#I thought having a not-Excalibur would be on the nose but in the spirit of things
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Grail War AU 2
Clash
Standing atop a many-headed beast, a stocky figure clad head to toe in armour, save for bare her left leg, peers down at her foe. Her monstrous steed, clearly not of this world, beats its wings to remain airborn despite its size and clear ferocity.
Her foe glares up at her. She is a tall woman with short, braided hair and golden regalia reminiscent of the Roman imperial armour, accented by a bright red cape. Cavalry sabre and shield in hand, the surface of the water ripples beneath her despite supporting her weight.
“Interesting.” The warrior mounting the demonic beast mused; 15 snarling faces of her steed glaring at her foe as a predator sizing up its prey.
“You are blessed by water it seems. A trait not unheard of, but a rarity nonetheless. Perhaps you have shown your hand, Saber.”
‘Saber’ scoffs.
“You are no closer to comprehending my greatness for it.”
“And you, no closer to reaching me. Without your trump card, what hope does a servant summoned to the Saber class have of reaching me in the heavens?”
With haughty irritation, Saber points her blade towards her foe. With the distinctly resounding bang of a ship’s cannon, a burst of golden light bursts forth from her blade towards the offending beast’s wings, in order to ground its rider.
Though supernaturally nimble, not least due to the inhuman skill of its rider, the great beast is unable to evade entirely; though rather than tear through its wing, the armoured woman guides the winged monster such that its hide is grazed and not struck head on.
Saber’s assault continues; an onslaught of magical radiant blasts, suppressing the movements of even the supernaturally swift monster and rider. Still, though three of the 15 faces of the monstrous mount are seared away by burning radiance, several heads lunge with gnashing fangs and stretching necks, akin to great serpents, the hydra, or even dragons.
Saber is caught momentarily off-guard, barely fending off the many vicious maws seeking to tear her apart with her blade and hoplite. As the beast begins to reach her armour however, Saber shines a brief but intense flicker of red, and she smiles.
“Very well, master.”
Golden light erupts from the taller woman’s body, enveloping her in a blinding pillar. Such was the intensity and sheer force that the monster’s heads were forced away and burned to ash and mana. Still, the monster possessed awareness through faces on its scorched wings, and took flight for what appeared to be the rider’s desperate attempt to retreat and counterattack.
The scope of this attack, capable of razing a fortress and the forces within would not allow such an easy escape.
[Victoria Brittanica - Embodiment of Promised Victory]
Saber gathers the flowing magical energies freely surging from within her through her blade, holding it high. With a great one-handed swing, she brings it down in a vertical arc; wherein the concentrated mana explodes outwards, parting the lake for a time and engulfing the fleeing rider and beast.
With a bright flash and the gradual flow of displaced waters finally returning to place, Saber slumps in momentary exhaustion, catching her breath. The attack, though certainly fatal, not only exposed her true identity, but also greatly taxed her and her master’s reserves of magical energy.
Yet, to her horror, her foe stood before her, in what little remained of the parted lake’s bed that had not yet been reclaimed. The woman’s armour had changed, with a burned greave depicting wings and a few small mask motifs now on her formerly bare leg, and her helm briefly floating above her, as the grotesque face of a beheaded demon.
“It appears you win this round, Saber. However, know that an empire of recent history is nothing before a king of the age of gods.”
Taking advantage of Saber’s evident exhaustion, the other woman and her leering companion vanish into glittering particles of mana, and the water displaced by the final blow swallows their former foothold.
In the distance, gazing at the scene through binoculars, a tall and lean man with dark hair scowls. He grips his fist in frustration, revealing the faded red brand; one of three command seals wasted.
#fate series#fate au#grail war au#fan servant#writing#Gansetseg Oronir#yes I’m tagging the FFXIV OCs used as a base for the personality/loooks of these servants#though the servants themselves will be loosely based on figures from legend etc#though saber here is the manifestation of the former military might of the British empire#I thought having a not-Excalibur would be on the nose but in the spirit of things
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I wrote a bit of a start to a possible Arthurian Legend Sherlolly fic.
Yes, yes, I’m playing fast and loose with Arthurian legend. So sue me.
They meet for the first time when he’s 18, angry and bitter about having an unwanted destiny forced upon him, hurling the hated sword into the placid waters of the first lake his horse stops to drink from.
The sword never touches the water; a hand rises from beneath the silvery surface, a woman’s hand, pale and slender, grasping the hilt and holding it upright as lightly as if it weighed nothing.
(It weighs several pounds, unwieldy in its nearly four foot length, and only the stoutest of mortal women could have hefted it with such ease. But then, the likelihood of the hand his startled eyes are seeing belonging to a mortal woman are exactly nil, so the calculations flicker into nothing almost as quickly as they form in the lightning-swiftness of his mind.)
As suddenly as the hand appears, it vanishes, slipping back beneath the water’s surface with nary a ripple, until all he sees is the blade, and then only its tip, and then nothing. He waits warily; when nothing happens, he shrugs and turns back to his steed, whose only reaction to all of this has been to drink eagerly. Barbarossa isn’t pleased to have his head raised and body turned back toward the moor; he lets out a disgruntled nicker, jerks his head beneath Sherlock’s hand, and its then that he hears her voice.
“The sword Excalibur,” she says, not smoothly but with hesitant pauses between words, “is yours, King William. You drew it from the stone -”
“Anvil,” he corrects her shortly, then turns to look at her.
He sums her up with the flick of an eyelash. She’s as far from the romantic notions of a water spirit as he is from anyone’s idea of a king - least of all, he thinks sourly, his own. Legends and fairy tales say she should be tall and stately (she’s tiny, barely coming to his chin), slender, with regal bearing (she’s slender, yes, but stands awkwardly, still holding Excalibur - nice to know the sword has a name, he supposes - its tip now trailing in the water). Her eyes should be blue (they’re brown, overlarge in her heart-shaped face, bringing attention to her snubbed nose and making her mouth appear smaller than it actually is) and her features perfect (they’re decidedly imperfect but not unattractive even as her smile wavers under his gaze or possibly his interruption of her little speech).
He ignores the pucker between her eyebrows in order to continue his summation of her features. Hair that should be trailing in the water, long and flowing like a waterfall to the edges of her kirtle (which should be silk but appears instead to be simple blue homespun, as if she were a peasant and not a magical being) instead ends somewhere in the middle of her back. It should also, he notes critically, be the reddish-gold of a newly minted coin instead of mousy brown. Nor should it be plastered to her head, with what look like strands of duckweed tangled within it as if she were the mere country wench her clothing declares her to be, caught in the midst of a morning swim.
A peasant girl who’d somehow managed to catch his sword as he flung it towards the murky depths of this lonely body of water, intending that it never be found again, by him or anyone else.
He gave a mental snort. No, he thought bitterly, Fate or the Devil or whoever had cursed him onto this path would never allow such a thing.
Spirit or mere mortal, the girl blinks at the interruption, then continues doggedly on, as if reciting a memorized speech she’s being forced to give against her will. “You drew it from the anvil, which was set atop the stone with Excalibur through both, and that means you’re the true King of the British Isles.”
She stops abruptly, thrusting the sword at him as if impatient for him to be on with it and leave her to her watery world. “Take it,” she says, impatiently, but with a hint of desperation in her voice that piques his curiosity more than any question as to her potential otherworldly antecedents.
“What if I don’t?” he asks, folding his arms - awkward to do in armor, but he manages.
She gives him what can only be described as an annoyed look, once again allowing the tip of the sword to droop toward the water. “Then I have to keep it until you die and the next True King of the British Isles is born and reaches manhood and finds his way here to claim it.”
She sounds…he’s not sure. He expected defeat or despair as she recited what sounded to him like a curse that had been laid upon her, but what he hears sounds closer to resignation.
Or is it possibly - indifference?
“And what happens if I take the sword?” he demands, various possibilities passing fleetingly through the back of his mind as he awaits her answer.
She gives him a sad smile. “Then you become the True King and I go back to watching fish and turtles and bugs live their busy underwater lives until they eventually die and sink to the muck at the bottom, leaving nothing but bones and shells and other bits and pieces of themselves behind.”
“It sounds fascinating,” he replies, surprised by his own sincerity.
Her eyes light up and she takes an eager step forward, the sword dangling almost forgotten in her hand. “Do you think so, truly? Because it really is fascinating! I mean, I’ve seen animals die but never really had the chance to study what was left behind - well, I lived on a farm and everything that died was generally eaten afterwards and the bones added to the midden or used for soup stock and my mother thought it was morbid that I wanted to know what happened when animals died, and forbade me to speak to the gravediggers or the village priest about whether human bodies decomposed in the same way, not that he would have answered me - Father Tomas, I mean; the gravediggers might have been willing…”
She stumbles to a halt as he stares at her, bemused and intrigued by her words. “So you were mortal, once?” She nods dumbly. Yes, a peasant wench, that certainly fits with his surmises. “And cursed to this existence?” She nods again. “By whom?”
Her face clouds, and she drags the sword upward, clutching to her chest in a protective gesture. “By my betrothed,” she whispers, edging back away from him. Instinctively he moves toward her, splashing into the shallows, hearing his horse return to its interrupted drinking of the murky water.
TBC?
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Dragonagecompanions Masterlist
Dragon Age Origins
Wynne’s Funeral
Warden got kidnapped
Agender Warden
Warden possessed by a spirit
Companions as Atla Benders
Warden gets badly injured
Warden gets hit on (GIF)
Dwarf! Warden sees a bird and screams
Warden putting booties on Dog (GIF)
Dog stole the Warden’s clothes and they are running around naked (GIF)
Love songs with companions and Warden
Receiving an unexpected kiss from the Warden (GIF)
Warden telling them that they are sexually fluid
Cousland! Warden having a close relationship with Loghain before the Blight
Trapped in the fade and freed by the Warden
Reacting to DAI Leliana
Warden names their mabari Barkspawn
What book genre would the companions be
Romanced Zevran reaction to the Warden wanting to wait until after marriage
Zevran reacting to find a notebook full of poems about him in the Warden’s tent
Sten’s reaction to the Warden pecking him on the nose (GIF)
Zevran’s reaction to the Warden being afraid to tell him they are pregnant
Warden doesn’t know what sex is and romances have to explain
Oghren’s reaction to a Brosca Warden sacrificing themself
Cullen falling for a Dude Elf! Warden in the Circle
Woman! Warden and Morrigan being best friends
Morrigan reacting to a Woman! Warden wanting to start a relationship with her
Warden and Leliana get a dog
Zevran’s reaction to hearing they wanted the Warden as Inquisitor (GIF)
Warden and Alistair are friends who prank each other a lot
Warden bursts into skyhold to get hugs from Leliana and Morrigan (GIF)
Zevran’s reaction to learning about the trauma a Mage Warden faces
Warden got the anchor and became the Inquisitor
Zevran flirting with a nonbinary Warden
Reunited with the Warden at Skyhold
Dragon Age Awakening
Romanced Awakening Companions + Pining
Reacting to Anders actions in DA2
Commander having nightmares
Awakening Anders reaction to DA2 Anders actions
Dragon Age 2
Pregnant Hawke
Gifts from Hawke
Hawke possessed by a spirit
Meeting Leandra
Reunited at Skyhold
Hawke taking a hit for them
Hawke left in the Fade
Tranquil Hawke (Mod Fereldone)
Hawke going on a pepe slyvia rant (GIF)
Varric realizing he is love with Hawke over the course of the game
Varric reacting to Hawke telling him I love you (With french version)
Hearing that Hawke has a favorite companion
Hearing Hawke’s mabari is their favorite (GIF)
Hearing that they are Hawke’s favorite (GIF)
Love songs for the companions and Hawke
Hawke that frequents the Blooming Rose (GIF)
Hawke has a bad toothache
Hawke taking a fatal hit for them
Reacting finding out the Chant is wrong and the Veil made nonmages (GIF)
Leandra blaming Hawke for their siblings’ fate
Purple Hawke making penetration jokes after being stabbed (GIF)
Fenris reacting to Hawke getting amnesia- Romanced and Non Romanced
Finding out if Andraste was an elven mage (GIF)
Purple Hawke downs three bottle of vodka and fights Arishok (GIF)
Bethany, Carver and Varric if Hawke died in the Deep Roads
Varric’s reaction to Hawke writing a book about him (GIF)
Orsino and Meredith’s reaction to Hawke in love with the First Enchanter (GIF)
Carver’s reaction to receiving love letter from Merrill
Ander’s reaction ti his child being templar positive
Carver and Bethany’s reaction to Hawke pushing them out of the way of the Ogre
Self-Injurious Hawke
Carver’s reaction to Hawke romancing Merrill
Bethany and Carver reacting to their sibling being a useless bisexual
Leandra walking in on romances and same gender Hawke and having a coming out talk then and there (GIF)
Isabela and Merrill finding out Hawke died in the fade while pregnant with their child
Hawke comes back missing an eye
Trans Man Hawke
Cuddling in Bed
Dragon Age Inquisition
First thoughts on Inquisitor
Crossdressing Inquisitor
Inquisitor gets poisoned (Nonromanced version)
Inquisitor in lingerie (Cullen & Josephine here)
First thoughts on Corypheus
Inquisitor fainting
Inquisitor being deaf in one ear
Inquisitor possessed by a spirit
Inquisitor protecting them from a hit
Inquisitor giving them flowers
Josephine, Lelianna + Cassandra reacting to noble courting Inquisitor
Inquisitor can’t swim
After Trespasser (And Advisors here)
Inquisitor dyeing their hair
Inquisitor can do Skyrim shout
Child taking a shine to companions
Companions realizing they have deeper feelings for Inquisitor
Inquisitor having astraphobia
Inquisitor having self harm scars (And Advisors Here)
Inquisitor fussing over them
Inquisitor performing CPR
Cassandra if Lelianna hadn’t stopped her in the beginning
Solas with young inquisitor who considers him a father figure
Meeting the Hero of Ferelden
Inquisitor that grew up on the streets
Car or Motorcycle
Inquisitor with beautiful singing voice
Inquisitor getting a mabari
Nobles talking shit at Winter Palace
Inquisitor’s death post-trespasser
Inquisitor working for Corypheus
What kind of tumblr blogs the companions would run
Cullen reacting to Dexter - Dark Passenger Scene at Restaurant
Inquisitor gets surrounded
Inquisitor bring home an orphaned child
Inquisitor having a blood disease
Inquisitor being skilled in unarmed
Inquisitor with a scar across stomach
Inquisitor has a child from a previous relationship
Teen! Inquisitor getting drunk after finding out the truth about elven religion post trespasser
Child! Inquisitor asking about Blackwall after he disappears
Inquisitor has a panic attack during a war meeting
Solas reacting to falling for someone who is not an elf (GIF)
Finding the Inquisitor nearly passed out from an Anchor flare
Cassandra reacting to Inquisitor asking to her to read to them
Inquisitor speaking Qunlat
Reactions to the massacre of Lavellan clan
Learning about what the Joining entails (GIF)
Teen! Inquisitor falls deathly ill
Game franchise companions would be most interested in
Teen! Inquisitor gets hit on by a creep
Taking the Inquisitor’s virginity
Someone purposefully misgendering the Inquisitor
Books are getting burned and Inquisitor stops it
Inquisitor calling Cassandra Mom (GIF)
Companions reacting to Cole describe the Inquisitor’s feelings about them
Child! Inquisitor accidentally blowing crater in Skyhold
Inquisitor with luscious locks
Going to Wrestlemania
What it takes to get Vivienne, Dorian and Josephine to a spit take
Types of cars each companion would drive
Inquisitor lost a bet and runs through Skyhold naked
Companions realizing they are in love with the Inquisitor
Inquisitor has Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Inquisitor wants to raise a dragon pup
Weddings with companions
Harding, Krem and Dagna finding out the Inquisitor has a crush on them
Companions’ greatest desires
Inquisitor asks them to take care of their child if they die
Qunari! Inquisitor with Golden Halla Horns (GIF)
Dorian reacting to Teen! Inquisitor calling him Dad
Which would they like better: Lord of the RIngs, Harry Potter, or Star Wars
Inquisitor bottle flips from Leliana’s foor onto Solas’s desk (GIF)
Iron Bull’s reaction to the Warden telling him stories about Sten
Companions find an amulet that makes you speak in limericks and haikus
Fenris as the Inquisitor (GIF)
Inquisitor that wants to try at least one of every meat they kill
Inquisitor has a creepy stalker
Josephine reacting to Child! Inquisitor saying gold isn’t her color
Parent! Inquisitor’s child telling romances that Inquisitor likes them (Krem, Dagna and Harding here)
Inquisitor being the author of the Song of Ice and Fire series
Inquisitor with epilepsy
Inquisitor singing to demons to try and heal them like Moana (GIF)
Inquisitor was an assassin on a job at the conclave (GIF)
Inquisitor’s reaction to their child telling the companions their feelings
Romances react to the Inquisitor giving them an affectionate kiss
Inquisitor that can turn anything into a weapon (GIF)
Cassandra falling for a woman Inquisitor
Inquisitor that rock any clothing they wear (GIF)
Cullen falling for a dude Inquisitor
Blackwall falling for a dude Inquisitor
Sera reacting to an ace inquisitor
Inquisitor is 101 mabari
Reaction to Solas pulling the Inquisitor into a kiss in front of everyone (GIF)
Josephine first realizing that she is bi
Qunari! Inquisitor taking out enemies with their horns (GIF)
Companions singing lullabies to a Child! inquisitor
Solas reacting to a Teen! Inquisitor looking grown up in Trespasser
Sera reacting to realizing she is a noble after marrying a Trevelyan Inquisitor
Reactions to an asexual inquisitor
Solas’s reaction to Inquisitor calling Cullen vhenan (GIF)
Blackwall’s reaction to the Inquisitor joking that his armor looks like a quilt (GIF)
Inquisitor’s main weapon is Excalibur from Soul Eater (GIF)
Blackwall’s reaction to the Inquisitor asking him for a strip tease (GIF)
Child! Inquisitor making them flower crowns
Inquisitor dancing with the ambassador at the Winter Palace (GIF)
What kind of presents they would give to a Child! Inquisitor on their birthday
What leaves Varric absolutely stunned
Dalish! Inquisitor wearing Dalish attire to the Winter Palace (GIF)
Post Trespasser Inquisitor saying they aren’t good enough for them
Sera reacting to Dalish! Inquisitor making dalish cookies (GIF)
Inquisitor saying I love you in the romances native tongue
Solas reacting to Inquisitor sneaking up and grabbing his junk (GIF)
Child! Inquisitor getting called knife ear
Varric calling a Dwarf dude! Inquisitor Bartrand
Inquisitor wearing formal attire (GIF)
Ace Inquisitor that doesn’t like sex with Iron Bull
Sera realizing the Hero gave her the painted box
Dorian’s reaction to being accepted by his partner’s family
Hogwarts Houses for the Companions
Inquisitor pinching their ass under the table during a war table mission (GIF)
Leliana’s reaction to the Hero telling the Inquisitor to look out for her
Inquisitor slapping an enemy so hard it knocks them off their feet (GIF)
Sera reacting to an Inquisitor who binds their chest
Cullen reacting to the Inquisitor giving him a dream catcher to get rid of his nightmares
Inquisitor giving them a bouquet that they picked on a quest (GIF)
Josephine’s reaction to a Mage! Inquisitor being told no one would love them
Inquisitor asking them to take them on a shopping trip to help them transition
Iron Bull’s reaction to learning the Inquisitor knows blood magic
Romancing Krem
Dorian reacting to an asexual Inquisitor that doesn’t like sex
Teen! Inquisitor getting into a fight with another teen (And Advisors Here)
Calm Inquisitor loses their temper (GIF)
Dorian meeting his and the Inquisitor’s child from the future
What makes the companions panic
Inquisitor falls in the fade with only the Warden and Hawke
Centaur Inquisitor (GIF)
Teen! Inquisitor getting angsty over a crush
Modern day Languages the companions want to learn
Iron Bull’s reaction to his horns hurting his lover while sleeping
Pocket Ask
If the Inquisitor had a crush on Corypheus (GIF)
Teen! Inquisitor having a panic attack
Inquisitor Zevran (And Advisors Here)
Josephine’s reaction to the Inquisitor forcing themself to stay awake due to nightmares
Solas finding out the Lavellan has Qunari blood (GIF)
Companions’ ideal gifts
Someone misgendering a trans inquisitor (GIF)
Inquisitor that has Ehlers-Danlos Sydrome
ASOIAF! Universe: Reading the Red Wedding
Finding the Inquisitor covered in blood and with a shovel
Finding the Inquisitor in their room, giggling like a child on the floor (GIF)
Cullen, Dorian and Solas reacting to the Inquisitor nearly made tranquil
Inquisitor who randomly coughs up blood (GIF)
Teen! Inquisitor going off to college
Iron Bull reacts to a Mage Qunari Inquisitor! who is a bit scared of him
Comforting an agender Teen! Inquisitor
Child! Inquisitor climbing onto one of the rooftops (GIF)
Dorian and Dude Elven! Inquisitor holding hands at a party
Sera thinks the Ace! Inquisitor is also aro but Inquisitor likes Sera
Ace! Inquisitor nearly forcing themself to have sex because they think that’s what “normal” couples do- have sex
Cassandra and Woman! Inquisitor come out publicly
Random gifs for companions (GIF)
Inquisitor reveals that they are a vampire
Iron Bull reacting to the Inquisitor having a panic attack
Inquisitor is a Khajiit from the Elder Scrolls series
Dorian receiving news of the Inquisitor’s death (romance)
Child! Inquisitor whose parents think they could always do better
Which companions would be most likely to adopt
Someone tries to tease about Josephine and the Inquisitor’s relationship
Inquisitor being the child of the Hero of Fereldon
Inquisitor calling Solas “egghead” (GIF)
Vivienne’s reaction to the Inquisitor chewing loudly at dinner
Child! Inquisitor refuses to eat healthy
Teen! Inquisitor doesn’t feel like they are fit to lead because they are young
ASOIAF! Universe: reacting to the Purple Wedding
Inquisitor that shouts attack names in battle (GIF)
First time seeing the Inquisitor in Antaam-saar (GIF)
Finding out the Inquisitor is ticklish and doesn’t mind being tickled (GIF)
Usually serious Inquisitor makes a pun (GIF)
Leliana’s reaction to an Inquisitor using a cell at the winter palace (GIF)
Iron Bull’s reaction to his lover being conscious about how they look
Free day at the beach
Inquisitor who cuddles whoever is closest in their sleep
Jack of all trades Inquisitor who doesn’t know how to fight
Inquisitor stays in the fade in place of Hawke or the Warden
Leliana, Dorian and Vivenne’s advice on proposing to Josephine
Dalish! Inquisitor who can’t read well
Noble sneering at a Child! Inquisitor because of their age
Inquisitor having an asthma attack
Dalish Inquisitor that has a hard time keeping up when people speak quickly
Finding out the Inquisitor has terminal cancer
Dalish! Inquisitor who’s clan took up seafaring after the fall of the Dales
Herald runs to avoid becoming inquisitor (GIF)
Inquisitor with a reputation as a skilled dualist
ASOIAF! Universe Nobles reaction to books
Inquisitor is twins with the Hero of Fereldan
Mages react to Merlin from Sword in the Stone
Dorian with a Trans Man Inquisitor
Evil Inquisitor (only partially done)
Cuddling in bed
Josephine, Vivienne, Leliana, Dorian and Iron Bull with Inquisitor with Enochlophobia
Genderfluid Inquisitor coming out to them
Altmer Inquisitor
Inquisitor that gets really bad motion sickness
Child! Inquisitor revealing they were abused
Child! Inquisitor hurting themself trying to learn a spell
Inquisitor recognizing a red templar as their sibling
Meeting the Inquisitor’s sibling who is a fan of their stories
Inquisitor who is an elf from Lord of the Rings
Reacting to Modern technology
Inquisitor who charm the Guardian of Mythal with a song
Extra things
Heightcanons (all games)
Mods reaction to suddenly ending up in the DA universe
If mods could show one character a disney or pixar movie, what would it be
Companions reactions to the movies from the mods
Purple Hawke vs. Lavellan Inquisitor rap battle (submission)
Zevran, Fenris and Dorian pulling their romance into a kiss in front of a crowd
Mod Fereldone’s Inquisitor reacting to Cole asking if they are his parent
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Soul Full
Part 1:
The thing about Keith is that he needs a very particular type of person to work with, a kind of person that can put up with his impulsive bull shit and self-sacrificing attitude 24/7.
From day one it was clear that Keith had the potential to be the most powerful Myster ever seen, it was also clear that no sane weapon would stick with him more than a week.
Hell, even the legendary Excalibur gave up on him and demanded to be returned to his stone rather than remain with him.
By his second year, Keith had been rejected by pretty much every weapon in the school, it didn't matter if he could fight with any close combat weapon. No one wanted to deal with his attitude.
Perhaps that was why when he was sat in the dorm reading one day he was so surprised when someone plopped down in the seat next to him.
“I heard you don't have a weapon.”
Keith shrugged not taking his eyes off the page, now and again someone would try and make him the butt of a joke and more often than not would walk away sporting a black eye.
“Yeah. And what of it?” Keith rolled his eyes preparing himself for whatever kind of prank this was.
“Well then mullet this is your lucky day because I just happen to be without a mystery”
That did make Keith look up in surprise. No weapon had ever come up to him before to form a partnership. He had to always be the one to awkwardly approach someone in class with the idea.
He was even more surprised by the dazzling blue eyes that he was met with.
They didn't seem to hold even the slightest bit of malice or resentment towards him. In fact, they were the loveliest things Keith had ever seen.
“W-what?” Keith asked not sure he heard right.
“Your Keith right? I heard you're crazy strong and if anyone can make me a death scythe it's going to be you.” He held out his hand and Keith stared at it for a solid minute “the names Lance and I have a feeling we’re gonna make a great team.”
Keith couldn't help but snort “let me guess you turn into a lance?”
Lance pouted “no Mr funny guy, I got named before I got my weapon form im a trident actually, a pretty cool one if I do say so myself.”
“Look I don't know what you heard about me but I don't do the whole team thing. I don't play well with others.” Keith stared at the still outstretched hand. He had an urge to take it, to accept this offer and finally have a chance. But… well, he's been hurt before.
It was just easier to pretend your not interested then have your spirit broken over and over again.
“Neither do i. So the way I see it if no one wants to be with us then why not team up.” Lance grinned.
Keith sat there in silence before a laugh burst its way past his lips “ok...you're clearly crazy. What the hell kind of logic is that?”
“Genius logic if you ask me.” Lance leaned forwards ever so slightly “I'm not hearing a no.”
Keith groaned “ok since I have a feeling no won't get you to shut up and get you to leave me alone how about this. We see how we fight together and if you're even half decent I'll consider it.”
Keith took Lance’s hand and firmly shook it slightly surprised by the cool touch of the other boy. He seemed so warm yet his hand was ice cold.
“You won't regret this mullet.
“I already am.”
One of the benefits of going to a combat oriented school is the state of the art sports facilities that had enough training scenarios available at all hours of the day to provide a challenge to someone even like Keith that practically lived in the gym.
The two had raced over with Lance’s long legs allowing him to win by barely a second much to Keith’s annoyance.
He was bragging about it even as they entered a training room and started up a simulation.
“You barely won.”
“A victory is still a victory my dude. I take what I can get.” Lance smirked even as Keith held out his hand and he vanished in a flash of light and reappeared as a trident.
Keith wasn't really sure what he was expecting.
It certainly wasn't a beautifully ornate light blue trident with a large blue gem implanted in the centre. Keith could see Lance looking at him smugly from within the gem so it was easy to guess he looked as stunned as he felt.
“Not bad right?” Lance’s voice echoed within Keith's head.
Keith rolled his eyes “let's hope your not all flash and no bang. A pretty weapon isn't much good in a fight if it's not efficient”
“I'll have you know I'm a great weapon!” Lance huffed “on your left!”
Keith spun around just in time to see a faceless enemy swinging an axe at him. Acting on pure instinct he held Lance up to block the blow stopping the blade only inches away from his face.
Keith struggled under the weight for a moment. He was an agility fighter. He couldn't brute strength his way through a fight. He had to be smart about this.
He suddenly dove forwards skidding the staff against the blade until Keith was out of its path and it hit the floor with an echoing bang.
“Nice!” Lance cheered and Keith couldn't help the grin that pulled at the edge of his lips. It had been a while since he had a cheerleader.
While the enemy was off balance Keith spun Lance round to try and ram to the blades into the back. Unfortunately soon as he got close the axe was swinging back at him so fast that all he could do was jump back to avoid getting his head sliced off.
“Fast fucker huh?” Lance quipped.
“Shut up!” Keith hissed as he dodged the numerous attacks “I'm trying to concentrate”.
The enemy was so fast that it was taking all Keith had on just defence leaving him no room to attack.
“Point me at the floor and be ready to move,” Lance said suddenly pulling Keith’s attention away from the fight long enough for a kick to send Keith flying into the opposite wall.
“The floor?” he grunted.
“Just trust me mullet.”
Considering the enemy was closing in and Keith saw no other option he held lance firmly with both hands and pointed at the floor just by its feet.
Some weapons can transform for Keith hoped that maybe Lance would suddenly become a bazooka or something. However never in his wildest dreams would Keith have imagined what happened next.
A beam of white light burst from each trident point and twisted together until they were one powerful beam that hit the floor pinning Keith against the wall from the force.
Keith could only watch as ice began to rapidly grow out from beneath the enemies feet and shoot out in razor sharp spiked through its body.
It stood their trapped and struggling when the light faded away and Keith jumped to his feet to go in for a kill.
With a run and a jump, Keith was able to drink Lance right down through its head causing it to explode in a cloud of black particles around them.
Keith didn't even realise he was smiling until he caught sight of himself in the ice.
Panting he stood there staring in Lance in his hand as he returned to human form.
“Jeez man, you can really fight that was incredible!” Lance grinned at him and Keith couldn't believe it.
“Your kidding right? I would have been toast without your attack! Why the hell didn't you tell me you could use ice attacks? I didn't think anyone but the Altean family could even do that.” Keith ranted excitedly. He didn't even notice how when he mentioned the Alteans Lance’s confident demeanour dropped to a much more sheepish one.
“Yeah about them… I'm kinda one of them.” Lance muttered softly.
Keith watched his sudden shift in confusion “but if your part of that family why the hell have you got a partner yet?”
As if on cue Lance’s nose began to bleed and the legendary Weapon Allura herself came storming through the doors.
“Lance! What are you doing here?!” She yelled grabbing him by the arm and stuffing a handkerchief into his hand to stem the blood flow.
“I told you I was going to find a mystery today. You can't keep me from becoming a death scythe.”
Keith watched on awkwardly as she glared at Lance before turning her harsh look on him “and this is who you have chosen? Who even are you?”
Before Keith could answer Lance beat him to it “he's Keith Kogane. Shiro’s little brother, you know Shiro, I mean he's only your fucking myster.”
Allura snapped her mouth shut like she suddenly thought better of whatever comment she had.
It took her a few moments of deep breaths before she continued “even if he is as good a mystery as his brother that doesn't change the fact that this is too dangerous for you.”
Lance pulled away so he stood next to Keith. “Just because your my big sister doesn't mean you get to decide my life for me.”
“No, but it does mean I know you're not strong enough.”
Keith suddenly stepping in front of Lance. “Who are you to say he isn't strong enough? Did you miss how he used that ice? I have no doubt in my mind he could be an even more powerful death scythe then you.”
Allura feed him with a cold look “Lance you can't do this, father would never allow you to-”
“Father doesn't give a shit about what I do as long as I don't embarrass him or you. Maybe I get a bloody nose when I use my ice but that doesn't mean I'm a weak little kid anymore and you can't treat me like I'm delicate.” Lance placed a hand on Keith’s shoulder and gave him a soft smile “I've found my myster… if he will have me?”
Keith nodded “after this, I couldn't imagine ever fighting with another weapon.”
The two smiled at each other for a long time before Allura let out a long sigh.
“Fine but… Lance, please be careful your mother she-”
One look from Lance quieted her and instead, she turned to leave “Look after him, Keith… he may seem powerful but he needs protecting.”
“That's what being a team is, looking out for each other.”
Allura nodded before she slipped out of the room leaving a tense silence in her wake.
A silence that was broken the second Keith and Lance made eye contact and burst out laughing.
“Holy shit. I can't believe you're stood up to my sister!” Lance grabbed Keith by the shoulders excitedly and Keith found himself with the sudden urge to kiss the other boy.
“Well can't have someone bad mouthing my weapon like that.” Keith mumbled as he pulled away and offered his hand “partners?”
“Partners” Lance shook his hand and for a moment everything was perfect.
The two quickly became the most powerful team in schools history collecting souls faster than anyone else.
After a year they had 96 souls and were happily living together.
What Keith didn't realise though with every new soul collect and every battle won Lance was getting closer and closer to death.
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Wings Over Avalon: For Your Love
Chapter One
“We can never go back.” Zaros explained as he sat before Marabus. “If we do we’ll either be killed or kill the whole clan. Both of which neither of us wants.”
“I understand your situation. However, it is our policy to not harbor exotic species such as yourself here permanently.” Marabus explained stoically as he stared out the window. Zaros simply nodded with a forlorn look on his face. “On the other hand,” a smile worked itself across his face, “your sister is injured and it is also our policy to help those in need.” He turned and looked at the ice dragon with kind, understanding eyes. “No matter what the species…”
Zaros’s eyes lit up and he rushed forward to hug the wizard.
The elder threw his hands up and the dragon slid to a stop. The wizard stepped forward and patted him on the slide. “A little big to be hugging an old and frail man like me, aren’t you?” He mused teasingly.
Zaros threw a foreleg around him and squeezed gently. “Thank you Marabus.” He whispered with an air of relief.
“Marabus…” Merlin said quietly as he knocked on one of the massive wooden doors. “I hope you don’t mind but we patched up Clarina…”
“That’s fine. Take our friend here to visit with his sister.” Marabus replied cheerily. “Tell the doctor I’d like to hear his prognosis so we know how long they’ll be staying. I’d say oh… A year… Two years would be pushing her recovery just a bit, don’t you?” He went on winking at his pupil.
“Yes Sir!” Merlin beamed a bit shocked. “Slow and careful I always say!” Merlin beamed as he turned to leave.
“Merlin… How familiar are you with the smith?” Marabus wondered in passing as he sat down at his desk.
“Not very well…” Merlin replied confused as he poked his head back in the door.
“I suggest you get to know him if you’re going to have him make this… sword of yours…” Marabus went on holding up a piece of paper. “This Excalibur… And you’ll need to work on the binding spell.”
“Yes Sir!” Merlin beamed barely able to contain his excitement before taking off down the hall at break neck speed.
Zaros watched warily before following after him.
The young mage did much hooting and hollering before stopping abruptly when he realized Zaros was watching him. “Marabus convinced the Council to use my plan to choose the new king.” He explained quietly as Zaros caught up with him, smoothing his robes while he waited.
“What is this plan and why do you need it?” Zaros wondered as they walked on down the hall.
“Marabus has foreseen that should the future king, Uther Pendragon, rear his son, great devastation shall befall the land. We have to devise a way to part him from his son then ensure his son’s rise to the throne. I proposed that we send a representative to befriend the king and give him counsel. Then ask for his baby as payment.” Merlin explained before stopping and baring a thoughtful countenance.
“So how was the sword to figure into this idea of yours?” Zaros asked as he carefully slid out of a window to follow Merlin up the tower to see Clarina.
“Well I thought we should have the sword enchanted to where only the boy could use it. We’d put it where any noble could get to it and let them try their hand. The boy would no doubt turn up sometime.” Merlin called out the windows of the tower awkwardly.
“That leaves a lot to chance, doesn’t it? I mean what if the boy never tries to claim the sword?” Zaros pressed concerned. “This doesn’t seem very well thought out…”
“Oh, hush you… The king and the plan are both young. There is yet time to perfect things…” Merlin soothed irritably.
“You’re very smart, Merlin… I’m sure you’ll finish the plan and it will work well.” Zaros remarked landing on the balcony.
“Thank you!” Merlin beamed in reply out the window. “Give me just a second and I’ll open the doors.” A moment later the double wooden doors to the balcony swung open wide. Zaros slowly and carefully wandered in but still managed to clip his wings on the stone around the doorway. “Look at that!” Merlin mused pointing to the little pieces of rock missing from the bricks. A few inches below them were some that were clearly older. “You’ve grown some since you were here last!” He went on jollily as he patted Zaros on the side. “I think you finally out-grew our draft horses!”
Zaros growled taking the remark as an insult instead of the compliment it was meant to be.
Merlin snapped his hand back and watched in hurt confusion as Zaros walked away.
“Zaros is a noble dragon… He is meant to be feared for his size and ferocity… He is the son of the clan leader and is meant to walk tall so as to command respect… It’s hard to walk tall in a crowd when you’re not tall enough to see where you’re going…” Ariala explained slowly as they watched Zaros lay down next to his unconscious sister. She spoke in a quiet tone making her sound far older than she was.
