which was not large to begin with, but with their loud opinions spread between them, it shrunk to an even smaller size. it was half a conversation aimed out of well-meant intentions, and now, it turned into a barrage of words with that tinted undercurrent of heat. at first, she had unfolded her satchel to show them something, but she drew it back towards her, prepared to stuff it back into the low-scooped neck of her sweater. there was no chill in the air, but that of the biting exchange. "no." ( if she was another person, she would admit that they have a point. but she was a chaichana healer, not a sparkling little princess as those majority expected her to be. ) "i was giving a fuck, but now i'm not. you can't expect me to believe you." they lean forward, levelling their stare. "i dare you to try to change my mind now. because i'm not going to do it. end of story."

[taintedhunts]

          "   FEW  WERE  THE  TIMES  EKKO  LEONG  FELT  FONDNESS  for  someone  who  wasn’t  their  protector,  yet  as  nyx’s  words  reached  their  ears,  ekko  couldn’t  help  the  sensation  tickling  down  their  limbs,  forcing  one  corner  of  their  mouth  up.   it  didn’t  show  beyond  that,  though.   it  never  did.     “  please,  of  course  i’m  proud,  i  kill  it  there,  did  you  see ?   quite  literally  let  me  add.  ”     waiting  for  the  joke  to  drop,  what  dropped  was  the  mood  instead,  or  at  least  it  felt  that  way  for  ekko   —   they  were  never  good  at  reading  people.   the  moment  nyx’s  apology  arrived  ekko  understood  why.    “  nah,  ”    was  their  reply  after  a  minute,  pondering  pause,  an  unnamed  but  off - putting  feeling  constricting  their  chest.   they  got  rid  of  it  with  a  click  of  their  tongue.     “  i’m  okay,  nyx,  for  real.   don’t  i  look  good ?  ”     the  question  clearly  had  a  double  meaning,  however,  their  intention  this  time  wasn’t  to  annoy  or  ignite  an  uncomfortable  reaction,  but  to  lift  the  worries  from  nyx’s  shoulders   —   they  didn’t  deserve  to  feel  like  this,  it  hadn’t  been  their  fault.  after  all,  ekko  was  the  one  jumping  in  front  of  that  goddamn  thing.

         𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧   𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫         ...        ›        𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞

       [   ...   ]      𝐓𝐇𝐄  𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓  𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐒  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  as  a  shaky  hand  reaches  behind  to  pull  a  hood  over  their  head  and  shield  their  wavering  gaze.   tousled  locks  in  disarray  hidden  behind  black  cotton,   thankful  that  their  tired  eyes  are  kept  away  from  any  wandering  ones.   “   ...   you  did  good  out  there.   really  good.   you  should  be  proud,   ”   nyx's  kind  words  come  few  and  far  in  between,   but  when  it  does   —   they  mean  every  single  word.   “   sorry  if  i,  uh   ...   ”   overdid  it   ?   became  a  liability   ?   wasn't  able  to  control  themself  since  they're  now  half  of  a  whole   ?   their  words  trail  until  dark  hues  settled  on  the  other.   “   i  didn't  hurt  you,   did  i   ?   ”

[taintedhunts]

          "   EKKO  TRIPPED  THROUGH  THE  DOOR  that  for  some  reason,  took  them  a  bit  of  effort  to  open.  and  they  knew  it  had  been  a  rough  arrival,  but  mór’s  attitude  made  them  look  at  the  healer  with  a  taken  aback  expression,  brows  furrowed  in  mild  annoyance.     “  well,  i’m  sorry  you  gave  me  a  courtesy  appointment  for  you  to  check  my  fucking  back  when  you  weren’t  being  a  bitch,  ”     they  replied  swiftly,  irritation  going  away  in  the  blink  of  an  eye.  then,  smoothly,  they  made  their  way  to  the  chair  in  front  of  mór’s  desk.     “  but  don’t  worry,  i’ll  let  you  finish.  what  are  you  eating ?  ”     as  if  nothing  had  happened  or  said,  ekko  inquired,  carelessly  sprawled  on  the  chair,  feet  coming  up  onto  the  desk  casually.

a hospital office . mór brennan & open

it's supposed to be mór's lunch break, before they get back to helping out in the palliative care ward — and yet. here they are, with a stupid fucking hunter intruding on their space. they scowl at the intruder, dropping their pen. “ you better be fucking dying, ” they say. “ i have better things to do than fix the consequences of your shitass decisions. ”