“How… How have you acquired such wisdom so fast?” Merlin wondered looking at her dumbstruck and wide-eyed.
“Zaros said I have a lot of spirit… Like I had the heart of a dragon. Maybe I’m just blessed… Only the gods in heaven know for sure.” She went on smiling up at him with her childish innocence. He wrapped an arm around her and they watched quietly as Xanas tried to comfort Zaros.
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Zaros flapped around, soaring above the spires of the Northern Order of White Mages and Wizards. They had been there for three months and his adventurous nature grew restless. Marabus had warned him that the fire dragons’ territory started not far from the compound; the words were lost to him as he flew off over the mountains.
“Sister! Look up there! An ice dragon!” A small, young fire dragon roared as he pointed to the sky with a forefoot.
“Lady Landrian… Haven’t the ice dragons been pushing towards the outskirts of their territory? Do you think he could be a spy for an invasion force?” The largest of the three dragons said to the one of medium stature.
“The ice dragons are known to be bold but not to martyrs. I very highly doubt they would send one alone. Especially one as small as him and moving that slow.” Landrian replied in a regal tone full of pensive thought. “Let us wait this one out, Peladar.”
“You’re much too old-fashioned Sister! He is an enemy! We should kill him!” The smallest one roared bolting to the sky towards Zaros.
“Dyzynas!” Landrian hissed angrily.
“Lord!” Peladar called out chasing after him.
“I can’t let you run off and get hurt!” Landrian groaned in frustration as she followed them.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zaros spotted a small ball of flame floating towards him. He stopped and puffed a whisper of his icy breath at it to put it out. “Die spy!” A young voice called out from above. Zaros barrel rolled out of the way and grabbed the youngster by the tail.
“Didn’t your parents ever teach you not to attack things bigger than you? No less twice your size or more?” The ice dragon wondered slightly annoyed.
The youngster flipped up and bit his foot.
“Gah! What is wrong with you?” Zaros snapped letting go and shaking the pain out of his paw. He looked down at the little dents that didn’t pierce the skin.
“I’m going to kill you before your clan can invade!” The youngster hissed before breathing another puny attack. Zaros suppressed the attack and smiled as ice crystals formed on the end of the little one’s nose.
“He certainly isn’t acting like a spy…” Peladar remarked slightly confused as they watched Dyzynas try to tackle Zaros. Zaros hugged the smaller dragon into his chest, a teasing grin on his face. Dyzynas wriggled free, a look half pout, half angry, every bit adorable because of his size of his face.
“Certainly not…” Landrian agreed watching the scene almost entranced. “The way he moves is so perfect… It’s almost as if he can read Dyzynas’s moves before he makes them and then reacts appropriately.”
“But that’s impossible…” Peladar protested with a chuckle. “It’s probably just so easy because Dyzynas is young and inexperienced…”
“My Father can do it…” Landrian snorted quietly.
“Yes, but your Father is the clan leader and an An…” Peladar stopped in mid-thought and looked at her in horrified awe.
“I don’t think he’s a spy though…” Landrian went on approaching the fight slowly.
“I won’t let your clan attack mine!” Dyzynas roared fiercely.
“My clan, attack yours…” Zaros hissed in a deeply pained voice. “I don’t have a clan anymore… I haven’t for months.” Zaros replied to the youngster’s frequent mention of it.
All three of the fire dragons froze solid in place. It was an unspoken law amongst dragons, bound by their pride, that you never deny your clan.
“You have no reason to fear me. If it bothers you that I’ve infringed on your territory I’m sorry and I’ll leave now. I meant no harm…” Zaros went on just above a whisper as pain dripped on every word he said. After a moment of hovering in the air with his head hung he turned and started to fly away.
“You lie!” Dyzynas shouted angrily as he flew towards the retreating opponent. “You are a worthless piece of trash denying your clan like that!”
“I’M NOT LIKE THEM!” Zaros roared painfully as he spun around and met Dyzynas’s attack. He shoved the small dragon back effortlessly but without hurting him. “The color of blood is what I despise don’t make my paint myself in yours…” He whispered in a strained voice. Landrian watched wide-eyed and something about the words struck pain in her heart. Where had she seen such passion and value for life? One that she herself held but saw in so few around her…
“I have to know…” She whispered taking off towards the fight again.
“Don’t lie coward!” Dyzynas shouted when a huge ball of flame, burning blue at its core, rose from beneath him. Zaros let off a faint blue glow as he spun out of the way, taking Dyzynas with him momentarily to protect him. Zaros flew backwards as he suppressed another attack with one of his own. Dyzynas looked on in awe as a white blur flew out from a cloud of steam. Zaros shot down following the heat in the air to Landrian. His eyes were lost to the fierce blue glow that filled the orbs. When he realized that Landrian was a female he stopped abruptly just feet away from her. Ice crystal shot off his wings from the force of stopping so quickly. The embedded in the ground around Landrian. He hovered there panting as the glow around him faded. Their eyes met and there was something vaguely familiar that Landrian saw within the bright orbs. After a stand-off of a few seconds he spun around and flew away with great speed.
“What was that?” Dyzynas wondered in shock as he sank down next to his sister and guardian. He kicked one of the ice spikes in disdain but found it far too sturdy to shatter easily.
“That was an Ancient… Or one of Ancient blood if I’m not mistaken…” Peladar commented in equal awe and shock.
“But yet… After all that… I still don’t believe he’s a threat to us…” Landrian mused in a far-off voice as she watched Zaros fly away. Dyzynas’s face grew heated as he took off to follow Zaros without being seen.
“I’ll show them all! I’ll show Father that I can make him proud. Even if he isn’t a threat I’ll make Poppa think he is so I still win! I’ll get the glory when the clan destroys him!” Dyzynas snickered in his mind. “No one will ever make fun of me then!”
“Poor little dragon… The one you seek to destroy may possibly be the first being you meet capable of understanding how you feel…” An ethereal voice sighed gently like a spring breeze. A being cloaked all in white with a thin veil covering its face stood upon a branch of a nearby tree and watched as Dyzynas pursued Zaros on the ground. “I have no power here… I cannot stop you young Prince… All I can do is hope for the best and pray for your soul…”
“Spiritus Mane Caelum…” A voice whispered from somewhere in the air. “Reverto domus… Reverto Avalon…” With that, the being disappeared like mist in the hot sun.
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“A grievous wrong has been committed against our clan!” A thunderous voice boomed and the sound echoed off the nearby cliffs lined with red dragons of various sizes. “A spy of the ice dragon clan has invaded our air! He came to survey our weaknesses and vantage points! Now my fellow High Council members we must make a weighty decision. Attack or be attacked?” The huge red dragon went on. Even without his massive size, his voice alone commanded attention. It was clear, right and deep much like the pigment of his scales. His voice wasn’t rash or angry but calm and wise. “Before we make such a decision we must first weigh all of the consequences evenly.” He went on spreading his wings and taking to the air. His wingspan was easily fifteen men laid head to toe if that is any indication of his size. Landrian listened to the High Council’s words carefully and it soon became apparent to her that an attack was eminent. She slipped away in a manner which, she thought, no one had seen her depart.
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“Zaros… I think you had better come see this…” Ariala called warily as she stood in the castle garden. The young dragon flew down and landed on a stone walkway not far from her.
“What is it?” He wondered looking at her cautiously. She pointed to the massive wooden doors of the main gates into the compound. The ice dragon slowly walked down the weathered cobblestone avenue and pulled the doors open.
“He who flies freely and without a plan… Meet me soon where the signal fire burns.” Had been roughly carved and scorched into the wood. “Or danger will befall you…” The prince slowly turned and looked at Ariala with a grim countenance.
“I’ll be back soon…” He remarked before taking to the air. He flew on over the mountains looking for what might be the signal. A plume of smoke rose from the far side of a mountain, which Zaros decided must be the signal fire. He slowly approached the far side and landed. Cautiously, he walked towards the huge pile of burning trees. Beyond the pile he discerned the dragon he had almost struck down just days before. It was a red dragon, slender in form, with her long, narrow body and gracefully arching neck. Unlike his wide stocky head, hers was narrow and pointed like an arrowhead. He noted how the spines on her back were fewer but wound and twisted like dancing fire. Unlike his blunt and boxy spines, hers could most certainly do harm. Her tail was of equal length to her neck, ending in a slender spiny point. He mused, for a moment, about how beautiful she was, how her proportions were very pleasing to the eye. He noted from her fairly even skin tone she must be young. His mother had told him all about the different flights. The thing that stood out in his mind about fire dragons was how their skin changed color as they aged, blue creeping up their feet chasing away the reds and oranges of their youth.
“You called, my Lady?” He called out respectfully. She turned and looked at him a bit startled but quickly composed herself as she walked towards him.
“I felt it was my duty to tell you, to warn you that my clan will most likely attack the ice dragon clan. I’m not sure when but it will happen.” Landrian explained looking at him gravely.
“Why are telling me all this? Aren’t we enemies here?” Zaros wondered warily.
“I don’t feel as though you’re my enemy… In fact, I respect you and your power. There are no Ancients in my clan anymore, save for my Father who is weak of heart. I haven’t seen power like yours in many years.” She answered slowly and in a regal tone. “It’s something worthy of respect.”
“Do you think I could have killed you?” Zaros wondered painfully as he avoided her gaze.
Landrian nodded slowly as she moved to try looking him in the eye.
“If you had hit me then yes… I would have killed you without a second thought I’m afraid. Power like that isn’t worthy of respect…” He went on in a sad tone.
“Why were you ostracized from your clan?” Landrian wondered making a move towards him slowly.
“I didn’t want blood on my claws… I still don’t…” He answered without fear or remorse. “How long do you think I have to warn them?”
She looked at him surprised and didn’t seem to know just how to react to his answer. She finally collected herself and took a deep breath.
“We usually move within a week.” She replied with a hint of delight in her voice.
“Thank you, my Lady. You may have saved many lives this day.” He remarked as he bowed and turned to leave.
“Noble Lord…” Zaros stopped abruptly but didn’t look at her. “It wasn’t the power of your Ancient blood I was referring to…” He spun around and stared at her curiously. “It was the power of your heart and your will to do what you feel is right; the power of your will to control a force far beyond yourself. You have proven it again by coming here. I hope you’ll do so a third time with this information I have given you.” Before he could respond to her solemn words, she took to the air and left. He stared at the hypnotic, dancing flames sadly as they danced for a moment before taking to the air himself.
“Sometimes we have to do hard tasks that we don’t want to in the name of what’s right… Even if it means risking our lives…” He sighed as he flew away. The being cloaked all in white stared down from a tree branch.
“And some things you cannot fight, fair Zaros… Like fate… You are the one and soon your destiny will be clear to you. Good luck, my love…” With that she faded away and disappeared.
Ariala was waiting for Zaros dutifully at the gates when he returned. He smiled and acted as if nothing was wrong when he greeted her warmly. “Looks like I’m going to have to take a little trip, Love.” Xanas landed beyond the intricate fountain in the center of the garden and walked up to his leader.
“What happened?” Xanas wondered in their clan’s draconic tone Ariala somehow still vaguely understood.
“The fire dragons mistook me as a spy and now they’re going to attack the ice dragons.” Zaros replied in the unique dialect.
“Are you going to do what I think you’re going to do, my Prince?” Xanos wondered warily as he cocked his head.
“Of course…” Zaros replied looking up at the towering ice dragon before him and smiling slyly. Xanos nodded and took to the air.
“We’ll be back soon, Ariala. Go tell the others not to follow. Everything will be ok.” Zaros explained in his clear human speech. “Bye, Love.” With that he took to the air. As he did so Ariala rushed forward and tried to grab his leg and stop him. “Zaros… There’s something brewing in the air! Don’t leave, Zaros!” She pleaded as he flew away.
“I have to do this if I want to keep living the way I want.” He replied not noticing her forlorn expression. “I don’t want any bloodshed because of me or when I can prevent it.”
“But I feel like someone might die if you leave…” She whispered to herself as tears welled up in her eyes. “Maybe my senses just aren’t developed yet…” She shook her head violently to clear away the doubt. “No! This feeling is much too strong to be wrong! ZAROS! Come back!” She screeched desperately but he was long gone.
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“Father… I followed Landrian today when she left the Council… She went to the spy and warned him about the attack. We have to move quickly and destroy him before he can warn them.” Dyzynas said in a slyly beseeching tone.
“Yes, in order to maintain the element of surprise… A spy with that information could put us at a disadvantage. I’ll round up the warriors and you’ll lead the way. Obviously, he’s still in the area.” The fire dragon clan leader replied pensively as he stared at the ground. “We must do this without her knowing it…” He went on absentmindedly as he walked out of the cave. Peladar dashed off before he could be seen and took to the air to find his Princess.
“My Lady!” He shouted when he spotted Landrian. He tackled her in mid-air and they crashed to the ground with a crack of breaking wood.
“What’s the meaning of this?!” She gasped shoving him off angrily.
“Dyzynas followed you! Your Father knows of your treason and is going to attack the ice dragon we found first! Dyzynas is going to take them there.” He explained desperately. “If helping that lad is truly your desire then we must go now by foot. We’ll be captured if we go by air.” Landrian looked at him wide-eyed as the words sank into her mind.
“He lives with humans… They’ll be slaughtered as enemies…” Without saying another word, she spun around and bolted down the slope. Peladar followed her loyally and she glanced back at him and wondered why he was there aiding her in this treason. “Why did you warn me… Why are you still here?” She finally asked warily.
“Because I’ve not seen passion like yours since your beautiful mother when I was very young. I’d like to see that passion live a little longer… Landrian… My Lady…” Peladar replied with a tone the Princess had never heard him use before. It didn’t take them long to reach the castle and to their surprise there was an angry face waiting for them at the gate.
“Where’s the boy?! Where’s the ice dragon boy?” Landrian demanded with a heavy voice.
“Zaros? He left to warn our kind about your kind… Now get out of here before I have to hurt you!” Clarina said in a low growl.
“I was the one who warned him about the attack!” Landrian replied in a similar tone. To her surprise, Peladar kneeled down and bowed to Clarina.
“We only wish to aide you, Highness… It’s good to see you well… You have deceived us well all these years of your absence…” He replied not looking at Clarina.
“Have we met?” The ice dragon wondered confused but not easing her stance. Peladar looked up at her wide-eyed.
“You really aren’t her are you? But your… Eyes…” He got up and shook his head briskly. “Forgive me… I mistook you for someone else.”
“Look the point is my clan thinks Zaros is a spy and that I’m a traitor for warning him! Now which way do we go to find him?!” Landrian snapped passionately.
“Do I look stupid to you?” Clarina smirked spreading her wings wide. Suddenly she felt a small hand on her back leg.
“If you hurry we can bring him back. If he doesn’t return everyone in this compound will perish. I can show you the way.” Ariala said quietly as she walked forward and stared Landrian and Peladar down.
“Get on.” Landrian said quietly as she held out a forepaw.
Ariala climbed up her leg and on her back careful to avoid the spines. She waved good-bye to Clarina as the three took to the air. They soon spotted Zaros and Xanos in the distance.
“We’ll just waste more time trying to catch up with them…” Ariala remarked standing up carefully.
“Hey what are you doing?! You’ll fall if you aren’t careful!” Peladar gasped watching the fearless little girl.
“I know… Just let me fall… And watch Zaros…” She replied with a smile before she leapt head first off Landrian’s back.
The pair of dragons watched Ariala fall for a split second then shot their attention back to Zaros but he was nowhere to be found. They looked down again in time to see a bright blue light shoot beneath them. From the light emerged Zaros with Ariala on his back.
“We have to go back… They’re in danger.” She whispered while hugging his neck as best she could.
“Then let’s go!” Zaros replied. “Come on Xanas! We’re going back!”
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“Marabus!” Merlin yelled frantically as another ball of flame slammed into the wall beside him. “Fire dragons! We have one ice dragon against 50 fire dragons… MARABUS!!!”
“Stop yelling and start casting, fool!” Marabus yelled slightly annoyed. “I’m going to move to the other side.” He explained shoving past the young wizard.
“Yes Marabus… Right… A spell… Water…” He muttered gaining his resolution. “Right got it!” He ran to the nearest window and pointed his staff at a group of five or so dragons. “River run and river rage. Free of earthly cage. Flow unto where I bid. Flow through fire bright and fire hid!” A huge beam of water shot out of the end of his staff and engulfed the five dragons. Plumes of smoke rose from their mouths in lazy curls to the sky. They angrily tried to shoot flames at him. He flinched and hid his head behind a wall. To his delight all they could do was spit smoke. “Woo hoo!” He cried before doing a little dance and running off down the hall. “Let’s try that again!”
“I’m sorry Zaros…” Was all Landrian could say as they saw the plume of smoke rising in the distance.
“We live with a guild of spellcasters… I’m more worried about your clan than them.” Zaros replied with a sly smile.
“Many of them left with the delegation to the Grand Council.” Ariala interjected. “Only Merlin and Marabus are left that can cast.”
“And only Marabus can cast well.” Xanas added worried as he smacked his forehead.
“Dear Gods…” Zaros gasped bolting forward. “I’ve said it before… Whoever leaves him in charge of anything is crazy!”
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“Father!” Dyzynas yelled with fervor as excitement danced in his eyes. “We’re about to breach a wall on the other side! Come on! Come on!” He exclaimed tugging on one of his father’s foreleg. His father followed him around and sure enough one of the castle walls gave way as they approached. Dyzynas shot down into the castle despite his father’s protesting. The little dragon rushed in with group towards the worst possible target, Marabus. The old wizard sensed the oncoming attack and through up an ice wall. Dyzynas came to an abrupt stop then looked on in horror as the wall broke apart and huge chunks of ice bigger than himself flew at him. They melted in a massive inferno as his father let loose a powerful attack.
“Dyzynas! Get out of here! It’s too dangerous for you! Go home!” The regal fire dragon ordered sternly as he slid to a landing in front of his son.
“But Father!” The young one protested discouraged and shocked.
“GO!” The leader roared turning his head back slightly but keeping an eye on Marabus. Dyzynas looked at his father shocked and hurt for a moment. “GO!” He roared angrily as he snorted smoke and flame. Dyzynas jumped then took to the air. As he flew out of the hole in the wall he glanced back.
“I’ll make you proud Father… Somehow… Somehow I’ll prove myself…” He whispered in a hurt voice.
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“Zaros look! The tower!” Xanas gasped in horror. From somewhere on the other side of the tower Clarina swooped around and plunged into the gaping opening, disappearing into the light. “Go! get Ariala to safety!” He added before flying off to head off a group of fire dragons.
“Marabus!” Ariala screamed in horror. “He’s going to die if we don’t hurry! I swear to you Zaros he’ll die!” She went on as tears streamed down her cheeks.
“We’ll try to buy you some time.” Landrian said resolutely before turning and flying headlong against her clan.
“Protect what you love, Zaros.” Peladar added with that same resolution in his voice. “And I’ll do the same out here.” Zaros nodded quickly and flew off towards the opening of the tower. Growls and gnashing teeth could be heard from the opening and it was clear a battle was taking place. Clarina was suddenly flung out of the tower and a huge dragon followed her out.
“Who the hell is that?! What the hell is that?!” Zaros gasped taking in the sheer size of the beast that now hovered over his sister. Dark blue all the way up his legs. This was an Ancient fire dragon… Clarina looked up helplessly as he reared his claws up to strike. “CLARINA!” Zaros screamed and the fire dragon hesitated long enough to look at Zaros. In that instant, Zaros head-butted him with such a violent force that he was completely knocked over. Zaros spun around and slid to a stop on the stone ground. “Get off and hide, Ariala…” He growled giving the towering beast a death glare. Ariala did as she was told and disappeared into the debris that now littered the ground.
“Everyone stop! You don’t know what you’re doing!” Landrian screamed desperately. “This is a huge misunderstanding and someone will die if we don’t stop!”
“And why should any of us listen to a traitor like you?” A lone voice rang out and a grizzled and darker colored fire dragon lurked out of the shadows of the debris.
“You have no idea what you’re talking about Festranis. Stay out of clan business, dirty scum.” Landrian hissed angrily.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk… Wouldn’t your mother be ashamed to hear such language from your mouth?” The large dragon replied with a cool tone.
“Don’t talk about my mother! Murderer!!!” Landrian screamed charging him with all her speed. Everyone looked on in shock as she was easily flung away with one swipe of his huge claws. She landed near Zaros bloody and bruised.
“For once I have to agree with Festranis… Misunderstanding or not you defied your clan and that makes you a traitor… Traitors are to be killed or exiled as I see fit and I order you exiled…” The huge dragon beamed in a thunderous and stern voice. Out of the corner of his eye, as Landrian made her heartfelt protest, Zaros spotted Dyzynas sneaking in to attack a clearly weakened Marabus.
“Marabus! Look out!” Ariala screamed frightfully. Everyone threw their attention on the old mage in time to see Dyzynas break through his barrier and defy all they knew about magic and Marabus’s control over it…
Dragonkin
#original writing#fiction#fantasy#action#adventure#dragons#dragon clans#white dragons#ice dragons#red dragons#fire dragons#wizards#witches#magic
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THE ONCE AND FUTURE FIC
Yet another resurrection fic (sorry???). ARTHUR RETURNS IN CHAPTER 2. Lots of (my) feels, and overdue conversations (at last!) between our precious King and Warlock. Title might change as this goes along, but this has always been the work title in my head since I started thinking about writing it, so... Starts right when 5.13 ends. WARNING FOR SUICIDAL THOUGHTS IN CHAPTER ONE.
Excerpt PART II:
Merlin's knees give out. His name through Arthur's lips has sounded *exactly* right - righter than in any memory Merlin has relied on to live on hanging onto. And it hurts. The shame, and guilt - to realize he had forgotten *this*? It shouldn't have been possible - to have something so dear going misformed; a pale, withered, incomplete, erroneous copy, so far from the original that its truth has disintegrated? Oh yes, it hurts.
(PREVIOUS CHAPTERS UNDER CHAPTER II)
@clone-number-1
II. (ALTERNATE POV)
Arthur regains consciousness under water.
He's cold; so cold he's shaking - helpless, steady spasms he just can't put an end to (being past half dead apparently has repercussions?). But it's bright, up over him, and he instinctivally pushes himself up towards the light; towards the air.
The moment he breaks the water, Arthur registers that he's not only alive but that he feels *just right*. No pain in his side, no weakness, no dizzinesss, no strain: nothing wrong at all - except from the convulsions from the cold, but you bet he's not going to complain, all considered. The sun is veiled by clouds, but feels nonetheless like a welcomed warmth on his face, and Arthur breathes deep, bringing his arms up and turning his palms towards the warmth too as the tremors start to subdue; he's alive!; and well! He doesn't need to pat his absent wound in wonder, nor to look at the water, transparent clear instead of bloodened red, to know that what he feels is true.
Merlin's done it.
He *has* saved his life.
Again.
It's both unexpected (Arthur had been so sure he had taken his last breath, when all had finally faded to black, no matter how much he had been trying to stay with him, as Merlin had pleaded; to hold onto Merlin, to his voice, to the way he was holding him) - and yet somehow expected. Magical waters and a sorcerer who knows how to work its power would do wonders, obviously. It has happened before after all, bringing his beloved Guinevere's spirit back?
A sudden realization; and Arthur can't help but laugh. And it feels so exhilarating - alive! alive! - the laugh turns into a howl; and Arthur relishes on it, throwing his head back. Honestly? How could he have ever been *so* blind - of course it had been Merlin then too by the water edge, disguised as an old woman!
/
Somewhere on his right, a buoying laugh erupts.
And Merlin knows that laugh. So hearing the exact right tone of that entirely unexpected laughter at once feels as if a vicious invisible hand is squeezing at his heart.
He had forgotten it; he realizes. But he would recognize that howling laugh amongst any other...
Merlin doesn't dare to *believe*. Cruel hope nonetheless blooms unbidden in his heart, and his eyes can't help but zero in on the source of that sound.
And it is exactly as it should be; exactly as it has used to be...
There *is* ARTHUR; standing in the lake, water reaching his hips, chainmail glistening, head thrown back as he laughs. (Has anyone ever looked more simply breathtakingly majestic no matter what they did and even without trying?) Merlin can only see his back, but you bet he would recognize the shape of that back amongst any other too.
Merlin's breath is knocked out of him; and Mordred's sword falls from his hand.
Merlin knows what he hears and sees *cannot* be true. He has seen the world in a much, MUCH more desperate state without Arthur coming back then. There is absolutely no reason for Arthur to come back right now. So. He is being granted a vision; that's all. But of course Merlin wouldn't, couldn't, try to take his own life anymore, not after having had even just a glimpse... Besides, he has just handed over the last sword that could end him anyway. Merlin has to acknowledge The Sidhe's thinking; they know exactly well how to play him. But damn, they are vicious.
But no matter the abysmal pain from such a low blow, Merlin still considers this to be a gift, and is determined to draw it out for as long as he will be allowed to. Those few seconds might sustain him for another fifteen centuries to come, and maybe more...
/
Arthur quiets down after a while. Thinking about his savior: where is he?
Arthur scans his surroundings; and the warmth he feels when he finally spots Merlin definitely eclipses the sun.
/
The laughing stops, and Arthur turns, eyes searching; and a bright smile appears on Arthur's face the moment they find him.
"Merlin!"
Merlin's knees give out. His name through Arthur's lips has sounded *exactly* right - righter than in any memory Merlin has relied on to live on hanging onto. And it hurts. The shame, and guilt - to realize he had forgotten *this* too? It shouldn't have been possible - to have something so dear going misformed; a pale, withered, incomplete, erroneous copy, so far from the original that its truth has disintegrated? Oh yes, it hurts.
And Merlin's fingers dig; hard, deep into the sand. He cannot reach out. He longs for; he *aches* to - both physically and emotionnally. But he cannot. As long as it's only his eyes and ears that are deceived, then he can pretend it is true...
Merlin starts to cry. He can't help it; he cries - as he hasn't cried since, well, all those years ago: silent tears endlessly streaming down his face, unabached, treacherous; and Merlin hates them - hates the way they blur his vision when he has to - HAS TO - *see*. He is powerless to stop them though.
It is *blinding*.
Merlin has tried, so hard, to keep remembering, to NOT forget. But his memories, even sustained with his magic, have so obviously failed him; haven't done Arthur any justice at all. Merlin has forgotten so, SO much; and being proven just how much he has actually forgotten slices through him like a knife. The exact darker shade of Arthur's blond hair when wet. The exact way Arthur stands and moves. The exact sharpness of Arthur's features - his nose, his cheeckbones, his jawline. The exact shape of that smile - that particular, undeniably fond smile following his name Merlin has used to live for and from. Guilt slashes through him again. How could he have *forgotten* the exact shape of *that* smile; the most precious to him amongst the myriad of each and every of Arthur's smiles?
/
But then Merlin collapses, instead of cheering with him - he has thought him gone for good? And Arthur suddenly feels like there is still after all a gaping aching wound on his body; but this one deep in his chest, and of his own making. He owes Merlin *everything*, doesn't he? Yet he has hurt him - and so very severely. Despite it, though, Merlin obviously still cares for him; and so very much... His own behaviour puts Arthur to shame. So. Arthur hadn't had the time nor the strength to plainly apologize before. But he has now; and he won't run away from the words that he needs to say - and even more important, that Merlin needs to hear...
/
Arthur is now rushing through the water towards him - so fierce!, so strong!; alive and well!? His smile is gone though; replaced by worry - because of Merlin's tears, no doubt: yet another reason to hate them then...
And then Arthur is plopping down in front of him, out of breath; and Merlin gets proof again of just how much he had forgotten - the exact colours and depths of Arthur's eyes! There is now a fragile smile back on Arthur's face - a soothing smile, meant only for Merlin's sake; and it's going to break Merlin's heart, no doubt.
.
I. (Warning for this chapter: suicidal thoughts)
Merlin holds Mordred’s sword in his right hand, appraising it. He still can’t believe he has found it; still can’t believe it’s actually in his hands.
Over sixty years now - nothing; yet far too long - Merlin has been waiting for this moment. Since he has begged Freya, and threathened (and apologized - he couldn’t blame Freya for not listening; he maybe wouldn’t have either, if their roles had been reversed), and begged again - in vain, for Excalibur. Since he has finally understood that he was a fool to hold onto hope for something that couldn’t, wouldn’t come to pass. Arthur was *never* coming back: Merlin had simply witnessed enough - he had witnessed too much; and too many times; and definitely one time too much one time too many - to ignore it any longer.
/
It was not that Merlin had grown too tired of waiting - too tired of the ache, the longing, the loneliness… For Arthur? Merlin would *always* wait; however long it might take.
It was not that Merlin had come to believe mankind didn’t deserve Arthur to rise again to start with - even though it *was* an easy conclusion, when it was at its worst, when it turned its anger against itself - too many horrors and atrocities, too much bloodshed. But mankind could be beautiful, when loving, in any form; and marvelous, when it was at its best; when it turned its anger towards its limits: the medical progress over the ages would have had Gaius exhilarated, and proud; and what about its general neverending thirst for discovery, for explorations, for quests? - of course Arthur would come back: if only he could.
It was just that Merlin had finally understood that he had been played - not even because Albion (the name has since long fallen out of use and its people had been scattered through the globe, so it might mean nowadays something else than it had used to to start with) had got united without Arthur (and even if it still only meant Great Britain, well, it might after all need to be united again); but simply because the list of unending reasons why Arthur should have come back to save the day and yet hadn’t (to mention only the very top of the list: half of humanity wiped out in a finger snap by the Black Death? the whole world collapsing in chaos, bent on destroying itself - World War?) had turned out suspiciously too long, and finally impossibly too long, as mankind had truly reached the lowest point not only ever but even possible without Arthur rising yet again (organised experiments and torture on toddlers, honestly?).
So.
Arthur wasn’t ever coming back from the dead, simply because no one ever came back from the dead (except as a shade - and that would be even worse, wouldn’t it? - or at a cost too great for Arthur to burden anyway). It had been easy to believe in the prophecy; simply because it had been what Merlin had wanted. A distant promise of Arthur returning was still way better than no Arthur at all, and so Merlin had willingly taken the bait. But the fake prophecy had obviously been made up; as revenge, or entertainment - or both; and Merlin had felt stupid for not having realized this ages ago - The Sidhe were proud indeed; and Merlin had thwarted them. (It had been easy to forget it at first - to tell himself that they hadn’t known Arthur was THE Arthur at the time, whatever…) Merlin wasn’t sure about what Kilgharrah might have exactly known or not (On the one hand, Kilgharrah had forged Excalibur, who had always truly helped them. And Merlin had been warned by the Great Dragon, right from the start, and repeatedly; so wouldn’t it all have worked out just fine if he had listened. On the other hand, if he had listened? Wouldn’t he have been a monster, punishing people for crimes they had not yet committed? So maybe giving him the truth had in fact been the sure way to have him not acting on it. After all, Kilgharrah had hated the Pendragons - at least Uther - enough to have tried to wipe out Camelot. And he hadn’t been exactly pleased either to discover Merlin was a Dragonlord, even if he had seemed to soften when he had realized that Merlin would not control him as a puppet. And last but not least, Kilgharrah hadn’t taken care of Aithusa as Merlin had thought he would; and that’s how Aithusa had ended up with Morgana - and had forged the cursed sword that had killed Arthur); but it didn’t change anything anyway…
Well, you bet Merlin hadn’t been willing to indulge anyone any longer. Not that anger was what was driving Merlin, of course. There was simply *no point* anymore in waiting. Nor in living, to be honest - especially as it might be what kept him from actually finding Arthur again somehow; next life, paradise, wherever and however and whenever? Merlin was no religious man, but even he had no answer about what happened after death after all. Maybe it was worth a shot? It was a very, very thin chance indeed; but it was still more of a chance than just staying here waiting for *nothing*…
So Merlin had begged Freya for Excalibur. But as she had kept absent, it had dawned on him at some point that Excalibur wasn’t the only blade he could use… Merlin had searched for that other mighty weapon through his magic for years; then had sent his creature to retrieve it when he had successfully localized it.
/
And here, now, finally, is Mordred’s sword.
And Merlin feels no dread, no fear, while holding it. If anything, he feels calm - calmer than he has ever been, probably. And that’s how Merlin knows that his decision is right indeed: even his magic agrees.
He should do it in the lake though. Magical artifacts just shouldn’t linger around in the open, huh…
Yes.
Let Mordred’s blade rest along Excalibur.
And let Merlin rest along Arthur.
Freya will make sure they all lay undisturbed.
Merlin blindly pulls at the cord around his neck, taking it out from under his tunic and sliding his left hand along it until it closes around Arthur’s mother sigil (AN) and Camelot’s ruler’s ring (Gwen had it brought to him, so that he could give it back to its true owner on his return: Camelot in the meantime was to be ruled by a Concil of Knights and a Guardian, until Arthur would come back to sit on his kept empty throne and his kept empty seat at the Round Table).
Merlin closes his eyes; makes a silent promise.
I’m coming, Arthur.
He takes a step into the lake.
.
Backstory: +1500 years in short - because it hurts and I just don’t have the heart to fully write the prologue I had intended to write:
Merlin has never left the lake. He kept waiting. He couldn't, wouldn't leave, (nor SLEEP even for that matter by the way) no matter for how short - imagine if Arthur came back just when he was NOT there, huh. And of course he wouldn't trust his magic to warn him somehow - it had failed Arthur when he needed it the most after all. So no. Merlin has never left the lake. But Gaius has mentioned to him (Merlin got visitors, in the beginning (and his mother came to live with him until she died); before he cut himself off the world) how maybe the time he was given without Arthur was to LEARN more about magic; so that he would be prepared when Arthur came back to face whatever ordeal they were supposed to face. Because even if Merlin is hyper *aware* - he feels *everything*, through his magic - practice is necessary too. So Merlin mastered the art of molding sand/clay and animating it with his magic (basically, he walks the Earth as Old Merlin - because people tends to let old grumpy men on their own - whenever he needs anything physically). He can speak, hear, see, learn, through him, following the world as it expands (America, Australia, etc etc, because even if he was aware they existed, he couldn't physically *go* there before they were 'found'). And he can touch, and carry (for example you bet he brought back something red for Arthur to wear every time - Merlin sort of owns a 'male red mode through the ages' museum by now - and he hates it, of course). The first time Merlin has truly thought Arthur *would* come back has been The Great Plague. The second time has been WWI. The last drop has been the Nazis and Unit 731 experimentations. So Merlin sent its creature to fetch Mordred's sword after having localized it though his magic - and that's what Old Merlin is bringing back to him when this all starts (aka that shot at the end of 5.13)…
(AN: Just so you know, Merlin's magically pierced in the thickness of Ygraine's sigil to pass a cord - he wouldn 't make a hole in the front design of course!)
(Also... A resurrection fic!? What am I getting myself into!? I'm still a newbie around here so I definitely haven't read enough Merlin fics to ever claim making something original (so by the way, please feel free to let me know your all time favourites resurrection fics! So far I’ve read The Change Trilogy and Like the cycle of the year we begin again (and they’re both gorgeous reads so run and read them if you haven’t yet!) but I haven't seen (yet?) my take, both on the waiting and on the getting along after Arthur's return, in the fics I've read so far, so I thought I might as well write this down ?)
#merlin#bbc merlin#bbcmerlin#merthur#merthur fic#merlin fic#the once and future fic#fanfic#fic#text#my own two spells
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Masked + Lure Shoots!!
I am combining the Masked and Lure shoot days as they overlapped.
Day 1 (28th March)
Masked
On the first day, I had Alyssa kindly pick me up to help transport all the production design!! We got to the scout hut at Bonaly Country Park at 8:30ish. I set up my area of the scout hut, having a whole area for actors to keep their stuff and a table for my props etc. I first got both actors into costume, so that Bronte could immediately start on their hair. Whilst they did that, I got william in costume and added the dark eyeshadow to his eyes.
In retrospect, we should have mic-ed up the actors at the base, as once we got to location, the girls had to be covered up as they both had to half undress to put the mix belts on etc. NOT IDEAL!! We did end up mic-ing them at base the next 3 days. Monday was actually the warmest day out of the week, so the actors were pretty comfortable. I did bring shorts and joggers and lots of blankets and hand warmers for them to wear in between takes for the rest of the week.
I almost cried seeing the Spirit in location. I had actually managed to match the colours of the trees, meaning the spirit blended in just enough. Everyone’s reaction to the costume was awesome. The many 1st and 2nd years helping us all wanted pics with the spirit. I was so proud of myself and my work.
The day went pretty well, however, in the afternoon I noticed that the spirit mask was deteriorating. Due to william wearing it for long periods, and breathing, it built-up condensation inside it meaning the inside was now wet and causing the modroc to unharden and fray apart. I had a small panic attack - luckily I had been prescribed new medication to take when having a panic attack and I managed to calm down after around an hour. To deal with it in the moment, I just reapplied paint to the areas that were falling apart - mainly the chin and mouth and nose. I also noticed part of Kari’s mask was cracking slightly. And to top off my props issues, a stick which Tuurid uses as a weapon was stepped on by bronte and it snapped. NOT IDEAL!! At the end of the day, I got Alyssa to drop off both masks and the stick back at my house so that once i got home after Lure that night I could fix them.
Lure
Due to william acting both in masked and lure, coleen came to pick him and I up, so that we could get shooting asap on Lure. She wouldnt do this the rest of the days as William was only needed on Monday, and she would pick me up on Wednesday as I was acting. We got to location pretty quick - an industrial estate in north leith area. It turned really foggy at night, which looking really cool for this scene. I got actors in costume, then helped with spotting and continuity until I left around 11pm. They didnt wrap until 2am, and planned to do some pickups on Thursday night. I did also make sure to keep the actors warm and comfy!! On my way home, I had to wait for a bus on princes street, and noticed that it was so foggy you couldnt see Edinburgh Castle!!
I then returned home to find my deteriorating props. The mask was even worse than I thought, the whole chin, mouth, and nose comletey falling apart. Kari’s mask wasn’t too bad, just a wee bit of cracking due to the mask being dropped for a scene. The stick wasnt too bad either.
THANK GODS for my trusty glue gun, I’ve named her Cal (short for Excalibur). I literally used glue gun to fix all my problems. I first glued the stick back together, then used paint to cover up the glue. I then glued over the crack in the Kari mask, and painted over that. Then the spirit mask was a bit tricker. I first peeledoff the wet areas of modroc as those would not dry for tomorrow (and would also make other areas of the mask wet). I then used the glue gun glue to reconstruct the face. I used continuity pics from that days shoot to make sure it looked as similar as possible. I then glued on the inside of the mask, and added lots of foam padding as a barrier between william’s face and the mask - meaning the condensation would be trapped against the foam, and not the modroc. I then repainted the mask and varnished it again. I got to bed at 4am.
Day 2 - 29th March
Masked
The next morning, Alyssa once more gave me a lift (bless alyssa!). This morning, I made sure both actresses were mic-ed up before we left the base. I also made sure both actors were wearing shorts and layers underneath the dresses, and wore joggers in any shots where we cant see below their waists. Today was very good. I had no breakages for masks or sticks!!
It was also Williams last day on set, which I was glad about as it meant I didnt have to worry about the Spirit costume anymore!! This was the BTS day too!! It was so I did however slightly injured myself this day, walking down the hill I thought I twisted my hip or pulled a muscle. It wasn’t too painful so I just stayed cautious and kept an eye on myself for the rest of the day.
Lure
I then made my own way to the Lure set, as coleen didnt need to pick me up on this day. We were filming in an underpass next to the Tescos on Broughton Road. I had to travel quite a bit on the bus, but manged to get there around 7.30. Due to this shoot being in an underpass we didnt’ have to wait for the sun to go down - so when I arrived, they were already in costume and had began shooting. I became the umbrella holder, a role I took very seriously. Until I felt extremely nauseous and threw up just outside the tunnel. Coleen assigned me to looking after the kit, until everyone went on break around 10pm, and I decided I should probably head home.
I had already chatted with Coleen, who then told me to ask Laurie, about whether my yellow hair would affect the lighting too much. On the test shoot they realised my hair reflected a lot of light. I did have some spare purple dye at home and said that if they wanted I could dye it before Wednesday. They said if I had the time. And so i did! After getting home (and being assaulted on the way home (long story)), I dyed my hair purple at midnight!! I was very tired so it was a bit patchy.
Day 3 - 30th March
Masked
The morning went pretty the same as Tuesdays, however, without William needed, I could fully focus on Tuurid and Kari. Unfortunately, Bronte was late this day, so we ended up having to wait for her to get to set to do each actor’s hair. Other than that it was pretty good. We had on and off hailstones every 30 minutes or so. And it was a lot chillier.
I ended up lying on the actor’s feet inbetween takes to keep them warm (see picture below). I did have another pretty bad panic attack this day due to some paint getting on the girls’ costumes. But Bronte said to make up for her being late, she would fix the costumes for tomorrow. I also continued having asthma attacks all day, we were shooting at the very top of the big hill in the afternoon so i was very sick.
Lure
Coleen picked me up the evening as I was acting. I got changed whilst we were all packing up at the scout centre. We got to set and there were already issues. The bus stop they planned to shoot at was on a very busy road. The 1st and 2nd year helping went scouting for other options. We ended up moving to this bus stop where the whole side of the road was entirely closed off - but there was no road works or anything.
Fraser took Joseph and I further away from set to rehearse. Fraser’s direction was really useful. We then began shooting around 8.30pm. We first took some tracking shots of me walking through the streets. We got around 2 shots in to the actual bus stop sequence, and some builders came up and told us to go away. We packed up quickly and planned to reschedule for another day. I ended up staying over at Laurie’s flat as Peter stays with her, meaning in the morning I could travel to set with Peter.
Day 4 - 31st March
Masked
Final day on Masked. We only had the scout hut for half the day today, meaning we only had a few shots to get. Unfortunately, it snowed overnight and meant that the whole park was covered in snow. However, it was sunny, so the actors weren’t as cold as the past days. I still layed on their feet when their toes went a bit numb. Everything went really well this day.
The final shot we had to do was the altar shot. We found a location only a 2 minute walk from the scout hut - so most of the crew went back quickly to get some warm drinks and pack up everything we didnt need. Jagoda, Tom and I all stayed outside. Jagoda showed me the spot - a small circle of large rocks just off from the car park. We moved some nearby loose rocks over to build up the circle so it had more layers, however! As i was doing this, a felt a sudden shooting pain from my tailbone all the way up my back, and my legs gave out from under me. I managed to shuffle myself over to the where rhe camera would be so I could begin setting up the altar for camera. Jagoda ran to get me some paracetamol. I finsihed setting up the altar - and Tom helped lighting some of the candles.
I was then sent to sit on one of the camping chairs by cameron. And THEN WE WRAPPED!! And it immediately began raining. I was very pleased with the outcome of the shots! I helped tidy the scout hut (toilets and all). And then got a bus with Peter back to his flat. I managed to rest for the next couple hours before heading on a bus with Laurie to the Lure set.
Lure
We were doing pickups of the Monday shoot. I stayed till 12pm, then headed home. Coleen and Fraser asked if I’d be free tomorrow (Friday) night to continue shooting my scene - as this was the last day they could even shoot for. I agreed of course!
Day 5 - 1st April (what a cruel joke from the universe)
Lure
I slept most of the morning, and then headed to set for 7pm. We ended up using the bus stop we shot at during the test shoot. We had a very small crew as most people had only planned shooting monday-thursday nights, and therefore weren’t free friday night. It was myself, Joseph (the other actor), Coleen (co-director and producer), Fraser (co-director), Laurie (Director of Photography), Molly (sound recordist), and Laurie’s boyfriend Callum (who helped as a gaffer and assistant until 11pm). I also managed to get Davide (a 1st year who was an assistant on Masked) to help us for the night!!
So, a very small crew. Joseph and I even ended up helping with lighting! We first worked our way through Joseph’s scenes, so that he could go asap as he lives in Glasgow. We were all quite delirious and so the night was really fun! Callum left around 11pm. Joseph left around 1.30am. After that, we had a small break and then continued on single shots of me. We finished around 3am, packed up and began to leave.
I was offered to go to Laurie’s at this point as Laurie, Coleen and Fraser still had to stay out and get some shots of the empty streets. I decided to stay out incase I could be of help. We dropped Molly and Davide off at Bainfeild, then headed out once more to continue filming. We finished around 5am, then parked on the side of the road to pack up kit properly - making sure everything was correctly packed up. Fraser then dropped off me and Laurie at her flat. I think I fell asleep at 6.30am.
All i know is pain.
BUT WE WRAPPED!! I went home Saturday afternoon after sleeping till around 1pm. I spent Sunday prepping for For Crimes Forgotten on Monday!
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First Impressions (Evil Wizard AU)
“I don’t think there’s anything else to do,” reported Doug Ramsay. “We’ve exhausted all our leads.”
Logan shifted uncomfortably behind his desk. “I think I’ve got one more contact who might know something useful for you. Not sure if letting you talk to him is the best idea.”
“Wolverine,” Brian Braddock, leader of Excalibur, took up the thread of the argument. “We know the Hellfire Club is also after this artifact, and they’ve got a lot more resources than we do. This isn’t a case of we can hope someone else gets it first. If we don’t find and destroy it, they’ll get it and will use it. If you know anything, anything at all we’ll take it.”
“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“First thing you should know, the guy’s a necromancer.”
“Like Jude?”
“No. Jude may be a necromancer, but he specializes in calming the restless dead, fulfilling last requests and generally protecting people from vengeful spirits. Jude’s a good guy. The guy I’m sending you to, this is the guy could give lessons to all the evil wizards and sorcerous overlords and dark archmages that you’ve ever heard of.”
The first clue that they were in the right place was that the circus they found was nearly dead silent. Most encampments of this size were a hive of activity. People would be shouting orders, animals would be sounding off in displeasure, things would topple over and crash. This place, none of that occurred. The animals made no noise and stood stock still to be handled. People didn’t speak to each other, and every move they made slid past each other as if choreographed. Nothing fell out of place or was put down too hard or off-balance. “Well this is creepy,” said Doug. “I thought Logan said this guy had a few living minions mixed with the corpses.”
“He sometimes has human minions,” corrected Brian. “But not always, and when he’s out in the woods like this, I guess he doesn’t feel the need to pretend.”
A voice called out from one of the dark wagons. “Are you the people Logan wanted me to talk to? Bitte komm rein.”
The rest of Excalibur looked to Doug. “Er, he said, come in.”
“Second, this guy looks like a demon. Think like Nocturne and Salamander, but much worse. Don’t freak out too much when you see him, or he’ll get offended.”
The man in the wagon certainly lived up to his reputation. He had blue skin, waist-length white hair, and beard, and was covered in scarification patterns. His eyes were completely gold, with no pupil or iris to be seen. His hands were malformed, with only two fingers and a thumb on each. He had pointed ears that peeked through his hair, pointed fangs that flashed when he smiled at each of them, and a pointed tail that he used to pour tea for all of them.
The sorcerer half disappeared in the gloom of the wagon. Behind him, gold eyes reflected the light and shifted about, indicating many somethings watching them in the dark. The low light made it difficult to see anything around them, and the members of Excalibur huddled together, afraid of bumping into anything.
“So Logan told me you’re searching for an artifact of doom of some sort?”
“That’s right,” Brian once again took the lead on the conversation. “Logan said you might be able to help us retrieve it or at least know it’s location.”
“That might be possible. Do you know what the name of the artifact is?”
“The name is another thing we’re missing. But we do have a description of what it is and what it does.” The blond gestured to Kitty, and she reached over to pass a copy of the description to the sorcerer.
“Third, this guy is very expensive. You might not be able to afford his help.”
“He seems pretty mercenary in that case. What happens if you can’t afford it, does he take your soul?”
“Nah, he’s upfront about it. No payment, no information, help or goods.”
“What does he do if people are asking for help with a plague or a war?”
“He’s not all bad. If someone asks for help because of a natural disaster or a plague, he’ll actually work for free. Everything else though, you pay through the nose.”
“Even a war against a tyrant or trying to find an artifact for safekeeping?”
“Yeah. He’s said he’s seen too many revolutions become worse than the old regimes when they win and too many well-intentioned heroes become monsters to have any faith in people.”
“Geez, how old is this guy to be that bitter?”
“Oh yes, I made this one. Xian ran off with it years ago, not that it did him any good.” The sorcerer turned the paper over and conjured a quill to write with. “Before we go any further, here’s how much it will cost you.” He wrote out a list on the back then handed the sheet over to Brian. The head of Excalibur checked it over and went dead white.
“The good news is, the guy’s a lech. Since you do have several pretty women as part of Excalibur-”
“I’m not whoring my people out just to get some information!”
“Hey bub, you’re the one who said he’s desperate. And it’s not like the guy will rape anyone, he just wants something pretty to look at. Tell him you’re not interested and he’ll back off. But he might be willing to reduce the price for a date.”
Brian swallowed then passed the price list to the rest of Excalibur. When Kitty received it she could see why the blond had panicked. They definitely could not afford this.
“I’m open for negotiation.”
“Well we don’t need the name, and we’re planning to get it ourselves so we don’t need your help either. As for the location . . . I don’t suppose you’d be willing to take a partial payment and receive the rest later?”
“I only accept credit if I know the party well or will be going with them on their mission. Otherwise, it’s too much work to chase them down.” The blue man turned towards the other members of Excalibur.
Rachel frowned at him. “Isn’t it a little rude to start hitting on people when you haven’t even given your name?”
One hand waved in a desultory fashion. “I’ve had so many names over the eons, it hardly matters to me what you use. Kemmler, Captain Bluetail, Darkholme, take your pick.”
“Who’s Kemmler?”
“Wasn’t Captain Bluetail a hero?”
“I’ve heard of Darkholme. He was a master assassin several decades ago.”
“You know what, you can just call me Kurt. No one’s used that name in a while.”
“Kurt,” Kitty tested it out. “You sure you don’t want something like Numair Salmalin? Or Elminster?”
The sorcerer smiled and leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands. “Kurt’s short and easy to remember And what are the names of the lovely ladies here?.”
Brian cleared his throat. “Fine, Kurt, if anyone’s actually interested . . . “
To the surprise of no one except Cerise, gold eyes turned to Meggan first. She bristled. “I’m Meggan and I’m engaged.”
“Whoever you’re engaged to is a lucky man, fraulein.”
“That would be me.” Brian quickly took Meggan’s hand and frowned at him. Kurt just smiled and turned to Rachel next. She looked him up and down, then sneered. “Rachel. And I’m afraid you’ve got the wrong parts to attract my interest.”
“But fraulein I have extra ones!” His tail waved to attract attention. He turned to the last member of their party. “And what’s your name, fraulein?”
“Cerise, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Brian reminded her.
The Shi’ar refugee just shrugged. “Why not? This sounds like the type of thing you humans do for fun. I might as well try it out once.”
“Wunderbar,” Kurt grabbed the paper and scribbled a new number beside the middle line. When Brian looked at it, he gave a sigh of relief. “Now, are you in a hurry or shall we take the evening off?”
“We’re in a hurry,” Brian insisted. While Kurt gave the details of where and how to gain the artifact, Doug leaned over to whisper in Kitty’s ear. “Jeez, so what are we, chopped liver? He didn’t even ask for our names!”
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Fic: The Darkness Within (33/?)
Summary: When washed-up paranormal investigator Rum Gold meets Belle French, he does not quite know what to make of her claim of a supernatural presence in her life, but sensing her genuine fear, he begins to investigate. What he uncovers shakes the cynicism he has so long held to its very core, and he calls in the help of disgraced ex-priest Father Macavoy to help him lay some demons to rest…
A slow burn, eventual rumbellavoy. The rating may increase in later chapters.
Rated: M
[One] [Two] [Three] [Four] [Five] [Six] [Seven] [Eight] [Nine] [Ten] [Eleven] [Twelve] [Thirteen] [Fourteen] [Fifteen] [Sixteen] [Seventeen] [Eighteen] [Nineteen] [Twenty] [Twenty-One] [Twenty-Two] [Twenty-Three] [Twenty-Four] [Twenty-Five] [Twenty-Six] [Twenty-Seven] [Twenty-Eight] [Twenty-Nine] [Thirty] [Thirty-One] [Thirty-Two] [AO3]
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Thirty-Three
Although Joseph had seen Gold over Skype quite a few times over the last few weeks during the course of their investigation, he had not laid eyes on his friend in the flesh for a number of years. Walking out into Boston airport arrivals hall, it felt like the first time he had come to America, back when he had still been wearing the dog collar and had met Gold for the first time.
This time, he wasn’t with a taxi driver holding up a neatly printed sign reading Macavoy. He was just hanging around at the back of the crowd of people greeting their relatives, standing next to the coffee shop.
He looked older than he had done when they had last met in person, but then again, Joseph knew that he did himself as well. It had been years after all, and he knew that they had not been kind to him even if they had been slightly better to Gold.
All the same, he definitely looked a lot more haggard and stressed now than he had done when they had last communicated over Skype. The meeting with the entity and all the worry about Belle that had ensued must have done more of a number on him than Joseph had anticipated.
Then again… Joseph looked down at himself. Leaving the priesthood hadn’t exactly been good for him, either. It was probably easier just to say that things had gone downhill for both of them since they had last worked together. Both of them lonely and disillusioned until Belle had come into their lives and begun turning things upside down through no real fault of her own.
Well, Belle hadn’t exactly come into Joseph’s life, only by proxy, but now that she was there, he really wouldn’t have it any other way. Despite the desperate circumstances they’d now found themselves in, the case had given Joseph a new lease of life and a purpose that he had not had for a long time, ever since his last case of this calibre, and he was determined not to fail her.
Gold smiled as he saw Joseph approaching, but the greeting between the two men was still a little awkward, having not seen each other in person for so long. Joseph gave a huff of laughter; it was almost as if they’d been internet dating and were now meeting each other in person for the first time, although they’d known each other for so long before now and had been through so many weird and wonderful experiences together.
“So, what’s your plan?” Joseph asked once they were well on their way to Storybrooke and there was no chance of Gold getting distracted by the case and landing them in a ditch or on the pavement.
“Well, I’m not entirely sure that it’s possible yet,” Gold admitted. “That’s why I need your expertise.”
“I’m listening.” It wasn’t as if they had anything else to do to make the drive to Storybrooke go any quicker.
“Speaking hypothetically, if you know how a demon, entity, dark thing from beyond time and light, etc, was summoned, can you reverse engineer a way to send it back where it came from?”
Joseph nodded.
“Summoning and banishing are closely related, but given that everything in the world follows the entropic principle, banishing is a lot harder than summoning. Things that have been summoned to our world don’t tend to enjoy being sent back from whence they came.”
Gold nodded slowly. “Yes, I think we might have a fight on our hands with the Dark One,” he said. “It was pretty determined to stay within the bloodline.”
“I suppose the next thing would be to work out whether it actually wants to be in the bloodline or not,” Joseph mused. “Depending on the method that Nimue used to summon it in the first place, it could be that it is bound to the bloodline and condemned to remain within the family, and our freeing it and sending it back into the ether would be a nice reprieve.”
Gold just gave him an incredulous look and Joseph shrugged.
“It was worth a shot.”
“I don’t think it’ll go quietly. It said that Nimue had freed it from a prison of darkness.”
“Not exactly encouraging,” Joseph agreed.
They fell back into silence for a little while, and Joseph began to mull over all the new information that he had learned about the entity.
“Continuing with your hypothetical situation of banishing the spirit in the same way that it was summoned, how do you think that it was summoned?” he asked Gold eventually.
“You know that ceremonial sword you’ve found out a lot about?”
“Yes.”
“And the dagger that Belle keeps having dreams about?”
“Yes.”
“And the fact that in the dreams, there’s blood on the dagger, and Belle knows that it’s hers?”
“Yes.” Joseph paused. “You think that Nimue made a blood sacrifice using the sword to summon the entity?”
“Precisely.”
“And us making a blood sacrifice with the same sword will help to send it back.”
“If your logic prevails.”
“Right.”
The car fell silent again for a long time before Joseph spoke again, trying to take in the magnitude of what Gold had just told him.
“I thought you said that you didn’t have any idea what I was talking about when I kept going on about a ceremonial sword that had been passed down through your family for generations. I did think that it was Excalibur at one point. I’m still not entirely convinced that it’s not.”
“I don’t have any idea,” Gold said. “I’ve never seen such a blade and I don’t remember the aunts making any mention of it, or my father for that matter. But the entity said that was how the bloodline was broken - my father broke the blade.”
Joseph nodded. “Yes, Belle thought that might be how it had happened.”
“I think the fact that the blade is broken is the only reason that the entity hasn’t returned to me,” Gold mused. “There’s something in it that prevents it from simply hopping across.”
Joseph gave his friend an alarmed look, but Gold’s attention was on the road in front of him.
“You know, you’re rather too calm about this.”
“I’m not. I’m absolutely terrified but since Belle is also terrified, probably with more reason to be since the thing’s inside her, one of us has to try and stay calm and brave in the face of everything that’s happening.”
“Have you heard from Belle?”
Gold shook his head.
“No. She’s not returning any of my calls and she’s not answering the door. I’ve seen that she’s ok, I caught a glimpse of her through the curtains in her apartment, but as far as I can tell she hasn’t left it since that night.” He gave a long sigh. “I just want to make sure she’s all right. I want to be able to reassure her that no matter what happens, everything’s going to be fine in the end, but I can’t because I don’t know that.”
Joseph didn’t know that either, so he wasn’t going to be much use when it came to giving anyone any reassurance. All things considered, he was even less convinced of their pursuit being successful thanks to all the various experiences that he’d had before. All the same, there was something in the back of his mind telling him that this time he wouldn’t and couldn’t fail, and if blind faith in himself was what was needed to get him through it, then he would pray for a miracle and draw that strength from somewhere.
“Maybe I could talk to her,” he suggested. “You said that you thought she was scared of it happening again and the entity doing something irretrievable. She’s always been scared of hurting you, I can tell you that much. But I’m different. I’m not related to the bloodline and I’m definitely not AB negative so I don’t think that the entity will pay me much mind.”
Gold seemed to consider it for a long moment before he nodded.
“Yes. I think that’s a good idea.”
X
The rest of the drive to Storybrooke was uneventful, and Joseph eventually nodded off, feeling the effects of jetlag already. It was certainly going to be an interesting few days if he was always falling asleep when the action was happening. Gold woke him with a nudge to his shoulder when they arrived at his home, and Joseph looked up at the grandiose pink place.
“It’s haunted, isn’t it?” he said plainly. “I’m sure the only reason that you would choose to live in a house like this was to prove that it wasn’t haunted.”
“Restless suicide in 1832,” Gold said cheerily. “I haven’t heard a peep out of whoever it is since I’ve been in though, so I think I can safely say that one’s just a rumour.”
Joseph rolled his eyes. “Either that, or your reputation precedes you and all the ghosts have just accepted that you’re not going to believe in their existence so they’ve given up before they’ve begun.”
Gold shrugged. “Possibly.”
Joseph did have to admit that there wasn’t anything particularly sinister about the house when he got inside; he usually always had a nose for these things. After he’d settled in and they’d eaten, he decided that it was probably best to get going on his plan to talk to Belle as soon as possible. There was no use in putting these things off, and he wanted to get to her before she went to bed for the night and the entity might possibly come to the fore once more. Gold gave him directions, hanging back in the diner to keep watch in case something drastic happened. Joseph really hoped that it wouldn’t.
He looked up at the apartment above the library. The library itself showed no signs of having been opened over the past couple of days, and a hand-written sign tacked to the door explained that due to unforeseen circumstances, the place would be remaining closed indefinitely. Joseph felt a pang of empathy. He hoped that Gold’s plan to get the entity out of Belle and back wherever it came from in the first place would work, so that she could get back to her regular life if nothing else.
He mounted the stairs and knocked gently on the door. There was no response; he hadn’t really expected one, but he could hear someone moving about furtively on the other side of the wood. It was either Belle trying not to be heard, or the entity had taken hold and was being as suspicious as ever.
“Belle,” he called. “Belle, it’s Joseph Macavoy. Can I talk to you please?” He paused. “You don’t have to open the door if you don’t want, but I’d like to hear your voice and make sure you’re ok. I haven’t heard from you for a while, and now I’ve come over to help Gold with the case.”
There was again no reply, but the footsteps in the apartment came closer.
“Belle? Are you in there?”
“Joseph?”
The voice was small and muffled by wood, but it was undeniably Belle’s, and Joseph breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hello Belle. It’s nice to talk to you in person.”
“You’re really here?”
“I’m really here. My flight came in at lunchtime.”
“Rum left me a message, he said that you were coming. I can’t believe you’re really here.”
“I’m not sure I believe I’m really here yet.” He paused. “Rum’s been worried about you, you know.”
“I know.”
She didn’t say anything else, but then Joseph heard the scrape of the door lock and a moment later it opened. It was still held with three heavy-duty security chains, but Belle’s face appeared in the gap. Her eyes were red-rimmed from tears with heavy dark circles under them, her dark hair greasy and unkempt.
Joseph smiled and extended a hand.
“A pleasure to meet you, Belle.”
Belle just looked at his hand, but didn’t take it.
“How long have you been awake?” Joseph asked.
Belle didn’t reply, looking away.
“Did Rum tell you what happened?” she mumbled.
“I got the gist of it, yes.”
She bit her lip. “I haven’t slept since.”
Before Joseph could make any reply, the door had closed in his face. He heard the chains being drawn across, and then he was face to face with Belle properly.
“Come in,” she said. “If you dare.”
Joseph stepped across the threshold. “I’m not scared of you, Belle.”
She snorted. “You should be.”
She closed the door behind him but she didn’t lock it, and Joseph looked around the space. Empty coffee cups littered every surface.
Belle sank down onto the sofa, her head in her hands.
“I said I couldn’t bear it if I ever hurt him,” she muttered.
“You didn’t hurt him,” Joseph assured her. Belle shook her head.
“It was too close a call,” she said. “I knew that this was a bad idea. I knew I shouldn’t let myself get close to him, to anyone. It only ever ends badly.”
“We’ve got a plan, Belle. We’re going to get rid of this thing. I promise.”
It was a bad promise to make. He had no idea if he’d be successful or what might happen to Belle herself throughout the process, but looking at her now, so rundown and dejected, so very miserable, he knew that he had to give her some hope.
Belle shook her head again.
“I’m just about ready to quit,” she said. “I can’t live with this anymore. I can’t live with myself anymore knowing that at a moment’s notice I might do something terrible! Think about it, how can Rum and I ever go to bed together again knowing that the last time it happened, well, you know what happened the last time.”
Joseph sat down on the sofa beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders gingerly. Instead of shaking him off, like her brittle stance seemed to suggest she would, she melted into his embrace, like a dam breaking and a flood of tears suddenly pouring forth.
“Please don’t give up, Belle,” Joseph soothed. “Please. We will get you through this and you’ll come out of the other side. You’ve fought against this thing for so long. Even the Dark One itself is impressed by how viciously you’ve fought it. You can’t let it win now. Not when we’re so close to finding a solution.”
“I’m just so tired!” Belle cried, burying her face in his chest. Joseph remembered their Skype conversations when she had confided in all her fears to him, fears that were rapidly coming true, and all those times that he had wished that he could reach across the miles and comfort her.
“Sleep,” he soothed her. “I’ll keep watch over you.”
“But the Thing…”
“It doesn’t want me,” Joseph said. “I’m safe. And if it does go after what it does want, then I’ll be here to stop it. Besides, I’ve got jetlag. I’m hardly likely to sleep tonight even if I wanted to.”
Belle gave a weak huff of laughter, but eventually, her breathing quietened and she fell into a light slumber.
Joseph made her comfortable on the sofa, very aware that he probably shouldn’t be sitting there with his friend’s lover sleeping in his arms, and texted Gold to let him know that Belle was all right, before settling down to wait and watch until she woke up.
#rumbelle fic#rumbelle#Belle French#Mr Gold#Joseph Macavoy#the beginnings of macelle#Fic: The Darkness Within
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16. “Mastermind (Part 2)”
Session 16, Mar 26, 2017
Word count: 8,437 words
In-game date: Sunday, June 13, 2021
In which the group finally confronts Saber and his Master.
I. Reborn Sword of Victory
The sun has nearly set by the time Valentin and crew reach the top of the office building. They faced no difficulties getting in, thanks to Caster’s invisibility spells. Siobhan had opted to stay close to Val and Caster while Archer positioned himself on a rooftop nearby; although the two parts of the group have no internal method of communication, the inside team trusts that Archer would find some way to alert them if something went wrong.
On the way there, they had discussed ways to clear civilians out of the building. Although Jim had initially suggested that Siobhan could pull the fire alarm, the group quickly realized that doing that would alert emergency services, exchanging one group of civilians for another. By way of a related solution, Caster reminded them all that he possesses the power of both visual and auditory illusions: it would be simple for him to cast the illusion of a fire alarm to clear out the building.
And so, as they reach the top floor and Caster casts his illusion spell, Val watches out the window as several dozen people file onto the street. A burning pain in his head reminds him that time is running out to fill the terms of the geis, so he motions to the rest of them and quickly ascends the stairs.
Caster glides ahead and reappears, clad in his Master’s form and ready to play the role. He does not sense Saber yet, nor does Val sense Vasilyevich, but nonetheless Caster bursts through the door and marches out into the open.
Siobhan and Val slip through the door before it swings shut. As Caster marches to the center of the roof, they split up: Val follows his Servant, while Siobhan tucks up beside the staircase to stay out of the way.
When Caster reaches the center of the roof, he calls out his challenge: “Grigori Vasilyevich, show yourself! Or are you too much of a coward?”
There is a beat of silence, then Caster senses the flare of a Servant presence behind him.
“My Master, unfortunately, did not see fit to grace us with his presence. So here I am instead.”
Caster turns to search for his opponent. Saber stands atop the covering of the staircase, clad not in his armor but in jeans and a button-up shirt. His magical belt – the Belt of Bercilak, Archer had told them, a result of his confrontation with the Green Knight – is already visible around his waist, glowing with green protective energy.
“Ah, Gawain!” ‘Val’-Caster exclaims. “How nice to see you!”
Saber raises an eyebrow, looking more troubled than amused. “So you figured it out. I would congratulate you, if I thought that having that information would actually help you.”
“Having information is always better than not, darling.”
(Val has to bite his fist to keep from laughing at his Servant’s imitation of him.)
Saber ignores the quip and goes on, “I must admit to being surprised. Why did you decide to show up?”
Caster tilts his head and arcs one perfect eyebrow. “Does a little thing called a geis ring a bell?”
“My Master thought that you were capable of breaking it. I’m surprised that you did not just do that.”
Caster only shrugs in response.
Saber sighs. “I am at once relieved that you showed up and disappointed that it came to this confrontation. My Master would have set off all those death seals if you had not shown, you know. But he promised that if I met you here, for my sake, he would not. I don’t know if I believe him, but I’m willing to try it.” He looks around then, examining the rest of the roof and the other buildings, all apparently empty. “Enough of this. Where is your Servant? I can sense her around here… somewhere.”
“She’ll be here when I need her,” Caster assures him.
Saber apparently decides that now is the time to draw out the Servant. He say nothing, but cracks his knuckles; with each loud pop, a wave of magical energy sweeps over his body, building his armor up from nothing.
Caster raises an eyebrow. “Do we really need to jump right to fighting? I only wanted to talk to your Master.”
From thin air at his belt, Saber draws his sword.
From thin air, Caster draws a tree branch.
Saber stares and blinks. Caster meets his stare with a completely straight face. Finally, Saber says, “I did not realize that swords were so… ecologically friendly… in this era.”
Caster hefts the branch like a baseball bat and quips back, “You’re lucky it’s not a guitar. This doesn’t cut nearly as well.”
Saber shakes his head and lowers his weapon. He opens his mouth to say something, then pauses. As the sun sets over the city skyline, a new source of light appears; the gem set into the hilt of Saber’s sword flares to light, brilliant as the afternoon sun. Saber’s expression is the portrait of disappointment; his voice is apologetic as he murmurs, “I have been commanded to use my Noble Phantasm. I am truly sorry.”
Saber springs from his perch, landing in a crouch before drawing himself up and pulling the sword back. “Behold, the Reborn Sword of Victory…”
The title sets alarm bells off in Caster’s mind as the light from the gem creeps up the blade. “An Excalibur!” He exclaims to Val. “Get behind me!”
“Excalibur Galatine!”
And Gawain swings his sword in a forward arc, its brilliant light blazing toward its foes.
II. Arrival at the Farmhouse
The area around the farmhouse is quiet as the sun sinks below the treetops. Lancer, Assassin, and Jim approach with care, the Servants in spirit form and Jim invisible thanks to Caster. As they draw near, two things become apparent: a solid magic shield surrounding the property, and a conspicuous figure tucked up in a small cluster of trees just to the north.
“We’ll need to break that before we get in,” Lancer murmurs to her companions, “and it seems that the battle has already gotten underway.”
They both nod. Jim turns to Assassin. “Want to go greet our new friend?”
Assassin reclaims her corporeal form and sidles up to Rider. The contrast between them borders on humorous: Assassin is dressed in simple street clothing, while Rider has already donned his bronze armor and is mounted on his tall warhorse. The horse snorts and stamps the ground as Assassin approaches, but Rider just pats its neck and murmurs soothingly.
“You must be Rider,” Assassin greets him. “Glad to see that priest held up his end of the bargain.”
Rider studies her for a moment, then smiles. “You must be the Lady Assassin. It is my pleasure to meet you on the same side of this War.”
Assassin returns the smile pleasantly. “It is my pleasure to meet you as well. And who is this?” She gently pats the horse’s nose, earning a pleased whinny.
Rider’s smile turns even brighter. “This is Bayard. He is a very nice horse.” Bayard snorts in response. “Is it just us?”
“My Master is here as well, as is another of our allies. I believe you have already become acquainted with my Master.”
“Ah!” Rider exclaims. “He was one of the two who visited Orsino and me earlier. Tell me, was he the loud one, or the nice one?”
Assassin cracks up laughing and motions to her companions, assured now that Rider is a safe ally. Lancer becomes corporeal and strolls up, taking careful stock of this new figure. She and Assassin share a look; Assassin has the feeling that Rider is connected to a deity, but she has no solid evidence and hopes that Lancer will discuss it with her later.
Jim dispels his invisibility as he leans against Bayard’s flank, in Julius Caesar’s full glory. “Hey,” he greets Rider.
“Um,” comes Rider’s response.
“This is my Master.” Assassin tells him, explaining nothing.
Rider grunts. “Alright then.” He turns and motions to the boundary field and shield. “I had a little time to scout the place out before you got here. The whole place is pretty run down, as you can see. There’s a conservatory in the back; the windows there aren’t boarded over. Easy entry point, if we can get past the shield. In my experience, these things tend to have anchors. We might be able to break them.”
“Alright,” Jim replies, “shall we split up, then?”
Jim and Rider, being the least magically inclined, have to actually circle the property to search; Lancer and Assassin simply cast their own magical senses around. Between the four of them, they quickly locate the objects that serve as the anchor points. A lightning-scarred stump, a power generator, a lawn gnome half-buried in the earth, and a mailbox near the end of the driveway are all marked with the same intricate carvings.
Jim offers to break the generator, but Assassin expresses concern about his safety; instead, he decides to pull up the stump with the help of Caesar’s strength. Rider guides Bayard to the generator and coaxes him to kick at it. Lancer offers – with staggering eagerness – to destroy the twisted little lawn gnome. That leaves Assassin to take on the mailbox.
The first three items go down easily: Jim rips the stump out of the ground, Bayard smashes the power generator, and Lancer strikes the gnome with her spear. They all stare expectantly at the shield, which flickers but remains standing. Jim and Lancer turn to Assassin to ask what went wrong with her part… and promptly burst out laughing at the sight of the slight Servant with her hand wrapped around the mailbox stand, pulling futilely at it as she tries to emulate Jim and uproot it.
Jim calls out for her to move and – making use of Caesar’s strength again – hurls the stump across the driveway. Assassin tumbles out of the way as the improvised missile makes its impact, knocking both the mailbox and the shield down. The group lets out cheers of victory; they have given up all pretense of stealth.
With the shield down, they can wade into the boundary field. Jim has made up his mind about his approach: he marches straight toward the front door. A few steps in, he pauses, his street-kid danger sense tingling. Then he lunges forward, just in time to avoid the small explosion where his feet were a mere second ago.
“Jim?!” Lancer calls from behind the house. “What happened?”
The smoke quickly clears to reveal the remnants of a small rune. It is similar in shape to the death seals, but less elaborate. Jim quickly calls out that he is okay as he examines the ground at his feet; there are thankfully no runes there, but now that he knows what he is looking for, he can see the faint outline of a dozen other seals in the few meters around him.
“Great,” Jim mutters, “the guy land-mined his driveway.” He calls out to Lancer and Assassin, explaining what he sees.
“Oh, I see them now,” Lancer replies. “I think my rune magic can—” there is a loud pop, then, “—yup, that’s what I thought. I can clear a path here.”
Across the driveway, Assassin draws a dagger from the infinite supply in her robes. She coats it in a brief sparkle of magic, then pitches it toward another of the runes. With another loud pop, the rune explodes in a shower of sparks. So it continues for the next few minutes, Lancer and Assassin both using their magic to clear paths through the runes in the front and the back of the house while Rider and Jim stay put. When the paths are clear, the group continues their approach.
And as the distant light from Excalibur Galatine burns in the back of Jim’s mind, he hopes for the safety of the team on the roof.
III. Saber Outnumbered
An ordinary swing of a sword at this distance would have fallen far short of its target, but Excalibur Galatine’s true ability is similar to Mordred’s Clarent: a powerful wave of solid golden light cutting through all the enemies in its way.
After seeing such an attack from Berserker, Caster and Val are both prepared for it. As the wave of light approaches, they bring their hands up, projecting a shield of magic together as fast as they can. Despite their tension up to this point, they are both accomplished magi: the shield holds against the incredible onslaught.
When the light and the dust clears, Caster and Val are left standing, one hand each extended, shaking from the exertion of maintaining the shield. They are both harried but mostly unharmed; Caster bore the brunt of the attack but still only sustained minor scrapes and bruises. Val is still invisible, luckily.
Saber lowers his sword, blinking in clear confusion. Then his eyes narrow murderously. “I knew you weren’t truly Diana!” he growls at Caster.
Still in the guise of his Master, Caster feigns surprise. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Saber is not buying it. “I don’t care what you’re trying to trick me with,” he declares as he lunges, “this time, we will end this fight!”
Caster holds his ground, watching Saber’s approach, studying the knight’s footing… then steps aside at just the right moment and swings the branch with all his might. Memories of his time in Camelot have been flooding back since his return to this realm; Merlin remembers the way to wield a sword and the time he spent training in disguise as a knight. All of that comes in handy now as he lands a heavy blow on Saber’s side. But he has not dueled Gawain since the latter’s acquisition of the Belt of Bercilak – to Merlin’s mild annoyance, the energy of the belt flares up to help Saber defend against the attack.
Caster prepares to put up a defense against Gawain’s retaliation, but it is at that moment that Archer decides to step in. Drawing an arrow from the quiver that Assassin gave him, he prays briefly that the witch did not deceive him, and fires at Saber’s feet.
True to Assassin’s word, a thick gout of smoke bursts from the arrow’s tip. It clings to Saber’s face, clouding his vision and sending him into a coughing fit. He whips around, desperately trying to search for the source of the arrow, but Archer has disappeared again. Saber swings his blade in a broad arc at Caster, wide enough that the other Servant has time to bring up the branch to block. Being made of magic, the branch holds, but strength of the blow still shakes Caster.
Movement by the staircase catches Caster’s eye. From her place in the shadows, Siobhan is waving and pointing. Caster chances a glance over his shoulder as he puts some distance between himself and Saber. The target of Siobhan’s indication is a pile of bricks, evidently left over from some construction. Caster grins, a perfectly “Val” thing to do coming to mind.
As Saber advances, still trying to clear away the clinging smoke, Caster scoops a brick up from the pile. Sending a wink toward Siobhan, he tosses the brick into the air and calls out: “Batter up!” before swinging the branch with all his might.
The unexpected missile catches Saber off-guard: he raises the blade to block it, but Caster puts a burst of magic behind it just in the nick of time, sending to wing the side of his unarmored head instead.
Saber reels from the blow, and his sudden backwards stagger takes him just out of the line of Archer’s next shot. The White Knight sees the brief glow of the arrow and turns toward the swearing voice, recognition showing on his face even through the remaining blindness. “You, too?” he growls. “Fuck all of you!”
“Make love, not war!” Caster blurts, trying to draw Saber’s attention back to him.
From behind Saber, Val focuses his mana into a solid form: a rapier, suited to his flashy style. He knows he cannot hold it for long, but he does not need to. Using the invisibility to his advantage, he darts forward to flick Saber several times, not to wound but to distract. The ploy works, Saber spins around, desperately searching for the culprit.
Unfortunately, his eyes light on Siobhan: the bard has dropped her vanish and begun a quiet song in the corner, apparently banking on Saber paying less attention to her than to “Val” and Archer…
IV. Breaking and Entering
The group at the farmhouse decides on a two-fronted approach: Jim and Assassin will enter through the front door, while Rider and Lancer will enter through the back. When asked how – since there is no back door – Rider simply points at the windows of the conservatory and replies, “Bayard.” No one is going to argue with his matter-of-fact smile.
Jim and Assassin carefully approach the front door. After Assassin checks it over to ensure that it is not trapped, Jim decides that he must not let the Julius Caesar disguise go to waste. He pounds on the door and calls, “Hello? Yeah, I’ve got a sausage, pepperoni, and knuckle sandwich, for Grigori Vasilyevich, from Little Caesar!”
On the other side of the house, Bayard does in fact provide an entry point for the other two: he sails through the window with a mighty crash, Rider and Lancer astride his back. Rider calls out into the darkness of the house: “Grigori Vasilyevich, you have committed crimes against my city! What have you to say for yourself?”
The answer, apparently, is nothing: the house is silent in response to both inquiries. Jim tests the knob of the front door; it turns easily. He and Assassin exchange a wary glance and shrug before carefully proceeding inside.
The house looks like it has not been inhabited in many years; the walls are covered with holes and peeling paper, and what little furniture remains intact is covered by sheets and layers of dust and grime.
From the entryway, they can see Rider and Lancer in the doorway to the conservatory. The pair has dismounted and left Bayard behind, as the warhorse is far too tall to pass through the doorway. After a brief apparent exchange with Rider, the horse nudge his master’s shoulder in a friendly, perhaps encouraging gesture, before carefully turning around and climbing back out through the window to wait for them outside.
Jim holds up his hand and closes his eyes, trying to focus on finding signs of another Master’s presence, but the boundary field is stifling in its power, and there is too much other magic in the way. He shakes her head, shrugs, and moves to step forward, but Assassin grabs his shoulder. Confused, he looks down at her, then follows the line of her pointing finger to where another rune trap is visible on the floor.
Jim sighs heavily and points the seal out to Lancer, who promptly points out several more. Working carefully, she and Assassin overload the seals between the entryway and the conservatory to create a path. Unwilling to sit by and wait, Jim grabs a broken plank of wood – part of a former bookshelf – and tosses it out into a group of the seals. They detonate with a loud pop-pop-pop, startling the rest of the group. Jim shrugs and tosses another plank.
As they clear the house, they search for any sign of Vasilyevich. The place clearly has not seen habitation for a long time, but they finally find a promising lead: as they clear the last of the seals out of a bedroom, Jim pulls back a tattered rug to reveal a trapdoor. He checks it for any traps rigged up, and upon determining that it is safe, he yanks it open.
The padlock that had held it shut falls in pieces down the hole on the other side. After a few seconds, they hear the clink of it hitting the ground. Although the tunnel is lightless, Jim can see the top rungs of a ladder that descends into the earth.
Assassin asks quietly, “So this is where we drop a bomb down there and have down with it, right?”
Jim waves for quiet and closes his eyes to concentrate again. With the destruction of the exploding seals, there is less magical influence flooding the area, and he can faintly sense the presence of another Master.
“I don’t know if he’s down there or waiting somewhere else nearby,” Jim murmurs back, “but I want to go down and see what’s there. If this is one of his main bases, he might keep a copy of his notes or something.”
Assassin grumbles her displeasure, but disappears from sight and starts down the ladder all the same.
V. A Long Way Down
“Who are you?” Saber demands of Siobhan, clearly annoyed.
Siobhan lifts her chin. “That’s between me and myself, now ain’t it?”
Everyone on the rooftop holds their breath as Saber lowers his sword. “Tell me, young lady,” the knight says slowly, “can you fly?”
And he charges.
It happens so quickly, but Val manages to be faster: driven by panic, he drops his invisibility and shouts, “Hey, Saber! Eyes on me!”
The flashy move does the trick: Saber redirects his charge from Siobhan toward ‘Diana’. Val, still standing in the remains of the protective shield he had erected before, pulls it up again as he dances lightly backwards. The extra space, combined with the sharp turn away from his target, causes Saber to bleed off much of his original speed and force. ‘Diana’ stumbles back, winded but unharmed, as Saber stumbles forward, trying to keep his balance.
Caster seizes onto the opportunity. Drawing the lingering power of Siobhan’s bard song, he dashes past his Master toward Saber. To Val’s utter delight, Caster provides another ridiculous battle cry: “This… is not… Sparta!”
Saber has just enough time to look up before ‘Val’ delivers a surprisingly mighty kick directly to his midsection. Off-balance and confused, Saber cannot steel himself in time, and he goes flying off the edge of the rooftop. Another bright streak shoots from an adjacent rooftop: Archer has taken another shot. The trio peers over the side to see Saber clinging to a protruding ledge with one hand, a swiftly fading arrow sticking out of his sword arm.
“I almost feel bad for him,” Val notes. “Almost.”
The knight snarls and begins the climb back to the roof while the trio scrambles backward to regroup. Siobhan grabs Caster by the arm and sings a few measures; the scrapes he sustained from the Noble Phantasm quickly fade away. Caster barely has time to thank her before Saber’s head reappears.
“It’s like whack-a-mole…” he mutters, taking another swing at Saber.
Saber dodges and swings himself up onto the roof. “Why are you like this?!” He demands.
Caster motions to himself with an innocent expression.
Saber waves his hand angrily. “I thought this was going to be a simple fight. Why are there so many of you?!”
“Hey, you started this one!” ‘Diana’ objects. “Actually, you started the last one, too!”
Saber takes a step forward but has to duck again to avoid another arrow from Archer. When he turns to yell at the other Servant, Siobhan takes the opportunity to heft a brick and hurl it at him.
“Hey! Fucker! Over here!”
Saber whips around to face the bard… and finds his limbs locked into place as she makes full-on eye-contact with him.
Siobhan grins. “I didn’t think that would work on a Servant!”
Caster grits his teeth. “Why won’t you stay down?!” With a shout, he shoves at the other Servant. But Siobhan’s stun, although initially effective, does not hold for long: Saber’s Magic Resistance has already overcome it enough for the knight to brace himself against Caster’s attempt to knock him down again.
Another blazing bolt shoots past Caster’s ear to strike Saber in the shoulder, upsetting the balance that he is already struggling to maintain. Val and Siobhan dash toward Saber to finish the maneuver off: their combined momentum plus the aid from Archer’s well-placed shot knocks the knight clear off the rooftop for a second time.
Once again, the team peers over the edge to see Saber clinging to the same ledge a few floors down, his sword arm dangling again and his grip on Galatine beginning to slip.
Val leans over the edge, heedless of Diana’s braid falling over his shoulder, and calls, “What’ll happen after Vasilyevich uses his last Command Seal on you? Will you be free from him?”
Saber’s expression is confused and questioning.
“Wanna join up?” Val offers.
“Have—” Saber winces. “Have you just been collecting everyone?”
“For the most part, yeah,” Val responds. “That’s actually what we wanted to talk about before you had to use your Noble Phantasm. Your Master’s whole deal is death, right? We figured you didn’t like that very much.”
Siobhan leans over the edge beside Val. “All we’ve done is killed Berserker – Mordred, in fact. We don’t want to kill anybody else.”
“So what do you say?”
VI. Careful Descent
A strong boundary field presses against Assassin as she descends the ladder, resisting her progress every step of the way. It seems specifically designed to keep Servants out; it would be a good defense against one less determined. Despite the strain on her being, she persists in the descent. The ladder takes her down two or three stories worth of distance before she finally feels her feet meet solid ground.
There is no light in the new area, so Assassin creates her own: a softly glowing ball hovering in her hand. It illuminates a small chamber, barely large enough for their group of four. On one side is the ladder that she descended, and opposite the ladder is a door, heavy and solid wood. The door shimmers with another barrier.
Jim watches the scene through Assassin’s eyes, then steps away from the ladder and walks around the house, still concentrating on the sense of Master presence. A few moments later, he returns to the ladder to report his suspicions: Vasilyevich – or whoever the Master is – is almost certainly in the basement.
Assassin suggests that someone else should come down the ladder to see if they can make it or if their quarry decides to emerge. Meanwhile, she tosses her light to the bottom of the ladder and tucks herself up beside the new door to attack anyone who emerges.
Jim is able to descend the ladder with no issues, confirming Assassin’s suspicion that the barrier is designed to repel Servants. He takes up position on the other side of the door while they wait for the others to join them.
A few moments later, they hear a loud crack. They exchange a concerned glance and lean to peer up the ladder in vain. Shortly after that, Rider touches down into the chamber and offers a hand to Lancer… who simply slides down the ladder with enviable grace.
“What was that noise?” Jim demands in a whisper, glaring at Lancer.
The Servant dusts herself off and shrugs. “I broke the barrier. It was getting in the way. Why, didn’t you think of that?”
Assassin heaves a sigh and shakes her head. She looks at her Master and motions to the protected door. Jim cracks his knuckles, takes a step back, then slams his foot into the door. Both door and barrier crash open, and he yells into the darkness, “Your sandwich is getting cold!”
Again, there is no answer. The only light in the hallway comes from the room at the end, a gently flickering light like a candle’s flame. Before Jim can start down the hall, Assassin and Lancer rest one arm each on either of his shoulders. The two sorceresses snap their fingers rapidly, tossing sparks that overload the rune traps in the hall.
When the hallway is clear, Jim begins to move forward again, only to be detained once more. This time, the heavy hand on his shoulder belongs to Rider. Both Assassin and Lancer look mildly annoyed at the knight, but his only apology is a murmured, “You must sense them too.”
The other three nod slowly. “Yes,” Lancer murmurs back. “Death Seals. More than one.”
With motions slow and careful, the group moves down the hallway. They can still feel the basic boundary field that has overlaid the entire house, but there is no additional resistance now. As they approach the open doorway to the next room, Jim holds up his hand. He points to the Command Seal and holds up one finger: there is a Master just ahead. He catches Assassin’s eye, and she nods firmly. She has his back.
“So, Grigori Vasilyevich,” Jim calls. “Can you hear us now?”
There is a beat of silence, then the sound of a clearing throat. “I could hear you from the moment you walked in.” The voice is deep, heavily accented.
“Do you want to talk, now that we’ve gotten through most of your shit?”
The voice chuckles. “You are… very persistent. I am surprised. Talk, you say?”
Assassin pipes up. “Yes, talk. I want to know about your Death Seals. How they work, how you made them.”
The chuckles become a full-blown laugh. “You think I am monologuing villain? Maybe you are not wrong.”
“Hey, unlike with most monologuing villains, at least we asked you.” Jim points out.
Under her breath, Lancer mutters, “What are the odds he sets off the seals as soon as we go in there?”
Assassin shakes her head and murmurs back, “If he does, he would be killing himself as well. That would not be very smart.”
“Just because he’s been smart so far doesn’t mean he’ll keep it up,” Lancer hisses. “Especially not when confronted with three Servants.”
“Come in, then,” Vasilyevich calls to Jim. “That hallway is too cramped.”
Jim squares his shoulders and steps in, his companions close on his heels.
The room looks like an ordinary study, aside from the Death Seals burned into the floor. The walls are lined with bookshelves, and a desk that has been tucked into the far corner. Jim is mildly surprised to see a laptop on the desk. The light that they saw comes from a flickering lantern on the desk beside Vasilyevich; its flame throws his face into sharp light and shadow.
Vasilyevich himself looks like Russian mafia, Jim thinks. He must be in his earlier fifties, with a dark mustache and beard, and a necklace chain peeking out of the open neck of his shirt. He sits back in his chair and assesses the group as they enter. At the sight of the three Servants, his eyes flick down to the floor; Jim follows the motion to see the line of a boundary field just containing his chair.
“Keeping him safe from the seals?” Jim asks Assassin. “Or from us?”
“You wanted to talk,” Vasilyevich prompts. His voice is quiet but commanding. “So talk.”
Jim checks the wall before leaning against it. “We know about the Cauldron. We know you had it delivered to the Vatican, and that you’ve been using the Death Seals to feed more energy into it. We want to know how, and why.”
“How?” the Mastermind echoes. “How is easy.” He holds up his hand, displaying the back where two scars and a blood red mark form the components of his Command Seal. Although two of the strokes are mere scars now, Assassin and Jim can see that the design is the same as the composition of the Death Seals.
Vasilyevich explains, “Everything in ritual is conceptual connection. Grail War is just big ritual. You make something, you give it connection to Grail, Grail picks it up.”
“Ok,” Jim says. He could not replicate it, but he gets the idea. “But why? Why can’t you just let the Servants die and feed the cauldron like normal?”
Vasilyevich raises an eyebrow and glances at the Servants before focusing back on Jim. “They tell you Grail gives you wish?” He waits for Jim’s slow nod before continuing, “That is a lie. Spoiler.”
“What do you mean?” Jim demands. “We know that that’s the end goal from previous Wars.”
“Maybe in other Wars,” Vasilyevich retorts. “This one, my aunt Anastasia designed. Used Fuyuki Wars as base, changed it from there.” Jim nods for him to go on. “Anastasia gets plans, thinks, oh, I can get together Grail, get lots of power, destroy Mage’s Association. First American War, planning was… not so good. She did not think about other Masters, things turned out not so good. It was sloppy, very stupid. Second War, she try a little bit better. Still don’t work out, but a little better. She wanted to incarnate Servant that time, figured she could make it work. Would be pretty terrifying, especially if she summoned Berserker like her notes say. Pretty good idea. Didn’t work.”
“How do you know all this?”
The Mastermind jerks his thumb toward the laptop. “Aunt Anastasia’s notes have everything.”
Jim steels himself and asks the question they have all been waiting to know: “So what does your aunt’s Grail actually do, if not grant wishes?”
Vasilyevich gives Jim an appraising look. “For living, you know what I do?”
“You research energy storage.”
“Da,” the Mastermind replies. “You want to know why I do this, this Grail War? For the sake of my research. Research demands freedom.” He pauses, then adds, “You ever heard of Chernobyl?”
Jim’s eyes widen, giving Vasilyevich all the answer he needs.
“Is like that. Church restricts freedom of research, so we get rid of church. Send cauldron to Vatican, cauldron takes in death seals, cauldron melts down. All of Rome, gone. Just like Chernobyl.”
The group is stunned into silence by this declaration. Assassin recovers first. “What happens if just the Servants die?”
Vasilyevich looks at her straight-on for the first time. “Just Servants die, Grail overloads, destroys Vatican. That is minimum destructive result.”
“That does not sound so bad,” Assassin blurts out.
Jim shoots a glare at her, but her calculating eyes have shifted from Vasilyevich to the books surrounding him.
“You think is not so bad?” Vasilyevich asks her. “I think so too. Get rid of Vatican, get rid of restrictions on magical research. No Vatican, no center of power; no center of power, no church; no church, no restrictions; no restrictions, more freedom.”
“But how?” Assassin presses. “The Grail is the Cauldron of Rebirth. How is it possible to turn it into… into a bomb?”
Vasilyevich shrugs. “You know how Cauldron works? It takes life in, puts life out. Easy enough to turn it around: you put death in, more death comes out. Relatively painless, probably.”
Rider breaks in, “You cannot seriously think we’ll let you get away with that!”
Jim glances at Rider. The knight’s jaw is set and his hand is resting on the hilt of his sword. At the same time, his eyes have a vaguely faraway look. Jim knows both the posture and the expression; Rider is barely restraining his fury, but his Master must be talking to him, perhaps talking him down.
Vasilyevich turns his appraising gaze to Rider as though seeing him for the first time. He is quiet for a moment, then he asks, “You are man of God?”
Rider nods tightly.
“Pfeh,” Vasilyevich sneers and turns back to Assassin, “At least you appreciate my work. He and I would not get along so well.”
Lancer chimes in, “And how about Saber? He too seems to be a ‘man of God’, as you say. I can’t imagine that his conscience rests well knowing of all the death and destruction that his Master has caused.”
Vasilyevich’s face slowly creases into a cruel smile. “Da. And I have news for you: I am about to make it worse.”
Again, he raises the hand with the Command Seal and intones:
“Saber, by my Command, activate Death Seal on roof.”
VII. Death Seal
“So what do you say?”
Saber stares at Val for a long moment, appearing to seriously consider the offer. He opens his mouth to respond, but no words come, as his stare appears to move far past Val and off into the distance somewhere. His expression shifts from stoicism to extreme sadness. He shakes his head slowly.
“I am so, so sorry.”
Everything seems to slow as he hefts Galatine again, swinging it up over his head. Alarm bells sound in Caster’s mind, fear of the holy sword’s imminent release, but no swath of light comes. Instead, Saber flings the sword overhand: the group watches in slowly dawning horror as it spins end over end, over their heads, to bury itself point-first into the concrete by the stairwell.
Too late, they see the flare of the Death Seal.
It explodes. A wave of fire and magic sweeps across the roof, roaring toward them.
Caster feels the pull of the seal almost instantly. He holds tight to his own magic and being, resisting it barely long enough to launch himself off the building. As he does, he yells, “Jump!”
Val also feels the pull of the seal, although not as strongly as Caster had. He vaults off the side of the roof, hoping desperately that his Servant has a plan for surviving this.
To his relief, Caster does have a plan: as the Servant falls, he shifts form to that of a winged horse. He beats his wings and swoops around to catch his Master as he falls. Then, to their collective horror, they realize that Siobhan has not jumped yet.
(Through Archer’s eyes, Jim sees Siobhan rooted to the spot, staring in terror at the advancing wall of flame. Archer spends less than a second considering the odds before he leaps. His superior agility takes him across the gap between the buildings and his light feet carry him along the ledge. Relying on his magic resistance to help him survive the seal’s power, he dashes toward the bard. He reaches her just before the wall of flame does. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he kicks off the building and flies, the heat of the fire licking at their heels. Jim only breathes again when Siobhan is safely deposited on a nearby rooftop.)
“Saber!” Val screams as the explosion sets off a second seal on the level below the roof. “Let go! Come on!”
Val stretches out his hand to the Servant where he still dangles from the ledge. But to his horror, Saber turns away. He watches as another seal explodes a few floors above him. Then he shakes his head and murmurs, “No. I cannot. I’m sorry.”
Val can only stare as Saber kicks in the window at his feet and crashes through, into the floor where another Death Seal waits.
“No! Saber!”
(This too, Jim watches through Archer’s eyes. He can feel Archer’s urgency and desire to go after his former friend, but there is also apprehension: that close to a seal, Archer is not sure he could resist its pull. Jim clenches his teeth and his fist, thinks of the Command Seal. With a burst of approval for Archer, Jim focuses on the mark and thinks with purpose, “Go! Save him if you can!” He feels a flare of pain as one stroke of the mark burns up, and Archer charges toward the building.)
Val and Caster see only a blur of black armor and red hair as Archer swing past them into the building after Saber. Caster pulls away as another Death Seal cascades off the one before it, swooping around to pick up Siobhan from the rooftop.
(Archer tumbles through the window and dashes straight for Saber, the power of the Command Seal shielding and carrying him. He can see through the dust and the haze of magic that Saber is already beginning to fade: one of his arms has withered and his movements are sluggish as his feet begin to drag. Jim watches as Archer charges past falling debris and grabs Saber around the waist as he had done to Siobhan. Words exchanged, almost too quiet to hear: “You fool. You always were too attached to the idea of your King.” A crash, and they are out the other side of the building, flying away as the Death Seal on that level explodes behind them.)
Caster swoops around the side of the building just in time to see Archer crashing through a window of the building across the street. He hovers beside the window so Val and Siobhan can dismount. Val starts to make a lewd crack, but Caster shuts him up with a furious whinny: now is hardly the time.
Val hurries to Saber’s side as Archer lays him down on the floor. The White Knight is clearly in bad shape: one of his arms has withered beyond use, and he appears pallid and weak. His breathing is labored and he can barely keep his eyes open.
Caster shifts back to a human form and opens a mana drip to him, forcing his way past Saber’s weakened magic resistance. Immediately he feels a jolt like the Death Seal is still pulling at Saber. Caster tries his best to shore up the magic resistance, fighting the Death Seal for both himself as Saber.
“What…?” Saber manages.
“We can’t let you die yet.” Caster’s growl brings his focus back.
“I wish,” Saber moans, “for once, that someone just would.” He pauses, then quietly asks, “You fought Mordred?”
“Yes,” Val replies. “We defeated him. He’s dead.”
Saber sighs. “I thought for certain that if he were here, he would kill me again.”
“Nobody’s killing you,” Siobhan snaps. “We want to give you a chance to undo what your Master did. If you know what he’s been up to, then you must know this: your death will charge the cauldron and make everything worse.”
“How could I ever atone—”
“Listen to me!” Val explodes. His outburst startles the knight into silence, but Val is not done. “You care about your king and your country, don’t you? Well, I have news for you: you may not have a king anymore, but this is my country. Will you at least help me protect it?”
“Ah,” Saber murmurs, still delirious. “So you were the Master all along.”
“What?! Yes! Caster, change me back!”
“No.”
“Caster!”
“It doesn’t matter,” Siobhan interrupts them. “Saber, join us or make our lives worse. That’s your choice.”
“This seems like a terrible idea,” Saber replies flatly.
“This whole War is a terrible idea,” Val points out. “You want to atone? The least you can do is help us get the city out alive.” He kneels and again stretches out his hand to Saber. “So, what do you say?��
Saber thinks for a moment, then reaches up with his good hand and clasps Val’s. “I will stick with you,” he replies. “Until we destroy this fucking Grail.”
“Until the Grail is gone!” Val agrees as they shake on it. He feels a brief flare of pain and looks down at his hand. The ghost of a Command Seal that must have belonged to Vasilyevich overlays his own before morphing back into Val’s and sinking into the skin. With it comes a sharp sinking feeling in his system, a significant drain on his mana supply. But still he holds tightly to Saber’s hand as Caster weans him off the mana drip.
“Until the Grail is gone.”
VIII. Mastermind
Jim brings his focus back to the room in front of him to see Vasilyevich blinking and shaking his head as thought to clear it. His expression is puzzled.
“I did not expect him to do that…” the mastermind murmurs.
“We did.” Jim’s answer come with enough conviction to surprise even Assassin.
“It seems we know your Servant better than you did,” Lancer chimes in.
Vasilyevich does not deign to look at her, instead turning his attention back to Jim. “I must admit, my original plan did not work out so well.”
“And what was that?” Jim asks.
“Honestly? For all of you to die in despair as your friends are killed on that rooftop. I would have liked to get rid of all of you, but it is no big deal.” He motions to the Death Seals on the floor. “I will settle for you four instead.”
“Would you really set them off?” Jim asks. “What about your new freedom? Don’t you want to walk away from this?”
Vasilyevich smirks and shrugs. “I am… how you say, community minded. If whole plan works out, if Vatican is gone, then I will have served my people, and I will be happy. But it doesn’t matter.” Vasilyevich points at the line of the boundary field. “Why do you think I put down, huh? Is for protection.”
Jim pushes off the wall and takes a slow step forward, cracking his knuckles as he does. “Bet it won’t work very well if I drag you out here.”
The mastermind leans back in his chair, trying to project the same sense of casual appraisal from before, but Jim recognizes the fear in the gesture. “Dragging me out would be… unfortunate,” Vasilyevich admits. “For me, mostly, yes. You are, again, not wrong.”
Jim narrows his eyes. From the other man’s reaction, he suspects that Vasilyevich is not so sure of the field’s protection as he claims. He presses his advantage. “Something tells me you’re not as much of a ‘community man’ as you say. You don’t want to die in this shithole, even if it is for the cause of research and freedom.” When Vasilyevich does not respond, Jim switches tactics. “The Grail works by storing energy, right? And you know how the whole thing is set up?”
“Da.”
“Would you be able to neutralize the death energy that has already been collected?”
Vasilyevich huffs a laugh. “Probably. But really, most of my focus was on making it go boom.”
“That’s a shame,” Jim replies, his voice hard. “If you could have helped us neutralize it, I would have said that the penalty from your crimes against Rome would no longer be death.”
The mastermind shakes his head. “No,” he says firmly, “No, I think I am the one making the deal. You want to deal? We deal. I give you notes, you leave bunker, I don’t set off seals. Otherwise,” he shrugs, “boom.”
“That is not an acceptable—” Rider begins, but Assassin holds up a hand.
“I will remind you all that if he kills us here, that is three more Servants into the Grail. We will be dead, and without Vasilyevich around, the rest of our allies will have neither the time nor the knowledge to disarm the Grail.”
“It’s still a bad place for him!” Lancer points out. “If he doesn’t deal now, he doesn’t have a future.”
“I’m not dealing with you,” Vasilyevich snaps at her. “I am dealing with your Master. I don’t know who would want to deal with you.”
Assassin elbows Lancer before she can correct the mistake. Lancer looks down at her with dawning realization: Vasilyevich has no reason to think that Jim does not command all three Servants in the room.
Jim takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Alright. You want to deal? Let’s deal. What do you want out of this?”
Vasilyevich looks like a man who sees victory in reach. “I want to walk away alive. I give you the notes, you let me leave Rome. Without interference.”
“You let us leave here with the notes,” Jim clarifies, “intact, and unencrypted. In exchange, I won’t command my Servants to go after you.”
“I will not waste time unencrypting my notes here. You can do that yourself.”
“Fine. You let us leave first, with the notes intact, and in exchange, I won’t command my Servants to go after you.”
“I hand you notes, you leave first. You don’t blow up bunker on your way out, and you let me leave without letting your Servants interfere. Either of us break our end of deal, may our magic circuits be sealed, for life! No more magic. Is good incentive, da?”
“Yeah,” Jim agrees. “I think we have a deal.”
Vasilyevich extends his hand. “Deal?”
“Deal.” Jim clasps the mastermind’s hand. Immediately, he feels something click in his mind, and the weight of the geis presses into his bones.
Vasilyevich must feel it too; he jerks he hand out of Jim’s with a disgusted noise and shakes his arm vigorously. “Ugh! Never geised myself before.”
“Kinda sucks, doesn’t it?” Jim asks dryly.
“Ugh! Is terrible.” Vasilyevich shakes his head and reaches into the bottom drawer of the desk to fish out the laptop charger. He scoops the laptop off the desk and hands both things over to Jim. “Password is taped to bottom. Don’t give me that look – I don’t expect to lose it.”
Jim takes the laptop and the charger and retreats toward the hallway. “Displeasure doing business with you.”
“Agreed. No offense, but I hope we do not see each other again.”
“Agreed.” With that, Jim turns on his heel and marches out. Assassin follows close behind. Lancer and Rider both hang back for a moment, perhaps debating with their own Masters, before following Jim as well.
When they reach the ladder, Assassin slips past Jim and climbs it as quick as she can. She fears traps that may have gone unseen, or reinforcements who may have yet to arrive. But the top of the ladder, the room beyond, and the land outside is unchanged from their initial descent.
Jim hurries to the top, with Lancer right behind to catch the laptop in case it falls. Rider brings up the rear, his expression hard and determined. Jim hands the laptop off to Lancer for safekeeping and sends her and Rider to the edge of the property, just in case. Then, as a final measure, he leans over the trapdoor and calls down the ladder:
“By the way? Two of these Servants aren’t mine.”
There is silence for a solid five seconds, then a string of swearing in Russian reaches Jim’s ears as he shuts the door and dashes for the edge of the property, and freedom.
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#25 Auras Magic Items and The supernatural
Ever feel an energy surrounding someone like an aura. A cloud or a force or maybe just a feeling. Sort of like the feeling you get when someone's watching you . You can feel their eyes or maybe something ells entirely that is pulling on your senses. Like a 6th sense you have when you know Someone's lying or angry or many other vibes. Also theirs that feeling of when you lock eyes with someone . You both have a feeling of something. So many variables can tell what the response will be. It is interesting to see someone's response to something silly . For example I use to get off the subway and try and lock eyes with someone still on the train . Then once I've made eye contact I'd stick out my tounge. They wouldn't expect it and most times it was met with a smile , laugh or confused anger. Judging by that person having a bad day or a good day. The person's personality and many of details of their being. It's really interesting isn't it when you really think about it. You can tell when someone has a bad intent to cause violence. I guess some people are better then others to at sensing certain feelings.
Since this post I started with auras I'll continue with spirtual things. Okay like what about magic tools. Magic is a awful term it makes you think of dungeons and dragons or something fantasy . Most people thing spirtual stuff is fake and fantasy too though . However we can't see gravity sound or all the colours of light unless passed through a glass pyramid. Lots of things we can and can't see. So what's a spirtual item or weapon. I think this is a word. spirtualists many of them think that crystal balls or other crystals have power and can hold different chakra. What about history telling us of Alexander the greats Excalibur or Jesus holy grail. The spear of destiny and many other ancient artifacts having powers. How would this be possible unless it's all just stories written for control or entertainment. I think there's gotta be more to life then science and what we think we know. I think there's a crap ton of information about this stuff that had been lost. The book of Solomon has these circles that are like spells or talismans. What if a symbol with a crystal was all you needed to make fire appear out of thin air . Watch way to many animes. Thinking some air bender shit is possible would be cool as hell though. Having a necklace that wasn't just something to look at. It be pretty cool . Would make life more complicated and interesting though.
ive breifly gone over Auras and magic items. What next to finish this post is a good question . Let's talk about spirit's ghosts and demons. That can of worms has been opens in one of my previous posts but I can't help but talk about something so supernaturally awsome. So spirits I think are generally good maybe not all of them but most are good. They don't have a form really they are more like a beam of light. Ghosts can be good and bad but not evil like demons. I think ghosts are people who haven't passed on. Like they are holding onto something. They can't get over it and if they don't and stay long enough . They may become a demon one day . I am going on opinion of these based on TV descriptions from websites and books. Pretty much a bunch of things jumbled together to figure out what I belive they are. Am I right or wrong I'll have to ask a demon ghost or spirit when I see one. Anyway then there are other spirtual beings from folk lords . A succubus or vampire . A succubus ussually female that luars men like a mermaid with her beauty then sucks the life out of them like syrin. Vampires have been mentioned many times in history. The most known two are Vladimir the impailor and countess elizebeth bathory. She would bath in her young female slaves blood . She believed it kept her young. They have found bodies with stakes and a stone in the mouth. To show that back then people really thought there were vampires . They also burned Alot of inocent women for being witches. If you were born wit a long nose and curly hair you were so screwed .love talking about this stuff it's Alot of fun . Till next time make sure you carry a stake in the night and garlic doesn't work but silver bullets do. Cheers
-ErzaStone
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I Can’t Stop
(This is a short -- okay not short -- story I started a while ago and never got around to finishing. But, I felt the need to share it anyways. So for the unfinished-ness. Lol. Yes. It is highly based off that song Closer from the Chainsmokers. Don’t @ me.)
“I know it breaks your heart,
Moved to the city in a broken down car,
And four years no call,
Now I’m looking pretty in a hotel bar and I can’t stop.”
The streetlights were shining so brightly in her rearview mirror that night as she drove down the darkened rode, leaving her small hometown of Boulder, Colorado behind her. The further she went, the more the streetlamps faded from sight, becoming nothing more than the stars that shone so brightly in the night sky. She kept one hand on the steering wheel lazily, resting her left elbow on the open window of her brand new Rover, bought for her by her parents. All four windows were rolled down; she reveled in the feel of the wind blowing through her long waves. It felt completely free, made her feel as though she would live forever if she just kept driving with the music blasting. Something about it made her feel like infinity was attainable.
He entered the extravagant hotel, heading straight to the bar. His shoulders were slouched in the slightest as he drug himself behind the counter, not entirely prepared to deal with all the drunks that would wind up here by the end of the night. More often than not, he had to escort not just one or two, but several people out. That was just Vegas, he supposed. Every time a tall, long haired red head with unruly waves entered the bar, his heart nearly stopped every time. It had been four years since he had heard from her, but he simply couldn’t forget the girl’s restless spirit, the way she lived life like she would live forever. That night would forever live in his mind; there was something about that girl that he just couldn’t forget; even if she broke his heart in ways he didn’t think it could be broken.
The ten hour drive from Colorado to Vegas seemed to fly by, she had left before the sun had risen, and now the lights of Vegas shone so brightly in the night. The sight excited her, making her heart beat a little quicker in her chest. The sights also made her chest tighten just a little bit; this was the place he had called home before he shook her world up in Colorado. His scruffy brown hair and deep brown eyes that captivated her in ways her soul has never been captivated before crossed her mind more than she cared to admit. Her heart couldn’t help but wonder if he was here once again. She ended it with him four years ago, her restless soul afraid of becoming too attached, she wanted to live life, she was so full of passion and he wasn’t sure where he was going in life, which was something that terrified her soul that was so full of wanderlust; and he had a drinking issue that she just couldn’t ignore.
She pulled her large Rover up in front of the extravagant Excalibur hotel in Vegas, leaving all four windows down she stepped out of the vehicle, taking in the sights sounds and smells around her. Tilting her head back slightly, she took a deep breath through her nose, a wide grin spreading across her full lips as she released the breath. Casually, she dropped the keys in the valet’s hand with a small wink. The man looked at her expectantly; she had almost forgotten to pay. Reaching into the back pocket of her shorts, that were probably just a little too short, she pulled out a twenty.
“Keep the change,” she said as she rushed into the hotel. Her crop top was slipping just slightly off her shoulder, enough to revel the infinity symbol she had tattooed in plain black ink. The words ‘Hakuna Matata’ were written in script inside the infinity symbol. She was fully aware of just how cliché the tattoo was, but what was life without a few clichés? She didn’t waste too much time, heading straight to the bar as she lifted the thin fabric of her shirt back into place on her shoulder.
Pouring a margarita had become as easy as breathing for him; in fact he was pretty certain he could do it with his eyes closed. He places the glass on the counter for the woman in front of him. With a long, exasperated sigh he turned to the side where his attention was needed next. Admittedly, working in a bar like this was probably not so smart due to drinking issues. He had to wonder if those issues were the reason she left him, though her leaving only sent him into the arms of alcohol that much more.
“One Martini please,” the voice spoke to him. His dark eyes were trained to the counter until the voice registered. He froze in place, his eyes slowly rising from the alcohol stained counter; traveling up the girl’s familiar stomach, the way her crop top fell off to the side, revealing her shoulder perfectly. He didn’t need to see the infinity tattoo to know it was there. Her red hair fell in waves, framing her face so perfectly. That’s when his eyes finally landed on his face. He could see the wonder in her face, mirroring what he was sure his face looked like as their eyes locked.
She couldn’t believe it, the bartender was him. He was standing in front of her, after four long years. He looked the same, except for the dark circles under his eyes. She watched his familiar brown eyes light with recognition, the same eyes that always lit a fire in the pit of her stomach didn’t fail to light that fire once more. She waited, hoping for that familiar smile, waited for his thin lips to spread into a grin revealing his dimples, the dimples she would never admit she loved so much. It never came though, and she knew why.
“Hi,” she breathed out the word and it felt like she was releasing a breath she had been holding for four years.
“Aria. Hi,” he responded in the same fashion. She looked so damn beautiful it almost physically hurt him. Four years no call, and here she was looking pretty in a hotel bar. Neither of them spoke, he simply started on her Martini. What could he say to the girl who left him broken?
Aria watched him so skillfully make her Martini, much like he used to when they were together. He was definitely on the skinnier side but she always admired the way his arms still looked muscular, his veins standing out every time he did something. His shaggy brown hair was still the same, a little bit frizzy and falling in his eyes but he pulled it off like no one could. He looked so good, just as good as the day she met him. Looking into those brown eyes she forgot just why she left him, she was insane.
“How have you been, Asher?” She asked him as he set the glass before her, it was clear he was ready to turn away from her and move on.
“I’ve been,” he hesitated, unsure of what to tell her. He thought he had been doing okay, but seeing her here now, maybe he wasn’t doing as well as he thought. “I’m still alive.” He opted out of letting her know that his drinking problems have persisted; in fact they’ve only worsened since she left. “What about you?”
“I’ve been good,” she responded after a small hesitation. She had been living life freely and passionately, but seeing Asher here now, she wasn’t entirely sure her experiences had been complete without him.
“What are you doing out here?” The words spilled from Asher’s thin lips before he could stop them, the words were as full of curiosity as they were accusation. He knew that she knew very well that Las Vegas had always been his home. So why would she come here? Was breaking his heart once simply not enough?
“I wanted to get out. See a part of the world I hadn’t seen before. My parents just recently bought me car and told me to go satisfy my thirst to travel. So, I figured I’d start here. You always talked so highly of this place. I had to see the bright lights for myself,” she explained. Aria gave a shrug of her shoulder as she took a sip from the Martini in front of her. Looking at him, talking to him, it was enough to make her heart ache the way it did when she left him.
“Satisfy your thirst to see the world?” The shortest of chuckles escaped Asher’s lips; it was more out of disbelief than humor. “I’m not sure that’s possible. You’re restless. You’re passionate. You’re always chasing after something.” Asher watched her blue eyes flicker to the counter for a brief moment. “It doesn’t matter what you have though, you always want what you don’t have.” This time, he could see hurt flash in her eyes, the same big blue eyes that made him fall in love with her from the start.
“I’m sorry,” she spoke softly. Her heart was aching in her chest; it was a feeling only he could give her. Aria wanted him in this moment as badly as she did four years ago. It was like she was a candle and he was the only person in the world with a lighter to ignite her flame. It didn’t matter who she met, who did their best to win her affections, none of it mattered because not one of those boys were Asher. Before, she couldn’t put her finger on just why no one was good enough for her, but standing here now, she knew it was because of him.
Aria couldn’t believe the need she felt for him, the feelings she still had for him. She looked at him intensely, watching him watch her, and remembered just how it felt to love him; just how it felt to have him tell her a joke, to have him smile his dimpled smile because she said something stupid, just how it felt to have his arms around her. Nothing in the world could compare to the way he made her feel, she was passionate about many things but there was something special about the passion that he made her feel.
“You don’t have to apologize,” he said in response. His heart ached for her, with her. Asher loved this girl with every piece of his soul. It was incredible, really.
“Will you go for a drive with me? Please? For old time’s sake?” Aria looked up at him with the wide blue eyes, so full of hope, so full of desire. There wasn’t a single bone in his body that could say no to her.
“Sure,” he agreed after a moment’s hesitation. Aria’s face lit up, making his head spin. The lights of Vegas could in no way ever compare to her smile. Her smile could outshine the whole goddamn city. He slid away from her to let his coworker know he would be taping out early, she didn’t seem too pleased with this news but nothing was going to stop him from spending time with the woman who was permanently written on his heart. They could fire him if they wanted, he couldn’t care less. Stepping out from behind the counter, he held his arm out to her which she graciously took. Her touch was electrifying.
Walking out of the hotel, her arm wrapped around his, was damn near exhilarating. She had forgotten just how it felt to be near him, to touch him, and she reveled in every second of it. She was certain the valet would be beyond annoyed with her, hell she had her car parked for thirty minutes. She could see the slight annoyance on the man’s face, just as she had expected, but he left the attitude out of the conversation which she appreciated.
“If I remember correctly, it was your turn,” Aria teased dropping the keys to her brand new Rover in Asher’s hands. His brown eyes went wide, due to her remembering this little detail, or the extravagant car she wasn’t sure. She pulled her arm away from him, sneaking around to the passenger side of the car. The action was so familiar, almost as if it hadn’t been four years since they’ve done this.
“Still keeping tabs?” He asked as he slid into the leather seat of the car. Aria had to contain a giggle watching Asher have to readjust the seat. He was a good five inches taller than her, making his reach for the pedals a little less difficult.
“Always,” she responded after a moment of silence. The single word brought his attention back to her, which was when he flashed his dimpled smile. Her heart nearly melted. His thin lips were made thinner by the action, his top lip nearly disappearing. It took every ounce of self-control for her not to reach out and trace the curvature of his lips as she so often used to. Her eyes landed on his lips, the lips she had once memorized. She couldn’t help but wonder if they still felt the same, if they would still move against hers as perfectly as they once had. Aria tore her eyes away from his lips, realizing just how intensely she had been staring.
Asher felt the slightest bit of disappointment when Aria turned her attention elsewhere. He took the moment to admire her just as she was him seconds before. Her red hair fell past her shoulders in waves that she always tried to control but could never quite perfect the technique. She had half her red hair pulled up in a messy bun atop her head, the rest of her hair falling freely. He had to keep himself from reaching over to brush her hair aside just so he could see the tattoo on her shoulder.
“Where to?” Aria spoke, breaking the silence.
“It’ll be a surprise,” Asher responded giving her a wink. Her stomach did flips at the gesture. How could one man be so damn perfect to her? Without a response, she reached for the aux cord hanging from the radio as he took off. She plugged her phone in, scrolling for a specific song – the same song that they beat to death Tucson. She hadn’t listened to the song since leaving him, but she could never delete it from her playlist. Finally she found it; Alone Together by Fall Out Boy.
Asher’s heart nearly jumped out of his chest as he heard the familiar beginning of their song. He hadn’t listened to it in four years but he still knew every word. She began singing along, her voice always soothed him. He had always thought that she should be a singer, share her talent with the world. Nothing had changed. In fact, for a second he doubted the four years they spent apart. The moment was short lived though. He wasn’t foolish, he knew he didn’t know her the way he once did. At least he didn’t think so. A lot can change in four years, though she seemed to be the same person. Maybe they just weren’t getting older. With a shake of his head, he expelled the thoughts from his head to join her in singing along.
Aria had her elbow resting on the edge of the door, the windows still rolled down. She ran her fingers through the ends of her hair, idly playing with her waves of red as she sang along to the song, almost as if she had never stopped. When he began to sing along, the smile that formed on her brightly colored red lips was involuntary, he never could hit the notes in any song but she always let him sing to her, it made her happy in ways she couldn’t describe.
“I don’t know where you’re going but do you have room for one more troubled soul?” They sang in unison, locking eyes at the same moment, still so in synch after all this time. Aria couldn’t help the laugh that burst from her lips, not out of humor, but out of pure joy. The same dimpled grin that she loved so much appeared on Asher’s lips once more. Nothing had changed in those four years, she felt as though they were never getting older. The song came to an end, she let the next song on her playlist play, though she was half tempted to hit repeat the same way they did when they visited Arizona. They sat outside in his car, playing and replaying the same song all night.
“Why’d you come back to Vegas after Colorado?” Aria asked, though she felt it was a dumb question. Vegas was his home.
“I don’t know. It seemed like a good place to heal. Home is the one place you can always return to and rebuild, right?” Asher wasn’t sure it made sense, but he was in pieces when she left. He had to find a place he could safely rebuild himself piece by piece. He had thought for the most part that he had successfully done just that, but he knew a piece of himself had been missing. It wasn’t until Aria walked into that bar an hour ago that he found the piece he had been looking for. Once again Aria felt that same guilt in the pit of her stomach.
It was evident that he had no idea that when she left him, when she broke him, she also broke herself. She had never met anyone like him, never met someone who just got her the way he did. It was that natural chemistry that she had with him. The kind of chemistry that makes you feel as though you’ve known the person your entire life. There was never any pretending with him, she could always just be herself. Although it wasn’t that easy from the start; she had known Asher for nearly two years before they ever dated. It was a constant back and forth; it was almost as if he was allergic to his feelings.
There was something special about their connection and their relationship from the start. While she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment she met him, though she wished she could – oh, how poetic that would be to be able to name what he was wearing, what he said – she just simply can’t remember a time when she knew him and didn’t think he was absolutely special. Two years she spent falling for him, she was in love with him way before he finally gave in to her.
Asher spent much of those two years doing his best to not give in to her. He didn’t need the complication of a relationship in his life. He was nineteen – almost twenty when he met her, a relationship certainly wasn’t the thing he was most focused on in life. In fact, he was busy trying to figure out what exactly it as he was doing with his life. He knew she felt things for him, she was passionate and her eyes betrayed her every time she would look at him.
It made him feel good to have her look at him that way. It didn’t seem fair though to let her look at him in that way when he knew he didn’t want a relationship. Yet, he didn’t want to break her heart – but maybe, there was more to it than he had originally thought. Maybe he simply didn’t want to push her away, maybe he was scared of losing her, maybe he didn’t want to picture a life without her passion, her laugh, her smile, and her attitude that was larger than life. As hard as he tried, she was the one thing that he couldn’t resist. Lord knows how he lasted two years resisting her, but once he gave in, he regretted spending that time fighting it.
“You know, I was doing just fine before I met you,” Asher said after a few moments of silence. This startled Aria, the words didn’t feel good to hear. “But for some reason, I wouldn’t trade you or the time we had for anything.”
“Asher, I’m sorry. I just hope you know that leaving you was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I loved you so completely.” Aria began, pausing as Asher pulled her Rover into an empty field. He parked it, allowing it to idle. It was probably a waste of gas, but she didn’t care. “But, you had no idea what you were doing in life. I have so many dreams, so many things I want to do, I was afraid I would be stuck in the same place forever if I continued to be with you. I thought it’d be easier to break it off sooner rather than allowing it to drag out to only have us form more of an attachment. It was getting to the point where I couldn’t picture life without you, Ash, and I couldn’t risk allowing myself to give up my dreams to be with you.”
Asher stared at Aria for a few moments, taking in everything she had said to him. Maybe it made him an awful person, but knowing she had felt hurt over him the way he had over her comforted him. She also wasn’t wrong. He had no clue what he was doing, he was full of many ingenious ideas but he never went anywhere with them. Maybe it was just that he had commitment issues, but that never seemed to be an issue when it came to Aria. If he was being honest, he still wasn’t sure, even now that he was 27. It was hard to wrap his mind around the fact that he had known her for nearly ten years. Although, those four years they didn’t speak could hardly count.
“I guess we ended up being more different than we originally thought.” Asher wasn’t sure how to properly respond to her and he knew that wasn’t a good response either but it was all he had.
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DEATH CITY DAYS CHAPTER 7
and you thought this RP was just a happy little romp
ahaha
AHAHAHA
adorable
--Jump cut after lewdness--
Kid: (panting) "You were...wow..."
stocking: *laying in kid's arms, panting heavily and blushing*
Kid: "How do you look so perfect?"
stocking: *she chuckles and kisses him sweetly*
Kid: (kisses back) "I have never orgasmed so hard before.."
stocking: y-yeah...
Kid: "...Stocking? Can I ask you something?"
stocking: sure, what is it kid?
Kid: "...I don't mean now, but, in the future, however long that is...would you...want children?"
stocking: *bluuuush* if its with you then...yeah, i would. n-not now of course, maybe when we're older, at least after we've graduated.
Kid: (nods) "Likewise...I do not know if i should be a father, or that I would be good enough. But I see my father...and I see you...and I can see it. I could see having a child with you...Do you take birth control?"
stocking: *she blushes* just in case.
Kid: "That puts my mind at rest..." (kisses the top of her breast) "Will I see you in the morning?"
stocking: of course kid.
Kid: "Good...ah! I will be sore in the morning..."
stocking: aww... *she hugs him*
Kid: (returns the hug) "Thank you...not only for this night...not just for your support this week...but for being you. I am so happy with who you are, who you will be in the future. I love you."
stocking: *she smiles and kisses his forehead, and soon falls asleep next to him*
--While they slept...--
Kid: (in his sleep...) "Stocking..."
-you find yourself in a dark abyss-
Kid: "Where am I?"
-its almost like you're in deep water-
Kid: "So wet...Stocking?!"
-stocking is at the very bottom of the darkness, her hand reaches out to yours-
Kid: "Stocking!" (he plunges downward, kicking his feet through this liquid, his hand extended down to reach her)
-the surrounding area is cloaked in pitch black darkness-
Kid: "Take my hand! Hurry!"
-the second she takes his hand, and the second before you awoke, her face changed; she had two dark holes for eyes, no nose, and sharp, anglerfish like teeth-
Kid: "Gah!" (wakes up, sitting up)
Kid: (looks around the dark room) "Wh-Where am I?"
stocking: *sleeping peacefully next to him*
Kid: ("Is this still a dream?" Looks under his sheets. "...No. Not a dream..." Puts a hand close to Stocking's, brushing some hair away...He lies back down, closer to her, putting his arms around her.) "Don't leave me..."
-the next morning-
Kid: *yawns*
stocking: *her eyes open* morning kid. *she smiles warmly*
Kid: (smiles back) "Hi, beautiful." (kisses her lips)
stocking: did you sleep ok?
Kid: (squirms) "I wish I could say it was uneventful..."
stocking: *frowns* do you want to talk about it?
Kid: "...I thought I had lost you."
stocking: oh, kid....*she hugs him gently*
Kid: (leans his face into her shoulder) "It's okay. It was only a dream. I just...don't want to lose you."
stocking: you wont.
Kid: (lets the hug persist) "Thank you...I feel--OUCH!"
stocking: k-kid?!
Kid: (weak laugh) "Sorry. I'm still a little sore...You were...enthusiastic."
stocking: hehe~ *she hugs him* do you want me to kiss it and make it better~?
Kid: o\\\o "Um...yes?"
stocking: *she kisses his butt cheeks*
stocking: you know i was joking, right? a-about kissing it...
Kid: "I-I knew that! Ha ha...ha." (avoids eye contact) "...Sorry."
stocking: hehe~
-later, after washing up-
stocking: guess we should walk to school together.
Kid: (nods, holding out a hand) "Let's."
-at school-
liz: well there you two lovebirds are.
Patty: "Hi, Stocking!"
Kid: (smirks at Liz) "Hello to you, too. How are you this morning?"
liz: pretty good all things considered, you?
Kid: (nods) "Good...Still some nightmares, though."
liz: *frowns* well, its a new day, so lets try our best, ok?
stocking: right.
Kid: (smiles) "Right."
Patty: (hand raised in a fist) "Hell yeah!"
-and so-
-in writing-
-stuff happened-
-later-
sayaka: *at the convenience store* *whistling*
Black Star: (enters the convenience store) "Oh, sweet! The slushie machine is fixed!" (walks by Sayaka--then notices her) "Oh, hey."
sayaka: oh, hey black*star! *she waves and smiles* i'm just pickin up some snacks and stuff.
Black Star: "Yeah, same!" (pats his bicep) "Got to have some munchies in between hard training!"
tsubaki: *sweatdrop* so, how's everything going?
sayaka: pretty good. my bike's being worked on, so i had to take the bus here, haha.
Black Star: "Well that sucks--sorry to hear that. You live pretty far from here, then?"
sayaka: actually, i've been staying with a student apartment with madoka, remember?
tsubaki: oh yeah, i remember when you two first transferred in. black*star tried to declare you his rival, haha.
Black Star: (eyes narrow) "I can still be your rival. Just name the location and time, I'll make sure a nurse is there to tend to your multiple injuries."
sayaka: ohoho~ just so you know, i can still heal.
tsubaki: hey come on now. *sweatdrop*
Black Star: "Hmph. Showoff." (grabs a bunch of snacks) "I bet I could still eat more potato chips in a row than you!"
sayaka: you're so on!
tsubaki: *sigh*
-they didnt even notice hiro watching from the corner-
hiro:....*sigh*....
Arthur: "Oh, Hiro! Hello!"
hiro: *SCREAMS LIKE A SCHOOLGIRL* oh jeez....arthur dont sneak up on me like that!!
Arthur: "Ah! Don't scream in my ear like that!"
hiro: *siiigh* w-what did you want?
Arthur: "Can't I ask how one of my favorite people in the world is doing?" (gives the slimiest smile possible)
hiro:...............................*totally poker faced*
Arthur: "...Okay, I actually need a favor."
hiro: *grumble* what did you want, arthur?
Arthur: "Shinra. He's all high-and-mighty lately since joining the Academy. I want to prank him."
hiro: this sounds like a bad idea.....and a bit hypocritical.
Arthur: "I'll give you 5 bucks."
hiro: dude no.
Arthur: "6 bucks?"
hiro: shh! *watches as sayaka, black*star, and tsubaki walk out of the store* *sigh* no good, she's talking to someone else right now... darn.
Arthur: (looks back and forth at Hiro and Sayaka--then smirks) "Oh! So that's what's happening!"
hiro: *BLUSH* i-i dont know what you're talking about!
Arthur: "You know, I personally know Sayaka."
hiro: i- wait really?
Arthur: "Really. How about I introduce you?"
hiro: well, we kinda know each other, more-or-less..
Arthur: "Does she know your name? Or that you know someone as chivalric as I?"
hiro: yes and.....*excalibur face* unfortunatly yeah...
Arthur: (frown) "I bet you I could get her to date you."
hiro: hey, come one, that doesnt involve you!
Arthur: "Maybe I should ask her out on a date..."
hiro: DONT! besides, dont you already have a crush on another girl?
Arthur: (frowns) "I don't have a crush on anyone..." (blushes)
hiro: despite how much you stalk that one girl...anna i think her name was?
Arthur: "I DON'T STALK HER! AND HER NAME IS ANYA!" (slaps hands over his mouth) "I mean...who are you talking about?"
hiro:.......................*totally silent*
Arthur: "...Anyway, I just wanted to pull a prank on Shinra to do some bonding with you. But if you want to be alone, pining for Sayaka, go right ahead."
-elsewhere-
tsugumi: *humming a tune as she works on a candy kit*
Meme: "Do you think this has enough sugar?"
ao: i think so.
Anya: "I thought commoners' treats were overly sweet and with little substantial flavor..."
mio: it looks like a little penguin.
Meme: "Yes, it is! That'll be your piece, Mio!" (smiles at her)
mio: *blush*
Anya: (smirks at Mio) "Tsugumi, which animal candies are you making?"
tsugumi: this one is a panda.
Anya: "...It looks like the penguin..."
ao: i'll have mine. *she eats the one shaped like a flower* hmm... tastes like grapes.
Meme: (has an octopus one she made) "Hm...Orange!"
mio: *nom* soda i think?
Anya: (eats her bear candy) "Ah, spicy! I think it's cinnamon?!"
tsugumi: mm lemon~
Anya: "Should we swap the extras now?"
tsugumi: yeah.
-elsewhere-
Stein: "...Shit."
spirit: ??
Stein: "I'm out of cigarettes...I guess I've been smoking more than I should..."
spirit: well thats unfortunate.... (chuckles at a memory of when aya replaced stein's cigs with crayons)
Stein: "Stress. Just a lot of stress right now."
spirit: yeah....
Stein: "Have you spoken with Justin?"
spirit: yeah...he's still a little shook up about that.
Stein: "Can imagine...I asked Marie to keep an eye on his recovery."
spirit: *nods* is she staying with him at his apartment for the time being?
Stein: "Yes..." (crushes his empty cigarette carton)
spirit:....any progress with lord death?
Stein: (shakes his head) "Our missing student remains missing. No searches through any apartments has found her...Has anyone checked the...Sealed Shrine?"
spirit: we had kirara check it...its empty still...
Stein: (nods) "Okay...Increase security at the Shrine?"
spirit: seems good.
Stein: "Okay...How are you holding up? How's Maka?"
spirit: she's doing well.
Stein: "Keep an eye on her. I imagine she's going to make herself part of this investigation, whether we want her to or not."
spirit: i'll talk to blair about it. speaking of blair, wanna go to chupas?
Stein: "...Why would I go there? To drag your drunk ass home when you have too many glasses?"
spirit: it might help take your mind off things.
Stein: "...Well, I can get a laugh out of you there..."
spirit: well we'd better head off~!
Stein: "Okay. And I can pick up more smokes."
spirit: woohoo!
-and so-
*a girl with dark hair is sitting with blair, she seems to have something on her mind*
spirit: heeeellooooo~!
Blair: (rubs Lenore's back, then spots the guests) "Death Scythe! Welcome! And you brought the doctor!"
spirit: yeah, i talked him into it~ tell the girls he's here! oh? whos this?
lenore: *raises a brow at him*
Blair: "Death Scythe, this is Lenore! Lenore, this is the guy I told you about!"
Stein: "..."
lenore:...hey... *eating her sunflower seeds*
spirit:...not much of a talker is she?
Blair: "She warms up to people quickly! Just give her time. And how are you, Doctor?"
Stein: (pulls out carton of cigarettes) "Better. Now."
lenore: *grimace* oi, death boy, you really a death scythe or is that just a nickname?
spirit: i am indeed~
lenore:...i might need to talk to you guys then...in private.
spirit: (blushing) "Oh...Um, both of us? Together? At the same time?"
lenore: not like that you pervs!
Stein: "What's wrong?"
spirit: nothing! *sweats*
Stein: "Where is there a private place to speak, Lenore?"
lenore: *shrugs* blair?
Blair: "Staff room? Just make sure no one is changing in there. :3 "
lenore: *grumbles.*
-staff room-
lenore: you guys can see through souls, right?
Stein: "Well, it's more like I sense souls."
lenore: then you know what i am then?
spirit:...kinda cranky?
lenore: *glaaaare*
Stein: "A witch."
lenore: actually, that's where your wrong. i'm just a raven.
Stein: "...I've heard weirder..."
lenore: i wouldnt blame you, magic animals are mistaken for witches all the time. but thats not why im here...*she takes out a poster of tsumiki* from what i hear, you guys were lookin for this girl, right?
Stein: (leans forward) "Indeed."
lenore: well, i was flyin' around, and i ended up spotting her... her and her creepy friend...i think its her boyfriend?
spirit:........... O______________________________O
Stein: "A man with scarves all over?"
lenore: yeah, freakishly tall too. something about him gave me a weird vibe...
Stein: "Where were they going?"
lenore: *she doodles something* this place, in a cave somewhere. *its a crudely drawn picture of baba yaga's castle*
Stein: "...Spirit? Does that building's front look familiar?"
spirit: yeah...
lenore: do with that what you will.
Stein: "I trust that, if you find more information, you will be forthcoming."
-and so-
lord death: so thats where they are, huh?
Stein: "This castle...damn."
lord death: baba yaga's castle...this may be our best chance to capture and detain them. contact the other death scythes and sid. we're going to initiate a raid.
kohaku: *easdropping* .......
Stein: "Understood." (departs to contact peers)
-later-
soul: *phone rings* huh?
Maka: "You going to answer that?"
message from AmberQueen: hey, dipshit, get your friends and meet me at the park. [this message was sent to everyone she could]
soul: huh? hey maka-
Maka: "What?"
soul: i got a weird text from- *maka's phone rings*
Maka: "Huh?" (takes out her phone)
-she got the same message-
Maka: "...This seems shady. Maybe I can see who else got the message..."
Maka: (texting Tsubaki) "Did you get an odd text from AmberQueen?"
-at the park, kid, stocking, liz, patti, black*star, tsubaki, ox, harvar, chrona, kim, jackie, kilik, mahiru, hiyoko, ibuki, kirika, and gopher were there-
liz: what do you think this is?
kim: probably some joke.
Maka: (looking around, suspicious) "After a curfew and everything else, I'm kind of worried."
kohaku: so you losers showed up? tch, at least you did something right.
soul: oh god not this bitch!
kohaku: up yours too.
Kid: "Enough. Just explain what you want."
kohaku: i over heard where the killer is hiding out. baba yaga's castle.
stocking: huh? whats that?
Kid: "The headquarters of the witch Arachne."
ox: i heard the place is haunted by her servants who died in a massacre 60 years ago.
Maka: "Why should we believe this information is accurate? This could be some wild goose chase."
kohaku: its the best you got, ok? and i know a way to get us there. the DWMA is prepping for a raid as we speak. i have a plan on catching this guy.
soul: and what makes you think we're gonna go with this?
kohaku: because i know all your little secrets. i know more about the things that go on here than the AV club ever dreamed off. but you'd know that, rich boy.
soul:....
Maka: "???"
Patty: "Oh! Oh! What secrets do you know about Kiddo?!"
Kid: "What?!"
kohaku: i prepared a letter for each of you, none for ibuki, hiyoko, mahiru, kure, or goomba, you guys just showed up.
gopher: its gopher!
-everyone is given their letters. each one contains one of their darkest secrets that hardly anyone knows-
stocking:.... *she begins to tear up*
Kid: (doesn't even open his letter--slides it into his coat and holds Stocking)
kim:...!!!! h-how did you....
Jacqueline: (puts a hand on her shoulder)
tsubaki:.......
soul: *rips his up*
Patty: "...Well, I'm convinced." (rips the letter into bits--and eats them)
Black Star: "One time! It was just one time!"
Maka: "You bastard! Who the hell do you think you are?!"
kohaku: i know all you're little secrets. and if you dont help me here, i'll make sure everyone else knows too.
-the other 5 recieve their letters-
kohaku: here, took me a while to write these up.
Harvar: "...Or, rather than be blackmailed by you, we could just kill you."
kirika: i think i like this chick......*reads hers*.... and now that like is replaced with wanting to beat the shit outta you.
kohaku: oh really? and here i thought the DWMA was supposed to protect people, like me.
Crona: "..." (breaks down crying)
Maka: (pulls Crona in) "Someone who hurts people like this?! And you want our protection?! From what?! You're so smart--you protect yourself!"
kohaku: all i want is to prove you losers can actually handle the big dogs. unless you really are just weaklings.
Kid: "You would know, after all we have accomplished by this point, that we are hardly weak, or losers. We are more than capable of bringing this killer to justice. Now that we have the location, we are not in need of your assistance. Therefore, please go kindly fuck yourself."
kohaku: fine, but how do you plan on _getting_ there?
Patty: "We can get there ourselves! We got weapons who fly, meisters who fly! Hell, Kid probably has a big-ass jumbo jet under his mansion! And all he has to do is push a button, and fire poles appear, and we go down the fire poles into his Batcave and get on that Batplane to--"
Black Star: (covers Patty's mouth) "What do you have that could even help us, you asshole?"
kohaku: *chuckles* do you even know where the place is? as i said, the DWMA is prepping a raid. just find a way to sneak onto the airships and hide out.
ibuki: we gotta! its the only way we can save mikan!
Kid: "Hmmm...I suppose I can get Father to spill some details that help us get on the planes without being noticed."
Kid: "Father will be very observant, but I may be able to distract him."
liz: isnt the path to the hangers in the underground tunnels?
Kid: (nods) "Everyone, pack only the essentials. We're joining this battle."
-in the underground-
stocking: i guess... i should tell everyone, huh?
Kid: "Are you sure? I mean, this is...this is your life, and you should not be outed like this."
stocking: *she nods* it may benefit everyone.... *out loud* hey, you guys know im an angel right?
liz: !!
Kid: o_o
Patty: "...I did! "
Harvar: "Huh. She has the same tact as Lord Death."
soul: sure sure...
stocking: well, check THIS OUT! *shows her wings*
kilik: woah!
Black Star: "Ha ha ha! What, like giant wings and--" (sees the wings) "...Oh."
kim: dude!
Maka: "...Well, there goes my nickname."
ibuki: pretty! *sparkly eyes*
soul: hey maka you'll always-.....n-nevermind...
Maka: "You say something, Soul?"
ox: wait...if she's an angel....and she's death the kid's girlfriend.....does that make her the angel of death?
Kid: "..." (slaps hand over his face)
kim:...*SMACKS OX IN THE FACE* no.
Patty: "Ha ha ha! We all knew before you guys did! Want to know how we learned?!"
liz: oh my god.
Patty: "Sis and I were stopping by Stocking's apartment when--"
stocking: *COVERS PATTI'S MOUTH*
Black Star: "Man, it's like everyone can fly! I want to fly! Why don't I get to fly?!"
tsubaki: maybe someday. *pats his head*
hiyoko: how much further do we need to walk?
Maka: "A few more yards...Hold it! Hide!"
Stein: (from down the hall) "Have you finished all preparations, Spirit?"
Maka: (grabs Soul by the wrist and hides behind boxes)
spirit: yeah, i think after the announcement tommorrow, we should be ready to take off.
Stein: "Good. Finish up the preparations. I have to return to the infirmary."
spirit: ok then.
Stein: (looks around) "Hmm..."
Maka: (cringes) "Hide your soul, Soul!"
soul: *doing so* -as is everyone else-
kim: *silently casts a spell protect on everyone*
Stein: "...Ah--" (sneezes) "Ugh. Allergies." (walks away)
Jackie: (smiles, pats Kim on the shoulder) "Good work."
soul: on what?
kim: dont worry about it.
Jackie: (sweats, nervous smile)
Maka: (points to a plane opening) "Get in the cargo hold, stay quiet."
liz: ok, lets move.
-they all stayed there until morning, at the school, an announcement was made that a school break would take place for the next few days. and then, the airships began to move-
Patty: (passes out brown paper bags)
Harvar: "What are these for?"
Patty: "Weak stomaches."
kirika: dude, we're breaking so many rules here, its great!
mahiru: and suppose we get caught, what then?
Black Star: "Amateur! I broke so many rules, they had to make the 'Black Star Rule'!"
liz: *shrug*
Maka: "As long as we are not caught less than halfway there, they won't bother to turn back."
-at the halfway point-
gopher: what do you think is in these boxes?
Kid: "Check the labels."
gopher: ammo, food, armor...
kim: *peaks out the window* woah... check out this view...
Jackie: "Such expansive, untouched wilderness...Astounding."
kilik: where even are we?
Maka: "I can't quite get a gauge...we've been going South. South America?"
gopher: i thought it was someplace to the east, in the mountains?
Black Star: "Dude, Maka is worse at directions than me."
Maka: -_-
Patty: "Anyone got a compass? And a map?"
ox: tadaaa~ i always keep this map with me.
kim: is that a mountain up ahead?
Patty: "Or a really big hill. Is it on the map?"
ox: hmm. any landmarks?
Black Star: "I think so? Tsubaki, does that thing look familiar?"
tsubaki: *squints*
Patty: "It's a white house. What's the big--" (...) "Holy crap! That's the mayor’s House!... his vacation house anyway.”
gopher: i think its a temple actually.
Patty: (deflated) "Oh...Is that temple on a map?"
ox: i think its the north eastern branch of the holy sol temple?
Maka: "Okay, so we're going northeast...I wonder where Baga Yaga was hidden..."
gopher: i think it moved in the past. all i know about it is what noah told me...
Patty: "Noah?"
kirika: oh, that creepy guy that tried to kill you? yeah, i chased him off. i think it was his dad or something.
Kid: "...Hmph."
gopher: yeah, back then, he was the most important person to me. everything i did, it was for him, even if i had to suffer. but kirika, she saved me, she helped me for the better. and i've loved her since~
kirika: dont be creepy!
-later-
Kid: (looks to Stocking) "How are you holding up?"
stocking: good, cant believe we all got away undetected...
kilik: so whats the game plan?
Kid: "We either stay out of sight of the adults, or we just reveal ourselves and force them to accept our assistance. Which option should we take?"
ibuki: we're gonna find a way inside and save mikan!
hiyoko: how do you even know if she's here?
Kid: "Okay, so we're going for covert...We hide behind the boxes in the back, and when they remove some items, we find the right moment to duck out. Or someone will have to do a distraction...Actually..." (opens one box) "Would some of these uniforms fit us?"
liz: they look pretty bulky...
kim: bulky enough to wear over our clothes.
Kid: "Put them on, and hope that Stein and the others just assume they brought more soldiers than they thought."
-and so-
Maka: "That uniform looks good on you, Soul!"
sid: alright listen on up! the kishin and the fugitive are currently in the very building you see on the horizon, a building known as baba yaga's castle.
Jackie: (sweating, whispering to Kim) "Is this actually going to work?"
kim: i hope.
sid: we'll be sending you in waves, each in groups of 12. any volunteers for the first wave?
Kid: (raises hand)
Patty: (raises both hands, pulling up Liz's, too)
kirika: *raises hand*
gopher: *raises hand as well*
Kid: (looks to Stocking)
stocking:... *raises hand*
Kid: (smiles)
soul: *looks at maka*
Maka: (raises hand)
soul:...*raises hand as well*
sid: ok, we'll need 4 more.
Black Star: (raises hand, about to open his mouth to shout something...)
tsubaki: *throws her voice to sound more masculine* we'll volunteer.
Tamaki: "I volunteer!"
sid: good job. now we'll need one more person.
Arthur: "I as well!"
Tamaki: -_- "Perfect."
liz: *covers patti's mouth* (thinking: WHY IS HE EVEN HERE?!)
sid: !! boyle....did you sneak in on one of the airships?
Arthur: "A knight like I does not sneak onto any airship! I simply avoided being seen by all of you when I came on board to do my duty as a knight!"
Patty: ("Artie?! ...He still looks kinda hot, though.")
sid:....................you all keep an eye on him, keep him out of trouble, ok?
soul: *throwing his voice* yes sir, of course sir.
Maka: (gulps. Thinking: "How did Soul learn to throw his voice?")
-as they are taken to the entrance, they are each given a schematic of the castle.-
Kid: "Hmmm...I would have liked to have seen this castle when it was in its previous glory."
liz: *grabs his arm*
Kid: "...I mean, where is my unit to search?"
guard: you and your teammate will be searching the 6th leg.
Patty: " 'Teammate'? Singular?"
Kid: "...Does it have to be the _sixth_ leg?"
liz: *grabs kid's arm again*
Kid: "I mean, we will certainly go there! Thank you!"
Maka: "We have Leg #1. How about you, Tsubaki?"
tsubaki: leg 5.
-Team of 12: Maka and Soul (Leg 1), Kid and Liz (Leg 6), Black Star and Tsubaki Leg 5). That leaves: Patty and Stocking (or are they with Kid and Liz?), Arthur, Tamaki, Kirika, -
Black Star: "How about you, Kirika?"
-patti and stocking took leg 4, kirika and gopher took leg 2, leg 3 goes to arthur and tamaki, that just leaves legs 7 and 8-
Stein: "I'll take Leg 8 with Spirit."
Kid: (about to say something about Leg 8--then is dragged away by Liz)
Patty: "No worries, Kiddo! Stocking and I will find this killer and be back in no time! Right, Stocking?
spirit: huh?
stocking: *takes patti and heads off*
Patty: "Was it something I said?"
--At Leg 6--
Kid: "How am I supposed to stop this killer...when I only have _one weapon_?"
liz: hey come on kid, if we both went, it might out you, so lets just try and focus.
Kid: (inhales) "Okay. Please stay alert while we're here: we don't know from which side any potential threats can emerge."
liz: ..... *tense*
Kid: "I don't sense any souls here...but who knows whether they are hiding. Do you notice anything odd here?"
liz: other than creepiness, no...
Kid: (brushes aside some webbing on a wall) "Looks like no one has been here in a long time..." (brushes more) "So filthy in here...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to clean up a little bit..."
liz: *her foot bumps against the corpse of an arachnophobia member* EEEK!
Kid: (turns) "Oh, great, now I have to clean _that_ up? Liz, did you bring cleaning supplies? Perhaps some rags, a vacuum?"
liz: lets just go!
-leg 4-
Patty: (humming) "La la la la la..."
stocking: this place is so old... so many webs...
Patty: "Yeah, isn't it neat?! Such atmosphere in here! You think we could rent this place out for tours?"
stocking: ...... *she finds something* -obtained the spider's servant mask-
Patty: "Ooooo...What's that mask for?"
stocking: i think this is the mask that arachnophobia members wore..
Patty: "Hmm...Anything weird about it? Something that could point us where the killer is?"
stocking: not sure...
Patty: "Well, that's not very helpful." (leans a hand against a wall--causing a stone to push in) "Uh oh..."
stocking: !!!
--A door slides open--
Patty: "...SECRET ENTRANCE! YES!" (victory pose)
-where are they?-
Patty: "Whoa...It's a passage into a weapons vault! It's like they had an arsenal here for emergencies! So why didn't they ever use it?"
stocking: not sure.... *she finds a log* hmm??
Patty: (picking up a longsword) "What's that you got, Stocking?"
stocking: i think this belonged to one of the soldiers here... *she examines it*
Patty: (sets down the longsword, picks up a battle axe--then spots a mirror) "Rawr! Look at me! I'm an axe-wielding badass! BOOM! POW! ZORT!"
stocking: *she puts the log down, and sighs* come on, we should keep going.
Patty: "Okay!" (covered in ammo, weapons, and clutching a spatula)
-leg 1-
Maka: "...Damn. I can't sense anyone in here...Do you see anything, Soul?"
soul: no, just old stuff...
Maka: (looks ahead) "And it looks like this leg is almost closed off...Looks like the ceiling caved in here...but the damage looks...more recent?"
soul:...... lets just be careful in there, ok?
Maka: (nods) "Climb over this debris, and let's get to the other side..."
soul: *he nods and does so.* looks stable.
Maka: "I hope so..." (puts one foot in front of the other) "Okay. Now it's just about going down the other side..."
-they made it-
Maka: (holds out hand to help Soul down the last few steps)
soul: ok...im good.
Maka: "Hmmm...Shadows all the way down this hall." (removes her flashlight) "Watch my back."
soul: *he nods*
-the unknown stands before you, but knowing what you must do, it fills you with determination-
Maka: (shines the flashlight in various spots) "Corpses. A lot of corpses." (shines light elsewhere--and rats scurry) "Long decayed corpses."
soul: gross.... *steps on an old, dusty top hat* huh...
Maka: "Find something?" (looking at a tiny corpse...with really long arms) "Huh."
soul: just an old hat...
Maka: "Hmm...This corpse. Kid would be freaking out so hard about it...One arm is really longer than the other, as if this person was in the middle of transforming upon dying."
-a bunch of bats fly off someplace-
soul: gah! jeez...
Maka: (follows path of the bats upward...) "Oh boy..."
soul: so...
Maka: "If these rats and bats got in here, that means there has to be another entrance...Stay on guard: I have a feeling there are secret routes that our target can use for an escape."
soul:....
-elsewhere-
Arthur: "I shall guide us to victory over this criminal! Stay behind me: I don't want you getting injured."
tamaki: tch-... literally no difference from the tournament...
Arthur: "Well, it's the truth. How would it look if one of us was injured? With me in the front, I make sure you are not hurt."
tamaki: i could easily handle myself you know.
Arthur: "But I wield a mighty sword! How could your bare hands be more powerful than Excalibur?"
tamaki: i can manipulate fire and claw them up.
Arthur: "...But I have a sword. I can go all *swoosh* and *slash*! You don't have a sword."
tamaki: *she hears something* shh.
Arthur: "..." (whispers) "My sword is still epic."
-silence, then something goes horribly wrong-
Arthur: (a slice along his arm) "Ah!"
tamaki: ack... *her forehead bleeds* w-what the hell was that, an earthquake?
Arthur: (clutching his arm--his sword arm) "An earthquake doesn't claw at someone...Tamaki! Your forehead!"
tamaki: O-ow...
-elsewhere-
sid: what the hell was that?!
Stein: "An earthquake?" (pulls out radio) "All teams, report! What is going on?"
tamaki: not sure...
lord death:....n-no....this cant be....this isnt.....
Maka: "...Soul? Do you feel that?"
soul: i have a bad feeling about this.
liz: its just like when.....
Kid: (nods) "This is not good...We need to get to shelter, now!"
Black Star: "Why is the ground shaking now?! I've been here for an hour and only now it is happening?!"
stocking: you have to be.... PATTI WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!
tsubaki: whatever this is, i dont like it.
Patty: (running after Stocking) "You got that right! Big-ass earthquake happening!"
sid: is this..?
lord death:...im afraid it is...........
Stein: "...Heh...Ha...Ha...Ha ha ha!"
lord death: a new kishin has been born.
spirit: WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?!
Stein: (struggling to stay standing) "The Kishin! Hee hee--No! A-A new Kishin!"
spirit: oh crap.... come on buddy, we're getting you outta here, just stay with me!
-in another tower-
feodor: *hears a scream* wait...n-no..n-natalia?!
gopher: *panting*
sid: what the- !!!!!
Maka: (eyes widen, seizes her chest)
kirika: *screaming and clutching her right eye, which has a shard of glass piercing it*
soul: maka?!
Maka: "This...fear...I feel like my soul is going to explode!"
soul: maka! get a hold of yourself!
Maka: (struggling to catch her breath, looks up...) "Soul!" (she points ahead of them) "Transform, now!"
soul: right!
-he transforms into his scythe form-
Maka: (wields Soul...and sees the monster approaching: a three-eyed manifestation of fear itself) "Soul! We're going to need an exit!" (swings back to destroy the caved ceiling behind them) "Witch Hunter, now!"
soul: LETS DO THIS! SOUL RESONANCE!
Maka: (swings back to clear the rubble ahead of them) "Aaaaaaah!" (swings down)
-they cut a hole into the ground-
????: uhuhuhuhu~
Maka: ("What was that?") "I'm going to need one more swing to break us out of here, Soul!"
-something that appears to be hair slams them down through the hole-
Maka: (her chest and face slams against the ground) "Ah!"
-after the dust settles-
soul: what is tha-...you're shitting me...
asura: oh look at this, seems we have guests.
Maka: "Mmm...I can't see..."
tsumiki: suprised to see us?
Maka: "Tsumiki?"
tsumiki: suprise bitch, i bet you thought you'd seen the last of me~
-at base, almost everyone had gotten out-
stocking: KID! *she hugs him*
lord death: wait, KID?!
Kid: o_o "Um...Hi, Father." (to Stocking) "Patty? Where is she?!"
stocking: right here.
lord death: WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!
Patty: (hides behind Liz) "Scary Lord Death is scary..."
Kid: "It's a long story--but we're here now! What can we do to stop this?"
-BWOOM_
Patty: "..."
-soul and maka were knocked into the field.-
Kid: "Oh no..."
soul: ahh....m-maka?! *he cant see her in the dust*
Maka: "Ugh...you need to stop being my human shield..."
-you're alone maka, alone with the kishins-
asura: what to do...what to do...
Maka: (eyes break open) "S-Stay back!" (gets on her feet)
-a bandage smacks her to a slab of debris-
Maka: "Arg!"
Maka: "My head..."
asura: you know, i have this feeling.
Maka: "Yeah...I can imagine..." (pushes herself back up, assumes fighting stance, albeit wobbling) "It's called being a coward."
asura: perhaps, but i have the nagging feeling you're going to cause me trouble if i let you live. quite a lot of trouble.
Maka: (smirks) "Happy to know that. Because I'm going to survive this, and then I'm going to knock you down again and again until you cannot stand up."
Maka: (thinking: "I am so afraid right now...")
tsumiki: hehe~ we can tell that you're lying.
Maka: "No lie. Just the one thing that stands against fear..." (clenches her fist, turns, and lunges at where she thinks Tsumiki is standing)
-nothing there-
Maka: (swings around, looking for her target. "I can't sense their souls...")
soul: maka!
Maka: (thinks she hears something) "Soul?!"
-a figure resembling maka's mother is standing there-
-the fog has cleared-
Maka: "...This can't be..."
mama?: *she smiles*
Maka: "Mama?" (voice in the back of her: "Stop! This can't be real!") (walks towards her) "Is that you?"
mama?: *she opens her arms for a hug*
Maka: ("What am I doing?! This doesn't make sense!") (smiles, opens her arms for the hug)
-squeltch-
Maka: (coughs, blood) "M-Mama?"
-the figure is gone, and all you can see is soul, with a horrified expression-
Maka: (standing, her legs wobbling but otherwise still...then her eyes roll back, and she begins to fall back)
soul:...ma-.....MAKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maka: (crashes against the ground)
asura: what a pity.
Maka: *no response, she’s gone*
tsumiki: fufufu~ *she uses her hair to throw her body in the way of the others*
Patty: "No!"
Kid: "M-Maka?"
kim: !!!!
Jacqueline: "Oh no."
lord death: !!!!
Black Star: "Maka!" (running to her)
Kid: (shakes his head, following Black Star)
spirit: m-maka? MAKA NO!!! *he grabs her* maka? maka sweetie get up!
Kid: "Spirit. Stop."
spirit: NO! SHE'S OK! SHE'S JUST PASSED OUT THATS ALL! *tearing up*
Kid: "No." (single tear falling down his right cheek) "She is dead."
soul: *clentches fist and cries* YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!!!!!!! *throws a punch and misses
asura: *tosses him as well*
soul: *CRASH* nng...
Black Star: (leaps to Soul, helping him up) "Stay with me, man. I'm right here. Get up. Get up!"
soul: ma...maka!! *he tries to run to her* MAKA!!
ox:.....
Harvar: "Do we even have a chance against this guy?" (transforms anyway)
asura: how unfortunate, she was one of your best....*looks at lord death* wasnt she, father?
Kid: "!" (looks at Lord Death)
lord death:.....
Black Star: "What the hell is he saying?"
asura: oh, the old bastard never told you? over 800 years ago, i was the child of death, and next in line to be the shinigami. but as you can see, that didnt go as planned. long story short... *inches from kid's face* i'm your big brother
Kid: "W-What?"
asura: isnt that right father?
lord death:........*he looks away*
Kid: "...No. No, this--this is not right." (glares at Asura) "That is not true!"
asura: AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA go ahead, dont believe me.....but tell me....you have nightmares often, dont you?
Kid: "..."
asura: you've heard a voice in your head too, havent you?
Kid: (balling his hands into fists) "Shut up...you murderer..."
\look at you, goddamn pathetic...\
Kid: (his frown slowly emerges as a smirk) "I'm going to kill you..."
Black Star: "???"
stocking: *she grabs kid's hand*
Kid: (The smirk falls off. He looks back at Stocking) "St-St-"
kim: TSUMIKI WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!
tsumiki: oh?
Jacqueline: (putting a hand on Kim's shoulder, as she struggles to hold back tears) "We are your classmates! Your friends! How can you do this?!"
kim: is it because of how others treated you? i know, a lot of the students pushed you around, picked on you, but thats not any reason to do this!
tsumiki: *sneer* you have some nerve....didnt you use to pick on me too?
kim: i was dumb back then, i can see i was wrong to do that to you! please!
Jacqueline: (whispering) "How is this at all justified? How the fuck can Tsumuki justify any of this?"
tsumiki: i'm not looking for power if thats what you're thinking, i just wanted to live forever.
Kid: "No one lives forever. You of all people know that."
tsumiki: tell me....have you ever loved someone so much, you'd kill for them?
Kid: "What? How does that justify what you have done?!"
tsumiki: i killed those people to be with the one who needs me the most... *she holds asura*
liz: what?!
Kid: "You're insane. And for your crimes, there is only one fate you deserve. Liz. Patty. Transform. Now."
Kid: (lets go of Stocking's hand, whispers to her) "I'm going to need all the help I get: arm yourself, now. And don't die on me."
*after a while, the battle ended, asura and mikan escaped*
sid: DAMN!! they wont get away with this...
Kid: "...Damn it..." (falls to his knees, letting Liz and Patty fall along the ground)
liz: kid....
Kid: "..." (sobs)
soul: *sobbing, clutching maka* please....you cant.....i didnt even tell you....
Black Star: "..." (silently crying)
-one week later, after maka's funeral-
Kid: (standing before the entrance to the Death Room...and starts to walk away from it) "No. I can't."
liz: kid, you have to face him.
Kid: "No, I really don't."
Patty: (clutches his hand) "Please, Kid? You haven't spoken to him in days."
liz: come on, how will you know if you dont say something to him?
Kid: "...Would you two speak to him? If he lied to you like this?"
stocking: kid... please....
Kid: "...Can you follow me inside? Even if I speak with him alone, I...don't want to walk in alone."
liz: of course...
stocking: *she nods*
Patty: (nods, sadly)
-inside-
lord death: *he doesnt seem to notice*
Kid: "...Father?"
lord death: !! oh...kid.....hello...
Kid: "Hi. May we speak?"
lord death: yes, of course...*trying to sound chipper* what seems to be the trouble, kiddo?
Kid: "Is it true?"
lord death: is what true?
Kid: "...Would you stop acting innocent like you have no idea what I meant, and just answer my question? Just once, could you please take something seriously and tell me: are you Asura's father?"
lord death:.....kid....why dont...i show you one of my birdhouses now...just the two of us...
Kid: "Would you stop treating me like a child and just answer my question?!"
lord death:......follow me....please...
Kid: "Fine."
-in the catacombs, you eventually come across what looks like a small temple.-
-a figure is reading in what appears to be a study room-
???: ah, hello death, and to what do i owe the pleas-.....
Kid: "???"
???: oh.....so he knows now....doesnt he?
lord death:....yes....
Kid: (clenching his teeth) "Then you are Asura's father...Damn it."
inori: *she enters* oh, hello father, i did not think that we would be having company.
???: ah, inori my child...
inori:...is this not the best time?
???: *sigh* this is.... a rather private discussion, for now, why dont you attend to your studies.
inori: ah, of course. *she goes to do that*
lord death:.....*sigh*....kid-
Kid: "You lied. You lied ever since I was born. Maka is now dead, our allies are...Maka is dead! Your son killed Maka!"
lord death: kid, please...
Kid: " 'Please' what?! Is that a lie?! Asura killed her! You are his father! And I--I--Ahhh!"
???: i know you must be upset right now, but please, try to listen. as- that child lost their way.
lord death: *puts a hand back to say he can handle this*
lord death: *hugs kid* its ok kid.
Kid: "No!" (slamming his fists against Lord Death) "I didn't know! You never told me! And I never knew! So many are dead now and--" (sobbing)
lord death:...son....please...*reaches out*
Kid: (sobbing) "M-Maka..."
lord death: *puts a hand on his shoulder* son-
Kid: (sobbing) "Father..."
Kid: "Why couldn't you tell me?"
lord death: i did it to protect you. you're very sensitive, and i knew you wouldnt be able to handle this...
Kid: "Sensitive?!" (pushes away) "That's your reason?! Not to hide that you are responsible for all of this?!" (thinking: "Oh, God, I just said that aloud.")
lord death: .....son-
Kid: "...Father, I-I'm sorry."
\pitiful. simply pitiful. after all he did to you, after how much he lied to you, you're just going to forgive him just like that? how pathetic\
Kid: (shakes his head) "Just tell me the truth. No more lies, or I am walking away from all of this." (looks up, glaring) "I am not sensitive anymore. You tell me the truth right now, and you stop lying. The truth, now."
lord death:...what do you want to know?
Kid: "How is any of this possible? How did Asura come to be...your son?"
lord death:...........*he cant even speak*
Kid: "..." (waits)
Kid: "Father...Talk with me. I want to know. I don't want secrets between us. I am too old to be kept in the dark like this. Please."
lord death:...*trembling*
-even if he wanted to, he couldnt bring himself to tell you-
-hook cemetery-
stocking: *looking around*
Kid: (before a gravestone)
stocking: *she walks up to him and places a hand on his shoulder* kid?
Kid: (doesn't look back) "Hello."
stocking:....*she sits next to him*.....you ok?
Kid: (shakes his head) "I thought speaking with Mother would help...It just..."
stocking:...how did it go?
Kid: "...He lies."
stocking: ......*she holds his hand*
Kid: (tense) "It's bad enough he sees me as only a...well, a Kid...but after...after...M-Maka..." (he presses her hand against his as he starts to cry)
stocking:....*she hugs him* ssshhh, its ok kid, just let it out...
Kid: "How many people have to die on me, because I screwed up, before I'm not seen as a kid? If I hadn't...if I hadn't gone on this mission, Maka and the others...they wouldn't be dead."
stocking: its ok, you didnt know this.....im still here kid, liz is still here, patti is still here, black*star, chrona, tsubaki, soul, kim, jackie, the others, we're all still here.
Kid: "...I know...but..." (puts a hand on his mother's tombstone) "I didn't want more death."
stocking: .....do you want to stay at my place for a while?
Kid: "Stocking...I...don't want to leave Patty and Liz alone."
stocking:...want to bring them too?
Kid: (nods)
-at stocking's place-
Patty: (sips her drink, quiet) "Thank you for the tea, Stocking."
stocking: no problem. *stroking kid's head*
Patty: (leans against Liz)
Kid: (sniffs a bit to hold back tears)
stocking:....
liz: *hugs patti* so, want to watch a movie?
Patty: "Y-Yes."
Kid: "Sure..."
stocking: *she puts in a comedy movie*
Patty: "...Ha." (she does not sound enthused yet. She leans against Liz on the couch)
Kid: "..."
liz: *hugs her*
stocking:....*she holds kid close, kissing his forehead*
Kid: (relieved murmur)
Patty: (smiles a bit)
-elsewhere-
tsubaki: *knocks on soul's door* soul? its us, black*star and tsubaki? could you let us in?
soul: *he doesnt respond, he just lays in his bed* .........
Black Star: (whispering to Tsubaki) "Blair suggested we go on in...but even I feel awkward doing that..."
tsubaki:....the door's locked....
Black Star: (sighs) "Soul? Let us in, man. We need to talk."
soul:......*very slowly, he gets up and shuffles to the door opening it. he looks very sickly* what....? *his voice is cracked, like he had been crying for days*
Black Star: (small smile) "Hey..." (holds up a shopping bag) "Got some snacks here, too. Want to have a glass of water with us in the kitchen?"
soul:.....not thirsty....
tsubaki:.....!!! s-SOUL!!
Black Star: "What did you do?!"
soul:.....
tsubaki: *goes to the bathroom mirror to get some bandages*
Black Star: (stares hard at Soul) "No. You are not doing this to yourself." (approaches until he is almost nose to nose with Soul) "If I have to tie you up to prevent you from hurting yourself, I will."
soul:............*no response*
Black Star: "...Soul. Look at me."
soul:............*his eyes seem dull*
Black Star: "It is not your fault."
soul:...............i should have been protecting her..........now she's gone..........i'm a failure.......
Black Star: (seizes his shoulders) "There was nothing you or I could do...So if you want to blame someone...blame me..." (lets go, holds out his arms) "Just...just blame me. I deserve it..."
tsubaki: black*star, its not your fault either! *she hugs them*
Black Star: "..." (crying, clutching her and Soul)
soul:.................*says nothing*
Black Star: (hugs Soul and Tsubaki harder) "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."
["It was surreal, seeing Black*Star, one of the loudest and rambunctious people i know, crying and beating himself up like that, i didnt know how to react to that." - excrept from 'The Death Scythe's Melody' a memoir by Soul Eater Evans]
soul:.......
Black Star: "I'm sorry, Soul."
-chupas-
Spirit: (pours another glass) "..."
blair:.... *she holds his hand*
Spirit: (lip quivering)
blair: *she hugs him* its going to be ok.
Spirit: "Maka..."
blair: i know.... i miss her too...
Spirit: "I failed her...I failed my wife...I let my daughter d..." (collapses, wailing)
blair:.....*she hugs him*
Spirit: "Maka..."
blair: i'm sure she's watching over you, wherever she is.
Spirit: "A parent is not supposed to outlive their child...And it is my fault. I should have demanded she not leave. I should have known she was there. I should have stopped her--and I didn't. I...I don't deserve to live..."
blair: *she continues hugging him, stroking his head* shhhh, there there....
Spirit: "I want to die...I want to die..."
arisa: do you think he's going to be ok?
lisa:...im not sure...but its terrible, losing your child like that...
arisa: i dont want that to happen.... *sniffle*
Spirit: (weeps, groaning in emotional pain)
lisa: *she hugs her* i know...
Spirit: (continues sobbing, barely holding on, repeating...) "I want to die..."
-patchwork labs-
justin: thank you for letting me stay here tonight...i'm too tired to walk back to my apartment…
Stein: "You have a room here, whenever you need it, Justin."
justin: thank you....*sigh*...
marie: so how was she?
justin: breaking the news to feodor's fiancée wasn’t easy....she was upset...although that would be an understatement.
marie: oh.
justin: it was one of the most frightening experiences of my life.....*mumbling* girls are terrifying...
Stein: (small smile as he glances at Marie) "Indeed."
marie: *pouts*
Stein: (light laugh) "Come on, Justin--I still need to put new sheets on your bed. Marie, can you brew some tea?"
marie: ok.
-the next day-
stocking: *holding kid's hand*
Kid: (a little light returning to his eyes, but the sad frown remains) "Morning."
stocking: do you need anything?
Kid: "...My stomach feels a bit irritable...When I was young, I used to have ginger ale for that..."
stocking: i think i might have some...come on... *she walks with him*
KId: (follows her to the kitchen)
-after the drink-
stocking: feeling any better?
Kid: (nods...and he looks at Stocking...and he smiles)
stocking: do we have school today?
Kid: "...If we did, do you think I'm ready to go back?"
stocking: .............
liz: should i send in a sick call?
Kid: "...I...should go...I should try...Will you three be there?"
stocking: of course kid. we're always going to be here. *she holds his hands*
Kid: (smiles) "Thank you...Let me get dressed and get going."
-at school-
Kid: "...Everyone seems so quiet."
Patty: "..."
liz:...
stocking: *holding kid's hand*
Black Star: (enters the classroom, not saying a word...looks up at his friends and waves to them)
kilik: hey.
ox:......soul still hasnt come back to class, huh...?
Harvar: "I haven't seen him." (beat) "Poor guy."
kim: yeah...
Jacqueline: (wipes a hand across her face, sniffs) "I thought Black Star and Tsubaki went to see him."
tsubaki: we did yesterday.....he's....*she sighs* he's not doing well...
Black Star: "...Kilik...It's...bad."
kilik: really bad?
pot of thunder: ??? *sad face*
Black Star: "..." (slight nod)
-the teacher came in-
Sid: "Hello. So...we're back in session, back in class...and...there's a lot to discuss, I'm sure..."
-some of the students nod-
Sid: "Well, it's...Sigh...This is really hard. I want you to remember that we are still offering mental health services...and we are trying to keep a schedule that slowly brings you back into the daily grind, so today is just a half-day."
tsugumi: .....
Sid: "I thought today we would discuss how to adjust the syllabus for the semester...and open the floor for you to discuss what you want us to do with this class."
Anya: (puts a hand on Tsugumi's shoulder)
Meme: (does likewise)
ao: *hugs*
tsugumi: i-i'll be ok..*sniff*
Sid: "...Does anyone want to talk about the syllabus? Or...other topics?"
student: maybe renovating certain parts of the school, like the auditorium?
student 2: maybe get funding for a pool on school grounds for the swim team?
Sid: "Yes, the auditorium would be a project to keep us busy. We have been organizing a committee for that...trying to get some music there."
Black Star: "...Music, huh?"
Sid: "Swim team would be good...We can't just keep using community pools."
Jacqueline: "Has Soul's brother contacted him?"
student 3: maybe work on expanding the kitchen for the cooking club?
tsubaki: not sure.
Sid: (nods) "Cooking...that is a skill everyone needs, to take care of themselves..."
student 4: finally so something with the gym uniforms! or at least give us an option for better shorts.
--Some laughter in the classroom--
Sid: (smiles) "Okay, let's do that."
-seems a lot of work on extracurricular and club activities will be in the future-
Black Star: (slams his hands down on the table) "I got an idea."
tsubaki: ??
Black Star: "A memorial statue...for those we lost."
tsugumi: we should rename the school library too.
Black Star: (nods)
ox: a hall of fame sounds great.
Sid: "...I'll make these proposals to Lord Death. I think he will appreciate hearing you all be so passionate about this..." (struggles to speak) "I...am proud of you all...Any other business before we conclude?"
-anything?-
ao: why dont we work on a school garden?
Jacqueline: *sniff* "Thank you for listening to us, Mr Barrett. I think we're done for today."
kim: ...
Sid: (wipes away tears) "Class...dismissed."
-later-
stocking: you know, a garden doesnt sound that bad.
Kid: "Could we...make it symmetrical? Perhaps?"
stocking: you'd have to ask the gardening club, but im sure it can be worked out.
Kid: (smiles) "That would be nice."
Patty: (hesitant) "Maybe...a venus fly trap? Or a piranha plant?"
liz: *sweatdrop*
Kid: "..." (breaks out laughing)
stocking: *she chuckles*
liz: i can see you're doing better now.
Patty: (hugs Liz, rubbing her cheek against her arm)
liz: so, what do you all want to do?
Kid: "...Is...Soul seeing visitors?"
liz: i dont know...
Kid: "...I would like to try...but I'm not sure I'm ready myself."
-at the hospital, outside soul's room, wes is there-
liz: oh, hey wes.
Wes: "Liz! Um, hey. It's...good to see you..." (awkwardly holds out his hand)
liz: *she shakes his hand*
Wes: "...Sorry I haven't texted since..."
liz: i-its fine, no worries...how's he holding up?
Wes: "...I...don't know. He closes up when I'm in the room, and when I leave, I hear him crying. I..." (struggles to keep it together) "Sorry. I've never seen Soul like this."
liz:...want to talk about it?
Wes: (nods) "When the doctors told me he was on suicide watch, I couldn't believe it."
liz:....kid, patti, stocking, keep an eye on him ok?
stocking: of course.
Wes: (smiles) "Thank you, all. Soul is...going to get through this. I'm happy he has friends to depend on."
-and so-
liz: i remember the first time patti and i were here with kid.
Wes: "Here? Who...was injured?"
liz: *sigh* kid....he was in the same situation soul was, well, for a different reason...
Wes: "Same? You mean...Oh. I'm sorry."
liz: yeah.... he's always been like that, even when we first met him.
Wes: "Always? I hate to say it, and I'm sorry to say it, but I never saw it. When I see him with you and your sister, he always seems...happy."
liz: well, you'd be surprised. he's always tried to hide it, but i think he is getting a little better, especially with stocking around.
Wes: "...I feel like Soul hid this for so long. There was something I missed in Soul, some sign or detail or something that would have told me...and maybe I could have been here, been better at helping him so that...this wasn't happening."
liz: its not your fault wes...
Wes: "I don't know how to fix this...This isn't like when he was slashed across the chest. Soul isn't fighting to stay alive. He is tearing himself apart...and I am scared."
liz:...*she hugs him*
Wes: (tenses, then slowly accepts the hug) "T-Thanks...How do you help Kid through these situations?"
liz: usually just listen to him, let him rest, make sure to just be there, make sure he's taking care of himself.
Wes: (nods) "I already cancelled my concerts. I'm here in Death City as long as Soul needs me."
liz: ah....do you have a place to stay?
Wes: (awkward laugh) "I got a hotel room, but I've been here more than there. I haven't had time to look at apartments. I was thinking of staying with Soul, if he would have me...Why do you ask?"
liz: just curious.
-with soul-
soul: *sleeping*
Patty: "...Soul..."
soul: *mumbling* no...no dont...i...
Kid: (puts a finger to his lips)
soul: *wakes up* MAKA!!!
Kid: "!"
Patty: "..."
soul: hah.....*he looks down at his wrist* oh.........*he curls up and cries a bit*
Kid: "Soul...We are here. We're not going anywhere."
soul: maka....please........come back.......
Kid: "Soul, I'm sorry." (looks to Stocking and Patty for help)
stocking: just take it easy soul. do you need anything?
soul: ........i dont know............
Patty: "..." (pours a cup of water for Soul) "Here. Please?"
soul:.........*sips a bit*
Patty: (smiles a bit) "Thank you, Soul." (wipes away a tear) "We love you, you know that, right?"
soul: ............*nods very slightly*
Kid: "You know Wes is out there, yes?"
soul: what about it? *he sounds a little bitter*
Kid: "He...is out there, if you want to talk with him."
soul: i think i'll pass....
Patty: "But that's your brother..."
soul: so?
Patty: "...If that was my sibling, I'd see them...If something happened to Liz...even if I...was not..." (cries)
stocking:...*hugs her* shhhh, there, there....
Kid: "Soul, we'll respect your decision. But if it not a good idea to avoid fami--" (stops) "Family..." ("Father...Oh, God, I'm an idiot.")
stocking: ?? kid....
Kid: "It's nothing...I just remembered something I'll have to do...later."
stocking:....would you like me to come with you?
Kid: "...Yes."
-later on, at the mansion-
Kid: "...Father? Are you here?"
-no reply, maybe check his room?-
Kid: "Father?"
lord death: !!!!! *tries to pull the cover over himself and yumi* SON?!
Kid: "Father?! Azusa?!" (...) o\\\\o "Later. I can tell you I forgive you later."
Azusa: (trying to cover herself)
Azusa: "What the hell?!"
lord death: i can explain!!
stocking: sorry to disturb you. *closes the door* *sweats* um...wow...
Kid: o\\\\o "This explains so much."
-later-
lord death:....so....kid.....how was your day?
Kid: "...Not as good as yours?" (small laugh) "Sorry."
lord death: well, at least you're taking it a lot better than i thought you would...
Kid: "...I do want to talk about...our last discussion...but I have to know: you and Azusa? For how long?"
lord death:...for the past 6 years.
Kid: "...Father? I appreciate your privacy...but...wow, six years? And you didn't tell me? I mean...I am happy for you, and I would certainly be happy six years ago as I am now...I just...I wish I had known."
lord death:....im so sorry kid, i've just kept so many things from you...
Kid: "But I forgive you. I mean, if you'll let me...or don't, because if you have nothing to apologize for--Gah! I'm so confused! I'm just saying, you are my father, and I can't lose my family."
lord death: ....... im not sure if i even deserve your forgiveness for how i've behaved....
Kid: "I don't care. I am still angry for what has happened, I am angry that Maka, Joe, and others are dead...but you are my father. And if I am going to live with myself, I have to forgive you, and we have to work together. Agreed?"
lord death:.......*he hugs kid tightly*
Kid: "..." (returns the hug, crying) "Dad..."
stocking:....
lord death: i'm here now son, i'm going to make it up to you...
Kid: "Then we have to be honest with each other. I know you are a Shinigami, overseeing life and death...but I am your son. I deserve to know some of my past...and that includes your own..." (sniffs) "Can we...at least be honest starting now...such as about our relationships?" (looks to Stocking)
lord death: of course. if you are to succeed me someday, you'll have to understand the past, as to not repeat my own mistakes.
Kid: "Thank you. That is all I have wanted to know...I'm not sure now is a good time to ask, so if you want to wait until a...less awkward time, we can. But I want to know more about...Asura."
lord death: ok. when you have some free time, why dont we go back into the underground?
Kid: (nods) "Thank you..." (looks to Stocking) "Stocking? Could you sit with us for a bit?"
stocking: of course. *she sits down next to him*
Kid: "Father? Are you and Azusa happy?"
lord death: yes, of course. *he smiles at yumi*
Azusa: (blushing) "Yes, we are."
Kid: (smiles, takes Stocking's hand) "Good."
stocking: so, i guess i'll have to start calling you mom......i mean kid! kid will have to...start calling you mom.....*awkwardly sips tea and sweats*
Azusa: (reddening, out of a mix of embarrassment and some annoyance) "Um, let's start with Yumi for now."
Kid: (smirks) "Okay...Mother."
-later-
Kid: "That was...eventful."
liz: we're home. oh. miss azusa, what brings you here? *feigning ignorance*
Azusa: "Kid knows, Elizabeth."
liz: WHAT?! kid, let me explain-
Kid: (crosses arms, smirks) "Yes, please, explain."
liz: well, oh jeez.... when two people love each other-
Kid: "I know that. Stocking and I got an eye-full of that."
Azusa: "Hey!"
stocking: *practically dying from containing her laughter*
liz: *jaw drops* O________________________________O
Patty: "Was Lord Death wearing his mask while he and Yumi were bow-chika-wow-wow-ing?"
liz: PATTI!
lord death: do i look like the sorta guy who would wear his mask during such things?
Patty: "...Kinda." (looks at Stocking) "Was he?"
stocking: no, i actually didnt recognize him at first. but i know where kid gets his looks from~ hehe~
lord death: he does have his mother's face shape.
Kid: (blushing)
Patty: "...Did Kid inherit anything else from his papa, Stocking? Like below the belt?"
liz: PATTI!!!!!
Kid: (coughs up drink)
Azusa: "Kill me now..."
stocking:.............. C: *eye wraggles at yumi*
lord death: *AGRESSIVELY SWEATS*
liz: ok sis its been a really long day, time for bed.
Patty: "But I have more questions! Like, what position were--" (dragged away by Liz) "I'm not finished!"
Azusa: (squirming under Stocking's stare) "May I remind you I am still your teacher? Still grading your assignments?"
lord death:....
Kid: (clears throat) "Does this count as a double-date?"
stocking: *sweeeeeeats* what were we talking about?
lord death: why dont we enjoy some tea?
stocking: tea sounds great! doesnt it kid?
Azusa: "Yes, please, anything...Maybe something harder than tea."
-later-
stocking: *laying next to kid* today was pretty eventful, huh?
Kid: "Yes...On the one hand, I...am happy to have met with Soul, actually, and to have bridged a gap with Father. On the other hand..."
stocking: ??
Kid: "I'm still surprised at Father and Yumi." (smirks at Stocking) "They could learn to lock the door."
stocking: yeah, hehe.
Kid: (glances at the door) "Good thing we have learned that lesson..."
stocking: yeah. it kind of reminded me of my own dad. i've walked in on him in the act lots of times, sometimes with women, sometimes with men, sometimes more than one person. it's happened so many times it hardly phases me anymore. *she laughs*
Kid: (sweats) "R-Really? This was a first for me..."
stocking: yeah. *she hugs him*
Kid: (returns the hug, sighs) "It's going to take some time to get used to thinking of Yumi as...someone who has been with my father for...six long years. Any advice?"
stocking: *shrug* just try taking it as it comes............that came out sounding wrong.
Kid: (smirks) "Or it came out right..." (kisses her lips lightly)
stocking: hehe~
-the next morning-
Kid: *yawn*
stocking: zzzzz...
Kid: (smiles, checks the clock) "Time for school, Angel..." (kisses her forehead)
-at school-
liz: so whats on the agenda?
Patty: "Gossip! A lot of flipping gossip! I can't wait to tell everybody that--"
Kid: (slaps a hand over her mouth)
liz: shhhhh....
tamaki: *grumbling*
Patty: (muffled: "What's wrong, Tamaki?" then realizes she is still covered--so spits on Kid's hand)
Kid: "Yuck!"
Patty: "What's wrong, Tama-kitty?"
tamaki: some creep with red hair kept harassing me the other day, trying to get me to dye my hair blonde and call him 'papa'.
Kid: (scrubbing hands with antibacterial wipes...)
Patty: "...Oh God, that is dark."
Kid: (realizing) "Hmm. Should we speak with Spirit?"
liz: maybe after class.
tamaki: i'm going to seriously file a complaint if this keeps up.
Kid: "Please, rest assure, Tamaki, Spirit is not being a pervert. I mean, not this time. This time, he is mourning the loss of his daughter...in his own way...Imagine what it must feel like to lose a child."
tamaki: oh, that maka girl? why is he dragging _me_ into this?
Patty: (studies her) "You kinda look like Maka, what with the pigtails..." (stares at her chest) "...although different in some areas."
stocking: down girl.
tamaki: you wanna go?!
Patty: (nods) "Yes, actually, I do. You have very nice boobs."
tamaki:...
-scene redacted due to extreme violence-
--Later—
Naigus: "I have never seen someone's arm bend like that."
Patty: (bandaged) "Worth it! Ouch! My boob..."
Kid: "...Liz? You do realize you and your sister are now asymmetrical. I mean, more than usual."
liz: alright, enough with the boob talk.
Kid: "No, I mean she is bandaged, and you aren't. Naigus, could I borrow some of your bandages to wrap up Liz?"
stocking: kid, just breath iiiiin.
Kid: "What? What did I say that was wrong?"
stocking: just breathe kiddo.
Kid: "...Fine. I suppose I can ignore the lack of bandages on Liz..." (sneaks a set of bandages into his suit pocket)
Naigus: (knocks Kid's hand) "Put those back!"
stocking: kid! *tiny chop* bad kid.
Kid: "Ow! Okay! I'm sorry!" (puts them back) *grumbling* "Let's just get to class, then find Spirit. Patty, you rest here and recover."
-first class of the day-
Kid: (small laugh) "Imagine if the teacher for first period was Azusa..."
Azusa: "...Um, good morning, students..."
Kid: o_O
stocking: ..... good morning miss azusa.
Azusa: (frowns at Stocking) "Good morning, Miss Phillis." (turns to the class) "Welcome back to classes. Let's take it slow to return to our lesson material. We begin with a discussion on meister-weapon resonance improvement."
stocking: *slumps back* its Pheles...
Azusa: "Sorry. Please open your books, as we review options for improving resonance between partners. A meister and a weapon depend on trust for each other..."
-next class-
Kid: (chuckling, whispering to Stocking) " 'A meister and weapon depend on each other'...Is that Father and Azusa's small talk in bed?"
stocking: *whispers* oh shush kid. *chuckles*
marie: now, on the subject on elemental alignments, there are 4 elements that are regarded as the 'core four'. these elements include fire, water, earth, and what other element?
Arthur: "Fire!"
shinra: she already said fire, idiot.
mami: its air or wind.
Arthur: "Fire is twice as important, so it makes up two of the four elements!"
marie: correct, miss tomoe!
Harvar: "How else are you going to get fire if you don't have air, Arthur?"
Arthur: "...Shut up."
Black Star: "Miss Marie? How can I wield all four elements at once to become a badass bending master?!"
marie: ....... anyway, each element has its own set of branch elements. thunder/electric stems from fire, ice stems from water, grass/nature stems from earth, etc.
Kid: (diagramming these elements)
Black Star: "Tsubaki! She just ignored my important question!"
tsubaki: *sigh*
Kid: "Miss Marie? What are some uses of the electric branch element? I imagine it would have medical applications, similar to use in defibrillation."
marie: indeed, it also assists as a back-up generator.
Black Star: "Could it power up something small, like a lightbulb, or something big like a Christmas display?!"
marie: it depends mostly on the amount of power used and the skill level of the user.
Black Star: "Oh! Oh!" (waves hand excitedly) "Have you ever powered up a Christmas tree display?!"
marie:.......................................................
-next class-
Sid: "Okay, class, we are going to take Survival Class seriously! You all are going to line up and get ready for today's activity!"
Kid: "Well, Sid's back in the swing of things."
Sid: "Today, you will be running the obstacle course--in pairs." (holds up ropes) "You will be tied at the ankle to a partner, to demonstrate that in combat, you are only as good as your partner in battle."
Kid: "...We're being roped to another person?"
stocking:.... : )
Kid: o\\\o "I guess that's not so bad..."
--Everyone is tied up: Who did Liz get?--
liz: oh goddammit... (she got stuck wth reid)
Reid: "Hey, cutie." (eyebrow wiggle)
liz: *twitch*
stocking: so who did i get?
Kid: (waves) "You can't get rid of me that easily..." (ties their ankles together) (whispers to her) "I've been practicing my rope-tying..."
stocking:..... C:
tamaki: who am i getting?
Arthur: "Hi."
tamaki: why.
Arthur: "This is no picnic for me, pal. I wanted Anya!"
Patty: "And I wanted to be roped with Big Sis, Arthur, and/or Tamaki! Instead, I'm with Mio!"
tamaki: tch- whatever, lance-o-loser.
mio: i just wanted to stay home today.
Arthur: "Cat-Fetishist."
Meme: (pats Mio's back) "It'll be fine! Anya and I will be watching your back!"
tamaki: get bent.
Anya: "More like Meme will be watching your back..." (smirks)
mio: 7////7 t-thanks sempai.
Meme: (blushing) "Yeah, no problem."
tsugumi: do your best!
Sid: "Enough flirting! Line up!"
Sid: "Patty and Mio, you'll start us off!"
Meme: "Go, Mio!"
Patty: "Don't go slow on me, kid."
mio: *gulp*
Sid: "Ready...set..." (blows whistle) "Go!"
-mio screamed the whole time-
Patty: "RAWR!!!!" (takes off running through the mud)
Patty: "Jump onto the rope swing, Mio!"
Anya: "...Well, Mio's going to die."
Meme: (slugs Anya in the shoulder)
Anya: "Owie!"
mio: MAAAAAAAAAA!!!! Q______Q
Patty: (Tarzan yell, as Mio hangs off her ankle, her head soaked in the water below, emerging with algae on her head)
mio: OH GOD WHY?!
Sid: "Well, you're time is slower than usual, Patty, but that was a lot faster than you usually do, Mio! Great work! But you're both a mess. Hit the showers."
Patty: (swings Mio up over her shoulder) "On it! To the showers!"
mio: awawawaawawawaaaa
Kid: "...Your sister is going to get someone really hurt some day, Liz."
liz: *sweatdrop*
Sid: "Next up, Tamaki and Arthur."
tamaki: alright then.
Arthur: "Don't slow me down, Tamaki."
-later-
Arthur: o_o "I'm dead...she had to use her fire-flight ability and killed me."
kirika: fuck! *she lands on a rock* its ok! it was the empty socket, see? *takes off her eyepatch* im good!
Kid: "!!!"
tsugumi: *SCREAMS*
Sid: "Tamaki, drag your useless partner to the nurse. Stocking, Kid, you're next."
stocking: come on kid, she's just trying to set you off.
Kid: (nods) "You ready?"
stocking: yeah. - they made it through with relative ease-
Kid: "Woo! That was incredible...I thought we were going to fall at least once! You are quite agile."
stocking: i've been practicing~
Kid: (smirks) "I'm sure you have."
-next class-
Patty: "Looking forward to this class! But I can't get the rope off of me...Mio? You got a pair of scissors?"
mio: let me try something. *turns her finger into a tiny blade and cuts through the rope*
Patty: "Oh! Clever! Thanks!" (hugs her)
Meme: (glaring at Patty)
mio: *sweating* uh...thanks...
Patty: "Aw, you're blushing! Liz! She's blushing!"
mio: *pulls at her cheeks* oh shush you!
Meme: (ripping her book in half)
Anya: O_o "Calm down, Meme, calm down..."
Patty: "Hey!" (tugs at Mio's cheeks) "Stop it, you blushing cutie!"
tsugumi: hey now...
Meme: (puts a hand on Patty's shoulder) "You stop that right now..."
mio: *crawls over to meme* owwww... TT.TT
Patty: o_O "Um, sure." (lets go of Mio, pats Meme on the head...) "I'll just go...over there..." (runs for dear life) "Sis! Meme is scary!"
Meme: (pats Mio's cheeks) "It's okay..." (brings her head to her chest)
ao: oh my... *dark smile* this may be a problem.
Anya: "Hmph. I see no problem. What are you talking about?"
tsugumi: lets just listen to the teacher!
Patty: (hiding behind Liz) "Who's the teacher for this class?"
liz: i think its.....oh no....
Kid: " 'Oh no' what?"
liz: its 'mr funtime'
Takehisa: "Sit down and shut up, or I will make each and every one of you wish you had never been born."
tsugumi: Q^Q
Everyone in class: 0_0
Patty: "...Hey! It's the scary guy with no eyelids!"
liz: *COVERS HER MOUTH*
--A chalkboard eraser beans Patty in the head, knocking her out--
Kid: "Patty?!"
gopher: rest in pieces.
kim: dude, too soon!
Takehisa: "No more interruptions, or the next student will be hospitalized. Today, we are discussing weaponry." (lays out a set of knives and firearms along the table) "If we have time, I will demonstrate my skills at knife-throwing. The next student who speaks up will be my first volunteer subject."
Kid: o_O ("I'm happy Patty is unconscious now...")
-silence-
sayaka: *clears her throat*
Takehisa: "Sayaka."
sayaka: why me?!
Takehisa: "I said silence. Now, stand in front of the chalkboard, while I demonstrate my knife-throwing skills that I learned in the circus..."
Black Star: "You were in the circus?!"
Takehisa: "For a semester abroad. Oh, and Black Star, you are my next volunteer."
Black Star: "Damn it!"
Takehisa: "Stand right there Sayaka...and don't move."
sayaka: *SWEATS* (thinking: i never thought i would say this, but i'd rather be getting dissected by stein!)
--One knife-throwing demonstration for Sayaka and Black Star later--
Takehisa: "Class dismissed."
Black Star: (calm) "So, how you holding up, Sayaka?"
sayaka: Q~Q
Black Star: "Tsk. Newbie." (drinks a glass of water--and water squirts out in multiple streams along his stomach) "...Oh. I guess I got stabbed..." (collapses)
sayaka: !!!! *she heals him*
Black Star: (coughs up water) "Ugh...thanks..."
sayaka: no problem~
Takehisa: "You two look awful. Get out of here and rest."
Kid: o_o (clutches Stocking)
stocking: crisis averted.
Patty: (yawns) "Why do I feel like I got hit by an eraser in the head?"
-after school-
Kid: "...I know Father wanted to speak with me...but I wonder whether I should postpone it..."
liz: ??
Kid: "Maybe we should do something else? Or should I see him?"
liz: what do you mean?
Kid: "...Father is willing to speak with me about some questions I've had...but I'm not sure I'm ready. Maybe I could speak with him tomorrow...and we do something else this afternoon..."
liz: ah.... *she saw spirit across the hall*
Kid: "...Oh, and that...too." (follows to Spirit) "Spirit?"
Spirit: "W-What? Oh, hello, Kid. Liz. Patty. Stocking. How are you?"
stocking: doing good.
Kid: "Fine...But we wanted to ask--"
Patty: "Why are you trying to get Tamaki to dress up like Maka?"
Spirit: "..."
Spirit: "Maka..." (eyes welling)
Kid: "..." (puts a hand on Spirit's shoulder) "Maka is dead."
Spirit: (sobbing)
liz: oh damn....
Kid: "Look at me, Spirit...She is still here..." (he puts a finger to Spirit's chest) "There is nothing none of us could have done..."
Spirit: (still sobbing, putting his arms around Kid) "Maka..."
stocking: its ok...
Kid: (pats Spirit) "Stocking, help me bring Mr. Albarn to the counseling center...Liz, Patty, please call ahead..."
liz: ok.
Patty: (pulls out her phone) "Hello, E-Feather? We got someone coming by..."
--At the Counseling Office—
nygus: ah, good to see you.
Spirit: "Hi, Mira..." (cries)
Kid: (pats his back) "Let's have a seat."
-later-
Spirit: "...I don't know how to get through this. But thank you for bringing me here." (holding box of tissue, still crying)
stocking: hey, its no problem.
Kid: "Spirit, let me come with you for your next meeting. Can we make that session now?"
Spirit: (nods) "Friday?"
Kid: (smiles) "Friday, then. Eternal Feather will set it up for you."
eternal feather: sounds good.
Spirit: "Thank you...I'll see you Friday, Naigus, Kid." (pauses) "Um...Can I ask you something, Kid?"
Kid: "What's that?"
Spirit: "...I heard that you and Stocking learned about...your father and Azusa."
Kid: -_-
Spirit: "That bad, huh?"
stocking: eheheh...heh.... *sweatdrop*
Spirit: "I'm sorry you found out this way. But trust me, your father and Azusa had your best interests in mind. And trust me, Azusa cares about your dad. And you." (puts a hand on Kid's shoulder) "So don't hold it against them."
Kid: (takes Stocking's hand) "I haven't. And I won't." (smiles) "Thank you for letting me know that--" (realization) "YOU KNEW?!"
Spirit: "...I'll see you Friday!" (runs away)
stocking: *sweatdrop* well..
Kid: (slaps hand on his forehead) "Let's just...go home...Sigh...I guess I should try to have coffee or something with Azusa to talk about...things."
-some days later, underground-
lord death: how are you holding up?
Kid: "I'm trying to take things one day at a time. Liz, Patty, and Stocking, as well as others, have helped with that. How are you?"
lord death: i feel much better. as if a heavy burden has been lifted.... do you still remember the way?
Kid: " 'The way'?"
lord death: to where i took you last time we came down here?
Kid: "That way, right?"
lord death: yes thats right.
-you approach the temple looking building.
Kid: (feeling like his skin is crawling) "There is something a little...unnerving about this temple."
???: *the figure is tending to a garden of flowers in the back*
Kid: "Father, who is this person?"
lord death: a good friend of mine.
???: hmm? ah, lord death, hello. and it seems your child has come along as well... have you been boding well? you seemed quite upset the last time i spoke with you.
Kid: "I...feel better, mostly. Um...I'm sorry, I don't even know your name."
???: i can understand if you do not recall me much, but i know much of you, kid. you may call me Eibon.
Kid: "Eibon?! The sorcerer inventor?"
Eibon: ah? is that how i am referred to on the surface these days?
Kid: "As far as I have read..." (looks at his father) "Eibon has been under Death City all this time?!"
lord death: indeed. you've met him once before, when you were only a newborn.
eibon: so, what do i owe the pleasure of this visit?
Kid: o_o "I...need time to process. Eibon is under Death City, my father is in a romantic and sexual relationship with Azusa--"
Kid: "And Asura is--" (beat, gets serious) "We are here to discuss Asura, and my and Father's relationship to him."
lord death: now now, lets just take it one step at a time. *sweatdrop*
eibon: ah, yes. do come in.
-inside the shrine, it is much like a house. there was also two sets of stairs, one going up, and one going down.-
-downstairs there is what seems to be a workshop, and a door hidden behind a shelf-
Kid: "Your...home, I take it?"
eibon: my home and workshop yes. *he opens the door to a small room, containing various items*
lord death: so you still kept them?
eibon: at least what i was able to salvage.
Kid: "What...is all that? Your inventions?"
eibon: partially. these were asura's old belongings.
Kid: "...You knew him."
eibon: hmm? ah, yes, i was his godfather. keyword, _was_.
eibon: after the end of the Roma war, the city of Gilgamesh had been left in more ruins then before. the residents fled to other parts of the world. i gathered up as many things as i could, such as the sarcophagus of eternal sleep, and other things. but sadly, two things were lost to the ages.
Kid: "I read about that war...The two items you lost..."
eibon: one was a belonging of my departed father, an old book that was used as a gateway to another world. it was used to seal demons and the worst kind of criminals. it was sealed away to prevent it from being misused.
Kid: "That...is dangerous. And the other item?"
eibon: a music i made for asura. it had a soothing melody to ease the soul... i still remember it. *he takes his ocarina, and begins to play the music box melody*
Kid: o_O "Father! I have that music box!"
lord death: oh?
Kid: "Eibon! Is this device dangerous?"
eibon: of course not. quite the opposite really. it's intention is to ease the soul.
lord death: asura always had awful night terrors. he was always fearful of everything.
Kid: "O-Okay...Just wanting to make sure given...you know, how dangerous some Magic Tools can be...But I find it odd that I happen to find it at that curiosity shop...along with those masks..."
eibon: ah, so thats where it ended up...*sigh* damn grave robbers...
Kid: "...Oh." (looks sad) "I didn't mean to gain some item from such a site..."
eibon: well, its in your possession now. has it done well for you?
Kid: (nods) "It has helped my sleep considerably, especially against nightmares."
eibon: ah...
Kid: "I suppose I have to thank you for that...so, thank you."
eibon: *he smiles*
-later-
Kid: (looking around)
stocking: hey kid. *she smiles* how was it?
Kid: "It's a challenge to come to understand all of this...and I'm scared."
liz: i know, but we're here for you, ok?
Kid: (nods) "But it's not everyone who is related to a...Kishin."
Patty: (hugs Kid) "You are not related to a Kishin. Your dad is your family. And we are your family. And no one here is a Kishin...although Sis gets pretty grumpy some mornings."
liz: *glare*
Patty: (smiles at Liz, pulling her into the hug) "Love you, Sis and Kid. And you too, Stocking! Get in here!"
-some time later-
kim: what do you think this mission is?
Jacqueline: "I don't know. I can't get a read on any of the teachers to know whether this is serious. Have you heard anything, Kilik?"
kilik: *shrug* i think just a normal mission.
stocking: looks like we're doing some infiltration.
Kid: "Infiltrating where?"
liz: lets see.... Baroque Mansion.
Patty: "Infiltrating a mansion?" (light bulb) "Oh! So Sis and me will have to impersonate maids to sneak in?!"
Kid: "...Why would you impersonate maids? Where would you even get maid outfits?"
-one jumpcut later-
stocking: ellen's going to be so pissed with you guys.
Patty: (tugs on her outfit) "Yeah, I think I'm going to end up stretching this thing in the chestical area."
Kid: "Of all the silliness...although, odd enough, those maid outfits look good on you, Liz and Patty...so symmetrical..."
letter: dear DWMA people, please come and help us! my papa and i have been kidnapped by slave traders who are hiding out in the old baroque mansion. im scared and want to go home. please hurry!
stocking: what about me and homura?
Kid: "Yes, you would look good in a maid outfit too..."
Patty: "...Did you just hear yourself, Kiddo?"
Kid: "..." (eyes widen) o\\\\o
homura: we're already wearing our disguises.
stocking: hehe~
Kid: (turns around, looks at Stocking) "...You may keep that outfit...forever."
kirika: ugh, save the barf fest for later.
Patty: "Homura doesn't look bad herself, either! Homura, you'll make me go homina-homina-homina! "
gopher: *staring at the letter*
homura: ..............*facepalm*
Kid: (shakes his head to focus) "So, who will the DWMA have outside the facility as backup while you infiltrate?"
homura: actually, we're all infiltrating the estate.
liz: i think we have some special ops as a backup.
Kid: (inhales) "Something feels off here. We don't know who this child and their father are? Or the names of these enslavers? Or how many there are? What other intelligence do we have?"
homura: we dont know anything else as of yet...
Kid: "Then let's treat this infiltration as gathering intelligence before making a larger move."
-they are taken to the mansion outskirts-
Sid: "We'll have special ops around here. Be safe in there."
liz: right.
-kid, gopher and stocking took the left side, while the thompsons, homura and kirika took the right-
stocking: weird, its like....no one has been here for decades....
Kid: "These cobwebs...I wish I brought cleaning supplies."
gopher: *rolls eyes*.........
Kid: "Hmm...I think there are cracks along these walls...We may be able to see through them into the next room."
-just empty rooms-
-a scream is heard-
stocking: ?!
Kid: "Empty? But where--" (hears the scream) "Follow that scream!"
-they make it to a large room, where a girl is locked in a cage-
Kid: (looking around) "I don't sense any souls...But approach the cage carefully. Gopher, have your lock picking tools ready."
gopher: *gulp* *he opens the lock* you can come out now.
girl: hu...huhuhuhu~ that's your cue~
*footsteps are heard*
Kid: (eyes widen, looks behind, instinctively standing in front of Stocking)
gopher: *his eyes widen* n-no... you're kidding me...
????: "This is quite a menagerie: a shinigami, my former servant...and something altogether different. I have never seen a specimen like that young lady there."
--Noah emerges out of the shadows--
--Noah stares at Stocking--
stocking: who the hell?
Noah: (pulls the book from his side) "What are you, exactly?" (flips through pages, drops a finger on a spot) "Human? Oh, ho ho, no, not human. Something more...ethereal maybe?"
stocking: just who the hell are you?
gopher: noah-sa.....no.... i-i'm not.... what do you want from us?
Noah: "Maybe under the A's?" (flips to the beginning of the book) "An angel! But...something is off. Not quite. A fallen angel? Or maybe..."
Kid: "The hell is this?" (looks to the girl) "What is this? A trap?"
stocking: *pulls her blade out* i dont know what you want, but you better back the hell off.
Noah: (chuckles) "What I want?"
girl: *she is already by noah's side* hehe~ is that him? my useless runaway of a brother?
gopher: w-wha?
Noah: "Tend to your brother's injuries. Make him feel better. We'll be needing him."
girl: huh? hey something's off, he has a soul with wings on it?
Kid: (rushes at Noah) "Bastard!"
Noah: (seizes Kid by the right arm--and breaks it)
Kid: "Ah?!"
kirika: *KICKS THE GIRL AWAY* what the fuck?
stocking: KID!!
Noah: (immediately appears in front of Stocking) "You asked what I wanted?"
stocking: !!!
gopher: it was..a-a trap...
Noah: (sneers, staring at the knife she holds)
kirika: wha- YOU?!
stocking: *holds her sword at his neck* who the fuck are you?!
Kid: "Kirika! Get Gopher!" (looks to Stocking) "Stocking! No! Get back!"
Noah: (leans forward, letting the sword's tip pierce his neck...and no blood comes out)
stocking: *she backs up*
stocking: w-what th hell?!
Noah: (opens his book) "Devil...That sounds about right..."
stocking: what are you talking about?!
--Noah's book opens, and glows--
Kid: "No!" (rushes at Noah, seizing him by his waist with his right arm) "Stocking! Run! Now!"
stocking: !!! *she doesnt know what to do*
Noah: "This is tiresome..."
--A manticore emerges from the Book--and seizes Kid by his broken arm, dragging him away--
Kid: "No!" (reaching his good arm out) "Stocking!"
stocking: KID!!! *she runs for him*
Noah: " 'Stocking'?" (looks at her) "Ah, the sock is your weapon."
--Noah grabs Stocking by her leg, the one still with the sock on it--
stocking: ACK! *she kicks at his face with the other leg*
Noah: (still sneering) "What a nice sensation. Do you know how little I feel? How little that hurts?" (cackles) "That kind of kick wouldn't even tear through paper..."
Noah: "But I want to feel. I want to feel everything. I. Want. Everything."
stocking: *she's terrified* LET GO OF ME!!
Kid: (desperately punching at the manticore, finally freeing from it) (calling into his radio) "Sid! Liz! Help!"
Kid: (desperately trying to run back to Noah and Stocking)
--The Book glows brighter, its pages flipping rapidly--
Noah: "I want you. And I will have you, Devil."
kirika: *slashing at the manticore* you're welcome a-hole.
stocking: !!!!!! KID!!
Kid: "Kirika! Stop Noah!"
Kid: "Stocking!"
--A vacuum slowly is pulling towards Stocking, air whipping up her skirt--
--The Book is going to pull her inside...--
girl: oopsie~ *she punches gopher into a wall*
stocking: KID!!!!!!!
Kid: "Stocking!"
kirika: !!! *she rushes to stop the girl* fuck off brat!
--The Book manages to pull in Stocking's un-socked leg, as Noah tugs on her other leg, dragging more of her into the book...--
stocking: *she tosses a sword into the manticore*
Kid: "NO!" (pulls back his hand, slamming into Noah's face--until his hand is pushed through it) "What the fuck?"
--Noah's face crumbles like paper...then slowly pushes back Kid's hand--
Noah: "I've learned some new tricks. Amazing what knowledge you can amass." (closes his fingers around Kid's face) "Can you say the same?"
Kid: (reaching his hand, desperately to fight back...and instead latches onto Stocking's hand)
kirika: *SHE RUSHES AND JUMP KICKS NOAH'S FACE*
Noah: "Ah!"
stocking: AEROPUNCH! *she punches kid away from noah*
Kid: (lands on his back, groaning) "Stocking..." (eyes widen, he pulls himself up) "Stocking! No!" (he runs to her, holding out his right arm) "Take my hand!"
Noah: (lying on the floor, quietly laughing)
stocking: *desperatly trying to grab on* kid please! i dont....want to lose you kid! i love you too much!
Kid: "Stocking!" (he grabs--and misses. He grabs again--and catches her hand!) "Hang on!"
girl: *she tackles into kid, knocking him back.*
Noah: (laughs) "That's my girl." (sits up, snaps his fingers) "Collect."
--The suction increases, tearing at Stocking--
stocking: KIIIIIIIIIIID!!!!!!!!!
Kid: "No!" (slams his fist into the girl's face) "No!"
--Stocking's face and extended arm is all that is out of the Book: the rest of her has been pulled in--
girl: hehe~
stocking: *SCREAMING*
Kid: (pulls back, launching his fist into her and knocking her off of him) "Stocking!" (he runs, leaps, and tries to grab her hand...)
-its too late, she's been pulled in-
Noah: (slams the book shut) "Mine."
Kid: (shuddering) "No..." (tears welling) "No."
liz: kid!!
Noah: "Child." (points to the girl) "Collect your brother--or what's left of him." (lifts his foot, and slams it into Kid's broken arm)
Kid: (no scream, no pain...just whimpering, shaking with fury)
kirika: *defending gopher* like hell!
gopher: k-kiri..ka?
Noah: (rolls his eyes) "Oh, for crying out loud..." (marches towards Kirika) "You want him that badly? Your little boyfriend?" (looks at Gopher) "You seriously got someone to want you?"
Noah: "I don't even want you in my collection, you puss. You scum. You subhuman garbage."
gopher: s-shut up...
Noah: "The shinigami could not hurt me." (looks at Liz, smirks) "Oh, hey." (looks back at Gopher) "You think you have anything that can stop me?"
akane: how about a military force?
Patty: (transforms into Liz's hands) "Blast him!"
girl: *she returns to noah's side*
liz: when im done with you, there won't be a scrap of you left!
Noah: (rolls his eyes) "Jeez, really?" (wraps a hand around the girl's waist) "Keep Gopher. Consider it a consolation prize." (tips his hat to Kid) "Later."
homura: he's getting away!
--A piece of paper slides out from his hat as he tips it--and starts sucking him and the girl into the Demon Paper--
Patty: "FIRE! FIRE! FIRE!"
liz: *she is hesitant*
Patty: "Liz! Now!"
--DWMA forces shoot repeatedly at Noah and the Girl...but it is too late: they have swirled like energy into the paper--
liz: *she has flashbacks of their brooklyn days, and falls over to her knees*
-the paper burns up-
Patty: "Liz! What're you doing?!"
Kid: (lying on the floor, shuddering, weeping...)
Patty: "Liz!"
homura: where did stocking go?
Kid: (slowly lifts his unbroken right arm into the air...)
Sid: "Where is that girl? Where is Stocking?"
homura: kid....?
Kid: (...and slams his fist into the floor)
Kid: (raises his hand again...and slams it--with a bone-crunching sound)
liz: kid? kid?!
Kid: "My arm...is broken...Not...symmetrical..." (lifts his now broken right hand into the air to slam it down again)
liz: kid! stop it!
Kid: (shoves Liz off of him--and slams again) "Stocking!" (slams again) "Stocking!" (reaches up again...)
*SLAP*
Kid: (stunned)
homura: *she slapped kid across the face, her face stoic, but her eyes tearful.
Patty: (reverts to human form, clutching Kid's arm above him) "Oh, God! It's all blood!" (looks around) "What are you fuckheads doing?! Get help!"
Patty: (sobbing) "Get a doctor! Now!"
Kid: (crying) "Kill me...Kill me..."
kirika:......
liz: kid! what happened?
Kid: "She's gone...Devil. That devil took her. He took her!"
Kid: "Kill me! Kill me!"
liz: what do you mean he took her?!
Patty: (still holding Kid's arm, sobbing)
homura:....
Kid: "Noah! The book! He took her! He took--Kill!"
gopher:.....
Sid: "Gopher!" (approaches him) "Stay with me, kid. Noah. What did he do?"
gopher:....*he starts crying* i-im sorry....im sorry....
Sid: "It's not your fault, Gopher. What did Noah do? Just tell me."
Kid: "Die...I...die..."
gopher: he captured her in his book... i...*he passes out*
Sid: "Oh God."
kirika: g-gopher! dont you fuckin' die on me you idiot! i...i dont...want to lose anyone else....
Sid: "Medical! Naigus! Get here, now!"
Kid: "Die...We all die...I want to die..."
Patty: "Shut up. Shut your fucking mouth now...you are no coward, and I am not listening to this..." (leans down to Kid) "You are not! You are not!!"
--A month passes--
liz: *knocks kid's door* please kid. open the door.
Patty: "..." (stares at Liz)
Kid: (in the corner of his room)
Patty: "Stop asking him to open and just knock it down. Or do you think you can't do that, Elizabeth?"
liz: kid, please. we're all trying to find her as best as we can.
Patty: (glares at Liz)
Kid: "..."
Patty: "You really don't know anything." (pulls out a lockpick--and opens the door herself) "Useless."
liz: ..... kid... please...
Kid: (holds up his hands--healed, but...there is something along them...)
Patty: "!"
liz:... !!!!! KID?! WHERE DID YOU GET THIS?!
Kid: "Pain."
liz: *she forces the box cutter out of his hands*
Patty: (takes the box cutter from Liz, holding it in front of Kid) "No! No!" (tosses it aside, into the hallway)
Kid: (shoving Liz and Patty aside, crawling to the hallway)
liz: *she holds him down* no! ellen!
Patty: "Sis! grab him!"
ellen: *she takes the cutter and leaves* this is going under lock and key.
Kid: "Stop! Stop it, you--you--fucking--"
*SMACK*
liz: DEATH THE KID YOU GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!!
Kid: "W-What?"
Patty: (still glaring at Liz) "Good one, Sis."
Kid: "Liz? Why would you do that?"
liz: you cant keep tearing yourself up over this! i know you miss her! but you trying to kill yourself 24/7 wont help things!!
Kid: "...How easy would it be for you to die, Liz?"
liz: ??
Kid: "A human like you: what would it take? How long for you to bleed out from a cut? Or to suffocate?"
liz: kid stop.
Patty: "...Oh God..." (seizes Kid by his shoulders) "You shut up. You shut up right now about my sister!"
Kid: "How hot would the temperature have to be to burn you alive, Patty?" (looks up...his eyes are dead) "That is what I want. But I can't. I am a shinigami. I cannot be killed so easily...It's funny, isn't it?" (he laughs) "I'm Death itself--and I can't die!" (keeps laughing) "I want to die, and I can't! Isn't that hilarious?!" (keeps laughing, as the tears are falling down his face)
Patty: (lets go of Kid...and falls back on her behind. She scampers back toward Liz. She reaches for her hand)
liz: KID JUST STOP THIS! please...*tears are streaming down her cheeks* stocking wouldnt want you doing this you yourself.
Kid: (he stops laughing. The smile fades.) "Stocking..." (he tries to hold back the tears...and he can't: he starts sobbing) "I...I..."
liz:.....
Patty: "Kiddo..." (brings Liz's hand to Kid, guiding it to clutch him)
Kid: "...I hurt you...my own weapons...I'm a monster."
liz: kid. you arent a monster...
Kid: "I'm not human. What even am I? I'm a worm...a worm who feeds on the decay of others...who leads others to death...Joe...Maka...S-Sto-ck-k-king..."
liz:....*she hugs him* shhhh, there there, we're gonna find her, i promise...
Patty: "Not human?" (clutches him) "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard--so dumb only a human could say that. Stocking is not dead, you idiotic human."
Kid: (silent, just letting them hug him)
Patty: *sniff* "I'm sorry, Sis..."
-that night-
Patty: (hugging Liz) "I'm sorry..."
liz: its going to be ok...
-in the garden-
Kid: (swings the rope over the branch)
Kid: (whistling)
-a fox watches him-
Kid: (drags the bucket and turns it upside down. Stands on it, holds the rope to his head) "Not taught enough...Have to make the rope a little higher.."
Kid: (about to make the rope higher--then spots the fox...and stares)
fox: what are you doing there?
Kid: "...Killing myself. What business is it of a fox? Actually, what business is it of a fox to talk?"
fox: that sounds dumb. i just needed to get some air for a while... kotone's been an absolute nightmare recently.
Kid: (distracted from the rope) " 'Kotone'?"
fox: yeah, she's kind of my 'owner', more of 'some psychotic brat that kidnapped me from the wild and likes to abuse me for her own entertainment.
Kid: (removes the rope from around his neck) "That's horrible!" (gets off the bucket, approaches the fox) "Where is she? How can we stop her?"
fox: its kinda complicated.. you see, her dad is some weird magic user with some magic mumbo-jumbo book.
Kid: (blank stare) "...You have to be kidding me."
fox: i wish. and it's gotten worse since they brought in that girl. from what i can hear, he's doing some...really nasty things to her.
Kid: "...Oh God...Please, what is the name of this man and this girl?"
fox: didnt get the girl's name, but the guy, his name is...noah i think?
Kid: "..." (slowly smiles) "You just saved my life.. because you just saved that girl."
fox: huh?
Kid: "What is your name? What do you call yourself?"
fox: just call me 'chelsea'. now what did you mean by what you were sayin just now?
Kid: "Chelsea...A month ago, Noah kidnapped someone. Her name is Stocking. And I love her. She is my life. She is what makes me live. And with your help, we could save her and give you your freedom."
chelsea: oh really? how do you plan on doing that? you dont even know where this place is.
Kid: "Chelsea, would you be willing to lead me?"
chelsea: well...if it keeps ya from makin' an ass of yourself. follow me.
Kid: "Wait--we're going to need help. Can I bring some friends?"
chelsea: if ya wanna risk getting them killed.
Kid: "We're not going to die...not now. Liz! Patty! I need you!"
-they seem busy-
\do you want to risk them getting hurt?\
Kid: "Chelsea, stay here, please?"
Kid: (looks back to the Mansion) "Forgive me, Liz, Patty...Chelsea, take me there."
chelsea: *she brings kid to a forest alcove, where a page is attached to a tree*
Kid: "A page? Is this from Noah's book?"
chelsea: yeah, it will lead into another world. a world full of monsters and demons. i was lucky to make it out the first time, but...
Kid: "But?"
chelsea: this is a lesser page, where it takes you is completely random. we might not even end up in the same place as each other. if that happens, do me a favor.
Kid: "Name it."
chelsea: beware the woman who swims in the dark abyss... not sure what it means, but i heard it a lot in there. and consider the kinda people living in there, i dont want to see this lady.
Kid: "...Lady in the dark abyss? Did she look like she wore stocking--You know what, forget it. I'll deal with that if I come upon her. How do we enter?"
chelsea: just jump right in.
Kid: (gulps, steps back) "For Stocking...Here I go!" (runs forward to jump in)
-you arent sure where you are. it looks like a monochrome forest. it seems to go on for days-
Kid: (looks around) "Can I even sense anyone in here?" (attempts soul perception)
-nothing-
--Kid takes his first step and moves forward--
-back at the mansion-
liz: KID?! KID?!?!
Patty: "...Oh God...Sis! The Garden!"
liz: *she notices the gate is open* oh no...this is bad!
Patty: "And a big-ass noose on the fucking tree!" (looks at the ground) "And are those dogprints?! What the fuck happened?!"
-later-
-the mansion organizes a meeting with some of the others-
soul:....
homura: *she takes the rope and examines it*
Patty: (slapping her head) "Bad, bad, bad..."
Azusa: (snatches Patty's hand) "Stop that. This is not your fault."
Black Star: (looks at the footprints) "Vague, but might be able to follow..." (then sees something else) "Hey, these are dogprints?" (dips a finger, licks the dirt) "No...coyote?! When are there coyotes around here?"
homura: well, the memory on the rope showed kid speaking to a fox...
free: why dont i sniff this out? *sniffs the rope*
Black Star: "Got the scent?"
free: *he follows it to the clearing* it ends here, weird.
homura:.... *she touches a tree* there was a page there
Black Star: "A page?" (looks to Soul) "What would a page be doing here?"
soul: *shrug*
gopher: it has to be a page from the book of eibon...
Patty: "Can we get another one?"
Azusa: "..." ("Would Eibon have it?")
lord death:.... follow me.
Azusa: "Come along, everyone."
-in the catacombs-
Azusa: "This way, everyone."
Patty: "Creepy..."
kirika: where even are we?
Black Star: (drip of water from above hits him) "Hey!"
Azusa: "Catacombs."
free: you ok eruka?
Eruka: "F-Fine...Just feel like my skin is crawling."
free:.... -you feel your sins crawling on your back-
Eruka: (eyes widen) "I...AH!!!"
free: eruka?! you ok?
Eruka: "Stop! Stop it! I'm sorry! Just stop it!" (scratching at her skin)
free: *he hugs her* just breath, iiiin.
Black Star: "Soul! Hold her arms! Stop her!"
Eruka: (panting, gasping, struggling to hold herself together)
kim: *holds her down* its ok eruka!
Azusa: "..."
lord death: we're almost there.
Eruka: (calmer) "Thank you, Kim..." ("Huh--DWMA Witch is good for something...")
Black Star: "Dude, what the hell was that?"
free: she-... its nothing.... do you want to go back, eruka?
Eruka: (shakes her head) "Keep going."
free:...come on. *he gives her a piggy-back ride*
-they arrived-
inori: hm? father? we have visitors....
eibon: oh? well this is... what brings you all down here?
Azusa: (slight smile)
Black Star and Patty: "...Can we wear that mask, mister?"
kim: waaait whats inori doing downhere?
inori: i live here.
kim: wait really?..........i literally thought you were homeless.
Azusa: "We have an important discussion to have with you, Eibon."
eibon: is that right?
Azusa: "Kid is missing, and your book may be the key."
eibon: !!
Azusa: "Do you have an option to help us?"
eibon: *he goes into his study and takes out the book of eibon* lets see...
gopher: wait...thats not the same book noah used. it was brown and had a gold 's' on it...i think it was an 's'...
Azusa: "An 's'? Eibon, do you know of this?"
eibon: *his blood runs cold* it couldnt be....thats.... that describes my father's book. the book of Enoch.
-after an explanation of what the book is-
Patty: (grabbing Liz) "Oh no..."
lord death: please, we need to prepare. there is something inside that world kid must never meet.
-back in wherever-
Kid: "I feel like I've walking for an hour..."
-the silence is almost deafening. a figure is seen in the distance-
Kid: "...Lady in the Abyss...Better keep my wits about me..."
--Kid approaches the figure, silently--
???: *the figure turns its head.*
-it looked like stocking-
Kid: (stops) "Stocking?"
-the figure takes off, deeper into the immense fog-
Kid: "Wait! It's me, Kid! Come back!"
-though you are fearful, the love burning for that person, it fills you with determination-
Kid: "Come back!" (he pushes himself to run faster) "Stocking! Don't leave!"
-there is a dark lake she stands in front of.-
Kid: (in the back of his mind..."Lady...Abyss...What was that...? No, it _is_ Stocking! It has to be her!") "Stocking! Please!" (practically crying) "Don't leave me!"
-she leans in...-
*splash*
Kid: "Wh-What?"
\kid\
Kid: "...No..."
\kid, please help me!\
-her reflection reaches for you-
Kid: "Stocking!" (he plunges his hand down towards the water...)
\Through the woods a young man came sadly. Something broken in his chest. He had dared to love another. Alas, no better than the rest. Up my path the man came gladly. Something opened up my doors. I longed to stop his bleeding heart. So I called him to my shores. Those you trust will hurt you badly. Something now I'm sure you see. So drown your tears in me my dear. As you drown, my dear, in me.\
Kid: "..." (Gasps--he feels like he can't breathe...)
-something grabs his hand and pulls him under-
Kid: "?!" (he is suffocating, unable to reach air, covered in dark waters...)
\oh pitiful child. you've suffered greatly\
Kid: (losing focus--"What--What is happening?!" Sees the body of Stocking, just floating. "Save her!" He forces himself to swim to her, her face turned away and hidden by her long hair...)
Kid: (He is losing consciousness, dying somehow of oxygen deprivation)
-oddly, you can breath here?-
Kid: (gasps--and swallows water...but also air?) "What the hell?" (he says aloud)
\you poor child. you've been through so much these past days...\
Kid: "Stocking! What is happening?" (he shakes the unconscious body, her face covered by the long hair) "Look at me!"
-the face is dark, with two red lights for eyes-
stocking?: and tell me. you came here for that girl, yes?
Kid: "...You are not her..." (seizes her shoulders) "Where. Is. Stocking?"
\you're a strange one~ how can you love a filthy half-blood like her~?\
Kid: " 'Half-blood'?"
\that girl is of angel decent, but she also carries the blood of a demon.\
Kid: "...No..." (shakes his head) "You lie."
\she's a monster that shouldnt exist. much like you~\
Kid: (slams his wrist around her throat) " 'Monster'? You shut your fucking mouth right now."
\how cruel of you to hurt that girl~\
Kid: "I think you're confused...I am a shinigami. I judge not by gender...I judge by the quality of character..." (stares at her) "I love you, Stocking. No matter what. And I will find you, and we are going home."
\you know i'm not that girl...yet you still call out to her... how foolish, considering it is because of _you_ she was trapped here\
Kid: (smirks) "My father gave me some advice a long time ago: 'Kill them with kindness...' I am appealing to your humanity: help me rescue her. You take her appearance--you had best bring me to her, or I will beat you until you let go of her appearance and reveal your true image. Where is Stocking?"
\she comes and goes... i can see into her head, oh what horror's she has seen.\
-the figure takes the form of asura-
\and what of you?\
Kid: (gasps, lets go of their throat)
\you know that many centuries ago asura was next in line to be the shinigami. he was the first born. and had things gone to plan, he'd be the grim reaper.\
Kid: "Stop this. You stop this now!"
\just think of it. if things had gone differently you would not be here... all things considered...\
\Y O U S H O U L D N O T E V E N E X I S T\
Kid: "Shut up!" (swings to punch)
\just give up... its your own fault she's suffering here...\
stocking?: it hurts kid... why didnt you save me? you couldnt protect me...
Kid: (eyes widen) "Stocking?"
*slice*
stocking?: ahahahaha how pathetic~!
Kid: "Gah..." (notices the slash along his chest...bleeding...) "No...I did everything I could for you...Why?"
stocking?: then prove it... make your way to the other side of this world...
\and kill everyone and anyone in your way...\
Kid: "...Yes..."
stocking?: do you truly love me? would you kill for me?
Kid: (smiles gently, putting a hand along her cheek) "Yes, my angel..." (he lets his other hand rest on the side of her neck)
stocking??: good boy~ *she smiles a twisted smile*
\there are many forms of madness. the madness of fear, of order, of anger, of knowledge, of power...but also...\
\the madness of love\
Kid: (his eyes welling as he smiles) "I love you, Stocking...I will kill for you..."
Kid: (lines form along his face, along his chin--but his tears fall more, as his voice cracks...) "Starting with you..."
Kid: (snaps ‘stocking's’ neck)
\you really would kill her just like that?\
Kid: (the lines still along his chin) "That was not her. And if I have to kill every last thing in this pit, I will do so..." (turns with vicious eyes--as he can't stop crying) "I will kill all!"
-elsewhere-
gopher: ok, stay close you guys.
Patty: "Wh-What should we be expecting?"
gopher: monsters, criminals, those who have lost their way...
Black Star: (smiles) "So we get to kick ass and rescue Kid? That's a two-fer."
liz: and maybe get stocking back in the process...
Patty: (smiles) "That would be good, Sis."
gopher: not sure where we are, but i think we're in the 1st level now. we'll have to deal with the first boss monster, a succubus.
soul: fantastic...
Black Star: "Succubus?"
Patty: "Wait...Do you mean...?"
gopher: most likely a demon noah had captured some time before.
Patty: "But I remember hearing about succubuses-es...What do they do again?"
homura: last i checked, they attempt to seduce humans and feed upon their life energy.
Black Star: " 'Seduce'? Like...you mean they get all...pervy?"
liz: fantastic.
Patty: "...Ew. I hope their hands aren't all clammy or something."
soul: i think i'll manage..... *arm scythe*
???: (giggling)
liz: EEK!
Patty: "What? What?! What was that?! (And why am I as jumpy as Big Sis?)"
--This environment is made of curtains, which seem to be undulating, as if someone is behind them--
???: "Heh heh heh~"
homura: *aims her gun* show yourselves.
???: "Oh, please don't point that big thing at me, sweetie..."
--A bare leg stretches out from behind the curtain--
???: "Unless you really want to ~ "
Black Star: (blushing, gulps) "S-Succubus?"
liz: oh my god!...what the hell is with that hair?!
-BATTLE START-
Succubus: "Hmmph..." (pushes her breasts together behind her...apron?) "You like? I had it styled..." (saunters towards Black Star, rubbing his chin) "And the carpet matches the drapes, sweetie..."
[fight] [act] [item] [mercy]
Black Star: "Hum, um, I-I-I, wh-what?"
--Black Star chooses [incoherence]--
Patty: -_- "She's not that hot."
Succubus: "Ah, I was hoping for more men here...I suppose women can work, too..." (sways over to Homura)
-homura chooses [examine]-
Succubus: (leans forward at Homura, showing her vast cleavage) "How are you, cutie? You want to do something with that long, big gun of yours..."
homura: [explain] we're looking for our friends who were trapped here.
--The Succubus. HP: 90. But what she lacks in endurance, she makes up for in [Charisma], [Confusion], and [Adolescent Awkwardness]--
Succubus: (stretches her hands over her head, hiking up her apron just a bit to expose more thigh) "You'll have to be more descriptive..."
liz: [defense] *liz psyches herself up*
Patty: (looks confused at Liz)
Black Star: [explain] "Uh...A guy with black hair and three stripes in it?"
Succubus: (smirks) "A shinigami?"
soul: [defense] and a girl with blue-pink hair, too.
Succubus: (laughs) "Oh, that specimen is most interesting...Her screams are practically..orgasmic." (offers a hand to Soul) "I could guide you to the one who has captured her...if you'll give me something, young man."
soul: [item] *soul gives her the porno mag* i dont know why i kept this... i dont even need it anymore. so you can have this.
Black Star: "...What the fuck?"
Succubus: (pouts) "I was hoping for your...essence. But I guess this will have to do...Sigh...Pictures are nothing like the real thing..." (twirls a finger around above her, summoning a circular portal in the sky over them) "Hop in..."
-VICTORY-
gopher: well, that worked...sorta.... come on.
-entering level two-
Patty: "What exactly is in Level 2?"
liz: *sniff* smells good...
Black Star: "Yeah...I feel...hungry?"
gopher: everything in this level....it kind of wants to eat you. the boss here is the 'pig'. really nasty lookin thing too. he may have been human at one point.
Succubus: "Ho ho ho, some young boys and girls with appetites?" (whispering in Tsubaki's ear) "I like people with good taste...and so does the Pig."
tsubaki: HOW DID YOU- how did you follow us in here?
Succubus: "Who else will lead you, cutie?" (wraps her arms around Tsubaki) "Did you wish to find a different guide?" (pouts) "That would hurt my feelings."
gopher: well, thanks. and after this one, i have no idea what to expect. you and pig are the only area bosses i know...
Succubus: "Have fun with that one..." (pokes Gopher in the nose) "You'll need it...I'll wait to see how this battle ends..." (swirls and vanishes) "I'll be back..."
Black Star: "...So we have to fight a pig? How hard can that be?" (sniff sniff) "But I can't fight on an empty stomach--let's get some grub!" (runs into a restaurant)
waitress: we could use some help in the back, mind helpin us~?
Black Star: "If it gets me more food more quickly, sure!"
Patty: "Free food?! I'm in, too! Come on, Sis! Free food!"
tsubaki: um.... *notices the patrons giving them odd looks*
Black Star: (pops into the backroom) "So, what'd you guys need?"
chef: come on in...
Patty: (coming towards the backroom as Black Star talks)
Black Star and Patty: (enter)
tsubaki: *follows*
liz: *sniff* *smells like cooked meat and....blood?*
Patty: "Wow, you guys like the color red around here...Red uniforms, red walls, red floor, red food."
Black Star: " 'Red food'?"
waitress: *GRINS WIDELY AND HOLDS UP A KNIFE* dinner's served~
Patty: "Super!" (looks back and forth) "But where is it?"
chef: we just loooove to serve our customers.
Black Star: "Um...Okay?"
-a man is layed out on the table, being gutted open-
man: eat up ok?
Black Star and Patty: o_o
Patty: "Sis! Weapon now!"
Black Star: "Tsubaki! Let's show them how we cut up people!"
-waitress and chef attack-
Black Star: (wielding Tsubaki) "Soul Resonance, Go!"
tsubaki: right!
Patty: (aims Liz) "Bang bang bang!" (fires at the chef)
liz: have a nice dream.
Black Star: (rushes the waitress, slashing at her)
-the enemies are defeated, obtained the waitress uniform and the butcher's knife-
Patty: (in the waitress outfit) "Am I pretty?"
-yes it does, and it increases your skill points recieved in crafting-
gopher: but where's the area boss?
Black Star: (playing with the butcher's knife) "No clue..." (sniff) "You smell bacon?"
gopher: ah!!
-BATTLE START-
pig: *the pig drools and brandishes his blades*
[fight] [act] [item] [mercy]
Black Star: "...Huh." [fight] "Gaaaaaah!" (swings Tsubaki at him)
pig: *takes 26 damage*
Patty: (leaps up in the waitress outfit, firing shots at the Pig) "This little Piggy wanted hot lead!"
gopher: ok. *casts blaze beta*
pig: *hp reduced to 62*
Black Star: "And this little Piggy got sliced up royally! Go, Tsubaki!"
-slash attack-
pig: *slashes at patti*
Patty: "Arg!" (clutches her shoulder)
Black Star: "Patty!"
homura: *gives patti a healing item*
Patty: "You wonderful nurse..." (aims again at the Pig) "Let's finish this!"
-call in a support?-
Black Star: knocked down by the Pig) "Could use some help here!"
-summon succubus into the battle?-
Black Star: "Even that pervy sucky-person!"
--A hole slams through the wall of the restaurant--
-succubus joins the battle!-
Succubus: "You call li'l ole me?"
Succubus: "Hi, Piggy!"
pig: *pig seems confused as why she is outside her zone*
Succubus: "What? I can't pay a visit? Now, let these cuties go..." (slides fingers along his neck) "Or I pierce you against that wall..."
pig: *pig grunts, but obliges.*
Succubus: (pinches his cheeks) "Onward, you sexy beasts!" (opens a portal) "Just a few more chapters to the hidden spot!"
-new area-
gopher: ok, from here out, i have no clue what to expect.
Patty: "Jeez, don't you know anything? ... Does anyone else feel kinda irritable?"
-a croud rushes past, screaming in terror-
liz: oook... what was that?
minotaur: *THE MINOTAUR CHARGES AT YOU*
-many levels later-
[Wrath = Minotaur. Envy = I don't know, demonic baby versions of the characters. Pride = ???. Greed = Something involving Soul desiring to get back what he lost...] [sloth I guess]
-the final area-
-there is a dark fog around the area... creepy dolls and dead bodies litter the area-
-an omnipresent air fills the area, but you stay determined-
Patty: "Oh my God..."
Black Star: "Keep moving, guys. It can't be too far...Anyone sense a soul or anything around here?"
soul: my head hurts... ngh... m-ma..k-ka....
Black Star: "Keep it together, Soul." (puts an arm around him) "Stay with me."
liz: *she hears a voice up ahead*
gopher: hmph, how annoying...that succubus completely ditched us...
homura: *she examines a tree. there is a bloody heart with the initials 'K' and 'S' written inside*
Patty: "K? Kid? S? Stocking! Oh, man, I'm getting creepy vibes..."
-in a path of blood is written; forever, and ever, and ever, and ever...-
homura: we should keep going forwards.
Black Star: "Damn, Kid...Stocking...What the hell did this place even do to you two..."
Patty: (slowly moving) "Sis? What is going to happen?"
liz: i dont know....
Patty: (holds her hand) "Kid..."
-there is a chapel looking building up ahead-
Black Star: "What's a church doin' here?"
homura:.... *she opens the door. at the end of the corridor, is a doll of stocking in a black gown, and someone else...*
Patty: "Oh no..."
Patty: "Sis, is that...?"
liz: k...kid?
Kid: (his back to them) "Honored guests...I'm so happy to have you here..."
Black Star: "...Tsubaki...be ready..."
soul: kid? you ok man?
Kid: (turns, revealing a frown...and a chin decorated with five vertical lines. Then he sneers)
Mad!Kid: "I hadn't even sent you invitations, and you still came! How wonderful!"
liz: *her eyes widen* k-kid...?
Mad!Kid: "Welcome, to our wedding! Say hello to our guests, my bride..." (takes the doll of Stocking, waving its hand at them) (falsetto) "Hello, everyone!"
homura: ......
gopher: O_O and i thought i was creepy...
Patty: "Sis...?"
liz: kid? what are you talking about?
Mad!Kid: "I'm a married man now, Liz!" (sets down Stocking on a pedestal--and kisses her forehead) "Who wants the bouquet?" (holds up dead flowers)
homura: kid....thats not stocking....
Patty: (hugging Liz) "We're here to take you home, Kid..."
Mad!Kid: "Home? But I still have my honeymoon!"
soul: with a doll?
Black Star: "Dude, if you have a honeymoon with _that_, you got problems..."
--The bouquet slams into Soul's face--
soul: OW! shit... *he was cut by the rose's thorns*
Mad!Kid: "You DARE cast aspersions on the woman I love!"
gopher: damn, this isnt good...
Mad!Kid: (glares) “the lady of the abyss said I could be reunited with her, all I have to do…. Is kill everyone."
Black Star: (gasps) "Tsubaki!"
[lord death: in that world, exists a lady that swims in the darkness. a woman known as Pandora.]
tsubaki: right!
Patty: "No!"
Black Star: (it is too late--he is rushing at Kid, who simply stands...)
liz: BLACK*STAR WAIT!
Black Star: (swings the sword down...)
[eibon: she was to be executed for her crimes, but she had become too strong for them.]
Black Star: (freezes...then coughs blood) "W-What?"
Mad!Kid: (smirks) "Stocking has my heart forever..."
Patty: (shocked, crying)
Mad!Kid: (tightens his grip along Black Star's chest) "Who has yours?"
tsubaki: black*star!!
tsubaki: *changes back and kicks him away*
Mad!Kid: "Omph! ... Heh. Hee hee hee! You finally show yourself instead of hiding, Tsubaki? Or are you just going to scream your meister's name some more?"
[eibon: as a last resort, i took my father's spell book and sealed her inside, though it was difficult.]
tsubaki: kid please, stop this! this isnt the real you!
Mad!Kid: "Shut up!" (kicks Tsubaki in the face)
gopher: hey kid! listen to me! you arent in your own mind! that demoness, Pandora, she's manipulating you!
Mad!Kid: (picks up Tsubaki by her face) "You have her voice...My bride needs her voice back..." (removes a knife from his pocket) "I'll carve it out of you, you thief. Open the box, retrieve Stocking's voice..." (leans the knife against Tsubaki's skin) "Take back what is mine..."
gopher: FEATHER BULLET!
Mad!Kid: "Ugh!" (the feather pierces through his forehead and out the back) "..." (he collapses back)
Patty: "Kid!"
Black Star: (fighting back the pain) "No way...he is taken out that easily...Tsubaki! Please, God, tell me you are..."
gopher: he'll live, but it buys us time.
tsubaki: *panting and coughing* i-im ok...
Mad!Kid: (muttering) "Angel...Demon...Angel...Demon..."
homura: kid. listen to me... we want to help you.
Black Star: (smiles, trying to hide tears) "Should've known...no weapon of mine dies that easily..."
Mad!Kid: "Stocking?"
homura: kid, please, its me homura, remember? *she kneels down next to him*
Mad!Kid: "She promised...if I killed everyone in the world, I would have her back. Why would she lie?" (sobbing) "She's going to be lost forever."
*SLAP*
Black Star: "!"
homura: KID LISTEN TO ME! we can still help her. but not with you lost in madness like this!
Mad!Kid: "...Homura!"
--Kid sits up--
Kid: "How dare you slap me on only one side of my face!"
homura: here, hold this. *she gives him one of stocking's namesake socks*
Patty: "...You brought her socks?"
Kid: "...St-Stocking's?"
liz: shh.
homura: people arent the only ones who can carry memories.
Patty: (frowns) "You shh!" (thinking) "Oh, hey! I'm not as mopey now! Kiddo's back!"
Kid: "..." (cries into the sock) "Stocking..."
[Black Star: (coughs) "Yeah, Kid's back. My chest is cracked in eight places, but he's back. Whoop-dee-doo..."]
-you are shown memories, memories with stocking. during happy times, sad times, silly times, intimate times-
Kid: o_o "Wh-What is all this?"
homura: memories. memories of the objects.
--Kid remembers first seeing her fight. He remembers staring at her in class and at lunch, following her after school to ask her name.--
[gopher: *gives black*star a full heal* quit whining you baby]
[Patty: (whispers) "And memories of her foot fungus..."]
[Black Star: (whispers) "You're the baby! Diaper-wearing baby!"]
--Kid sees Halloween, battles, study sessions...He sees forgiveness, love, compassion, joy...He sees all of her...--
-stocking smiles at you-
--She descends down on angel's wings, and holds a hand to him. And she says...--
-stocking: i love you kid.-
Kid: "Stocking...I will always love you...Angel."
-the chapel area vanishes, as does the doll.-
Kid: (clutches the sock) "Stocking..."
gopher: i think i see the exit up ahead.
Patty: (lifts Kid up) "Do you remember me?" (holds him up to Liz) "Do you remember her?" (looks to Liz) "Welcome him back, Sis!"
liz: ki-....KIIIIIIIDDDD!!! *she cries and hugs him* YOU DUMMY WE WERE WORRIED SICK ABOUT YOU!!
Kid: (slammed against her) "Can't...breathe! And I thought...the water...was bad..."
Patty: (slams against Kid) "Stupid! Moron! Idiot! Loveable Kiddo!"
Black Star: (slams against Kid, too) "Welcome back!"
soul: good to have you back man....come on, we have to go save your girlfriend.
Kid: (sad eyes at Soul) "Thank you."
gopher: *rolls eyes* well, i look forwards to seeing kirika pick on you again idiot reaper.
Kid: (laughs) "Your v-shape frown is still offensive."
gopher: *sticks out his tongue*
liz: come on you two, lets get out of this crazy place.
Kid: "Not without Stocking."
gopher: she should be through that portal.
Kid: "...But why would the Lady of the Abyss direct me here, if the portal is there?"
gopher:....we'll explain later.
-in noah's base-
kotone: hmmm? papa, the book is acting odd.
Noah: "Busy indexing my collection. (Should it be alphabetical or chronological?) What is the book doing?"
kotone: O______O;;;;;; *she stares at the people before her* pa- *mouth covered by gopher*
gopher: if you want to keep your kneecaps, tell us where the girl is.
Noah (doesn't turn around or follow, exiting the room): "Just take care of it. I'll get to the problem when I can. (And I thought Gopher needed to be held by the hand...)"
Patty: "Maybe we need to open a new mouth in her...How about we blast one through her face?"
kotone: Q-Q *she gets the key and gives it to them* *she glares at chelsea* hey stupidface, go show them the cage.
chelsea: *she guides them to the door*
Patty: "...Your name is Stupidface?"
chelsea: its chelsea, actually. she's just a brat.
kotone: *held at bladepoint* eeh?
soul: you're not goin' anywhere brat.
-in the dungeons-
Kid: "Dungeons. Where is she?"
Kid: "I-I can't sense her..."
chelsea: here. *she paws a door*
-stocking is chained by her wrists to a wall, bruises on her skin. she's trembling-
Kid: (gasps, struggling to be quiet...he approaches slowly) (whispers) "Stocking?"
stocking:.... *she doesnt seem to notice*
Kid: (approaches, approaches the chains...) "Black Star."
Black Star: (nods, limps over...)
Kid: "Take the chains, and be ready to catch her..."
stocking:.......
Black Star and Kid: (take the chains--and rip them off the wall, freeing her, waiting for her body to fall into their hands to catch her)
stocking: *she lands in kid's arms* ...........
-she's breathing-
--Her back is bare, the clothes there ripped...and there are two scars along the back--
Kid: (cringes) "Oh, God..." (feels her breath) "She's alive. Gopher, get us out of here."
tsubaki: !!! oh my god...
gopher: right.
chelsea: hey take me with you guys!
Black Star: "What do you think, Kid?"
Kid: "...After this experience, I'm not sure anyone should be here...Why are you here, Chelsea?"
soul: i think we may have a problem...
Kid: "?"
gopher: !!!
Noah: "Thank you, little fox: you brought me more collectibles. Good job"
chelsea: *snarls*
kotone: PAPA THEY'RE TRYING TO GET AWAY WITH THE HALFBLOOD FREAK!
--A shot fires through Kotone's body--
Kid: "Good shot, Liz."
kotone: *SCREAMING*
--Kid is holding only Liz in his hand. This is serious: symmetry be damned--
liz: ok, we're just going to be leaving now, ok?
stocking: *she's visibly terrified*
Noah: (glances at Kotone) "She was in mint condition, too..." (pushes her aside) "You damaged my goods."
kotone: p-pa..pa...i-it hurts...
Noah: "SHUT UP! ... The adults are talking."
gopher: she's in pain!
Noah: (rushes at Gopher, slamming him by the throat and into the wall, then down to the ground) "Shut up, you weaking. SHUT UP!"
Kid: (holds Stocking closer) "It's going to be okay..." (to Noah) "You hurt her. Your sentence is death...Soul and Chelsea, get Stocking and Gopher out of here."
gopher: burn in hell. *feather bullets him in the stomach*
soul: on it! *picks up stocking and runs off*
--The feather fly through him like paper--
chelsea: *bites noah's ankle*
Noah: "Heh. That tickles..." (backhands Chelsea, stands up) "Fine. Take the failure." (stamps his foot onto Gopher's back) "All broken pieces of him..."
Kid: "...Liz, Patty. Transform."
gopher: *he gets up and grabs kotone, carrying her with him*
liz: right!
Patty: "On it! Blast this motherfucker!"
tsubaki: *takes chelsea and flees*
Kid: "Black Star, get them out of here. Noah is mine."
Black Star: "...Liz? Is he alright for this?"
gopher:..... take her with you, i need to do something...
liz: *takes several shots at noah*
Noah: "Cyclops!"
--The wall of the jail cell shatters, revealing the brute--
--The Cyclops slams into Kid, knocking Liz loose from his hand--
liz: ack!
gopher: *runs back, clutching something*
gopher: TAKE YOUR WEAPON AND RUN!
--The Cyclops bites at Kid's wrist, threatening to rip it--and Patty--with it--
Patty: "Kid!"
Kid: "Patty!"
Noah: (looks at Liz) "Little girl...You're the one who was afraid to shoot me, aren't you? You know what I did to that demon friend of yours?"
liz: what?
Noah: "The halfbreed that the Shinigami came to rescue--that little repository for all of his desires. Do you know what I did to that angel-demon hybrid?"
gopher: *sends a feather bullet into the cyclops' eye*
liz: what are you talking about?
Kid: "Ah!" (the monster removes its grip on his wrist) "Patty! Fire at him!"
Noah: "Her screams were the best part. I forced her to show her wings...and I enjoyed letting my fingers trace along them. Did you know angel wings can re-grow? That was surprising..."
liz: !!!
--A shot fires through Noah's torso--
Noah: "...Huh. That was rude. I AM TALKING HERE!" (seizes Liz by her wrist) "What was I discussing? Please, remind me."
liz: you're horrible.
Noah: (pulls him towards her) "You have no idea...Why don't I show you? You are hardly worth my collection...but I did lose Chelsea to you: I need a new street urchin to organize my collection."
Patty: "Sis! Get away from him!"
liz: let go of me you fuck!
--Another shot fire through Noah's abdomen--
Noah: "Heh heh heh..." (punches Liz in the stomach) "You come with me..."
liz: *coughing blood* *she kicks him*
Noah: "Arg! Bitch!"
Kid: "...Gopher. What do I need to do to kill him?"
liz: heh, not the worst i've heard.
gopher: i have a plan, but we need to get liz out of there!
--Noah's grip loosens--
Noah: "I'll shut that mouth up, until the only word you scream is 'Stop.'"
liz: *she shoots his hand*
Noah: "ARG! My hand! My collection is nothing with it!"
Kid: "He's lost his mind...Liz! Here! Now!"
liz: *knees him in the crotch and runs back*
gopher: now who's the weakling?!
Noah: (squeak) "...Weakling? How is this for a weakling?!" (flings his hand--sending out paper stars...that just bounce off Gopher) "...Damn."
Kid: (with both Thompsons in hand) "This is just sad...Gopher, what do we do?"
gopher: oh nooooaaaah~ remember this? *holds up the book of enoch*
Noah: (smiling giddily) "My book!" (reaches outward--and falls down to his knees) "The Book of Eibon..."
gopher: its the book of enoch actually, used to seal monsters...and the worst criminals. not sure which you are. *he sucks noah up into the book*
Noah: (laughs loudly) "Yes! My collection! I am with my collection! Forever! Ha ha ha ha!"
Noah: (seizes Gopher by the wrist) "And with you!"
-wing claws noah's other hand-
gopher: *closes the book* nah.
Noah: "Ah!" (the hand is sliced off, sucking in the rest of Noah)
--Noah is gone.--
gopher: *he duct tapes the book shut* karmic justice at its finest.
Patty: (holding up Noah's severed hand) "Souvenir! Neat!"
-the hands fade into paper-
Patty: "Ah! I was going to keep it in a jar!"
Kid: "Is this enough to trap Noah? Just keeping him in this book? What if he escapes?"
-after they return home, and a touching reunion with stocking and her dad-
-eibon would seal the book within a barrier seal-
Kid: "..."
stocking:....... *she's trembling*
Kid: "Stocking..."
stocking: *she looks up weakly, her expression sullen*......
Kid: "You're safe. You are here now."
stocking:......... *she cries silently*
Kid: (says nothing, just holds her, letting her cry into him)
stocking: i dont know.....how am i supposed to feel, knowing the man i thought was my adoptive father is actually my real father.... and that i....w-what am i kid?
Kid: (nods) "This is normal. It is absolutely normal to wonder. Stocking...does this change your love for your father?"
stocking: i..i...of course i love my dad....its just..... *she cries* its all my fault! my mother was cast out of the heavens because i was born! i ruined her life!
Kid: (strokes her hair) "No parent ever blames their child for anything. Your mother loved you. She would not have you, she would not have given you life. You ruined nothing: your mother made her decision, and she loves you. She gave you this life, and she wanted you to live."
stocking: how can you be so damn sure? how can i be sure of that? I'VE NEVER EVEN MET HER!
Kid: "Stocking...I have to believe that. I have to believe that there is a reason you are here."
stocking: im a monster..... a halfblooded freak of nature....
Kid: "...Stocking...Look at me."
stocking: *she looks at him with tear filled eyes*
Kid: "You would not think of your father as a freak. You would not think of your mother as a freak. You are their child: you are all of them in you. You are Stocking Pheles. You are loved. You are admired. You are a being of light and a being of darkness...an equal balance. Stocking, you are you."
stocking: ki.....*she breaks down crying* kiii-iiiiiid....
Kid: (holds her) "Stocking...It's okay. It's okay."
stocking: kid...i-i- *she clutches her pelvic area* o-ow-OW!! it hurts!
Kid: "Stocking?"
stocking: *she's choking back tears* t-tha....that guy....he tortured me.....and...he...he r-ra.....*she breaks down again*
Kid: (mouth agape) "Stocking..."
stocking: im scared kid! i can still feel his hands all over me!
-she's hyperventilating-
Kid: "I'm sorry, Stocking." (crying with her) "I'm so sorry..." (removes a brown paper bag from his pocket, opening it) "Breathe. Please, Stocking?"
stocking: *she takes it and tries to breath*
Kid: (leaves a hand along her shoulder, trying to breathe as well)
-after a while, she is able to breathe easier, laying in his arms-
Kid: (stroking her hair, silent, thinking...)
stocking: kid..... can i stay here for a few days?
Kid: "You can stay as long as you want...You're always welcome here."
stocking: *she smiles faintly* thank you kid.....i....i love you...
Kid: "I love you, Stocking..." (kisses her forehead)
-the next morning, after stocking has been given a proper bath-
Kid: (waits for Stocking...)
-once she was dressed, she came out, slowly-
Kid: (smiles) "How was the bath?"
stocking: ok....i was by myself...but i still feel his eyes boring into me...
Kid: "I understand. But he is gone. And he is not coming back." ("...I hope...")
stocking: *she hugs him*....you got taller...
Kid: (small laugh) "More of me here now..."
stocking: *she smiles a little*....im hungry...
Kid: "Up for going to the kitchen?"
stocking: *she nods*
Kid: (takes her hand to guide her) "What would you like to eat?"
stocking: anything really...
Kid: "Waffles it is." (he smiles)
-when she is handed her plate, she takes a bite, then another, and another until she is practically gorging them down, she then starts to cry-
Kid: (hands her a tissue, holding her hand)
stocking: *hic, sniffle* t-thanks ki-kid....
liz: how's she holding up?
Patty: (waves at Stocking)
Kid: "One day at a time, Liz."
liz: hmm... well, that gopher kid's going to be taking on an apprenticeship under eibon
Kid: "Hmm..." ("I feel ambivalent. On the one hand, he helped save Stocking. On the other hand, he was...that bastard's creation...")
Kid: "..."
liz: you ok?
Kid: "...I feel awful."
stocking: ..... *she holds his hand*
Kid: "...But I'm happier now."
stocking: *she smiles slightly, a bit of life returning to her eyes*
Kid: (smiles back)
Kid: "...Liz? Patty? Thank you for bringing Stocking back."
liz: of course kid... (thinking: at least he isnt trying to off himself anymore...)
Patty: "We're happy, too, Kid, to have you and Stocking back."
stocking: *she nods*
Kid: (keeps holding Stocking's hand) "Still hungry?"
stocking: y-yeah... i havent eaten in a month...
Patty: (sad frown)
Kid: (pours some water and orange juice) "Keep drinking, too. I'll make some more waffles."
-later-
Kid: "Stocking? What can I do for you?"
stocking: *she nuzzles into him, holding honekoneko*
Kid: "Just stay right here, then?"
stocking: *she nods*
Kid: "Okay. I am right here, right now...Stocking..."
stocking: mmm...
Kid: "Would you mind some music?"
stocking: i'd like that...
Kid: "I had this brought down..." (he opens the Music Box)
stocking: ah...
Kid: "Rest, Love..."
stocking: promise you'll be there when i wake up?
Kid: "I promise."
stocking: *she slowly falls asleep in his arms*
Kid: (continues to hold her, stroking her hair)
-the next morning-
stocking: zzzzz...
Kid: (slowly wakes up, with her resting on his chest...he lets her keep sleeping but he is wide awake, worrying)
stocking: zzzz...
Kid: ("What I was going to do without her...I was going to give up my very morals, to kill all, just to save her...") (crying) ("I'm feeling sorry for myself...but after all that happened to her, is what I went through at all comparable?")
stocking: *she nuzzles against him*
Kid: ("...All I can do...all we can do...is live through this...She makes me happy...Do I make her happy?")
stocking: *muttering in her sleep* kid... *she smiles*
Kid: (crying) ("This is enough...This is all I want.")
liz: *knock knock* kid? you ok?
Kid: (wiping his tears) "Yes...Please, come in."
liz: *she opens the door* how are you two doing?
Kid: (puts a finger to his lips, indicating she is sleeping) "I'm really not sure..."
liz: ah.
Kid: (wiping a hand over his eyes) "I...am not sure what to do."
liz:.... *she pats his back*
Kid: (cries a little bit)
liz:...*she hugs him a bit*
Kid: (trying to be quiet) "It's so awful..."
liz: kid...
Kid: "I...was going to do awful things...and I feel so much pain for Stocking, when she has been so strong through all of this."
liz: kid. its not your fault...
Kid: "I know. But the fact is that, she was captured, not me...I have not had a day where I have not repeated that day, thought of everything I should have done to trade places with her. Liz, I am happy to have Stocking here. But I think I'm always going to blame myself."
liz: kid..... *she tears up*
Kid: "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for how angry I am, how...how many times I tried to die."
liz: kid... look. she's here now... you're here....we're all here...
Kid: (nods, crying, trying to smile) "I love her. I love you, Liz. I love Patty. I just...will never be able to thank you all enough."
liz:....*she hugs him* thanks kid....for all you've done for me...for patti...for all of us....
Kid: (accepts the hug, while leaving a hand along Stocking's back) "...Liz? I don't know when Stocking will return to school...I think I could use another day off."
liz: take as long as you need...
Kid: "What are you and Patty doing today?"
liz: we'll just do classes i guess.
Kid: "Please take notes for us..." (strokes Stocking's hair) "We're coming back, when she and I are ready."
liz: can do.
Kid: (smiles) "Thank you."
-in the morning-
stocking: hey kid...c-can you take me to the doctors?
Kid: "Of course...I think that is the right action to take in light of..." (he let the remark trail off) "I'm sorry."
stocking: y-yeah....
-at the doctor-
doctor: well ma'am, we've finished the test, and we've confirmed you are not pregnant.
Kid: (holding her hand, a slight squeeze on it)
stocking: *she breaths a slight smile of relief* a-anything else?
Dr. Melinda John: "...Stocking, I think you should sit down."
stocking: o-ok...
Dr. John: "Stocking, you were without food for months."
stocking: a month...yes...
Dr. John: "Your body is going to need time to heal. I see concerning evidence in the tests of dehydration...It's amazing that your kidneys didn't destroy themselves." (she puts a hand on hers) "You're strong. But you need time to heal. So, I want to see you the end of this week to check on your recovery...and I think you should seek additional help."
stocking: o-ok...
Dr. John: (smiles) "Good." (looks seriously at Kid) "You make sure of it, Kid. Make an appointment at the front desk."
Kid: (nods) "Stocking? Anything else?"
stocking: should i eat or drink anything?
Dr. John: "I recommend high-electrolyte drinks in moderation, slowly increasing the amount of water you drink, and stick to light foods high in nutrients...and I think a few sweet treats would be fine."
stocking: high..electro...???
Dr. John: "Gatorade. Something to increase sodium intake and hence rehydrate your body more quickly. I'm also going to write out a prescription for a very minor steroid to help you rebuild your physical strength."
stocking: o-ok.
Dr. John: "Stocking? Is there something else you wanted to ask?"
stocking: what about...m-my lady parts...?
Dr. John: (looks at Kid) "Should Kid be outside for this...?"
Kid: "Stocking, if you want, I can leave..."
stocking: .... well, kid....c-could you stay with me for this... *she holds his hand*
Kid: (holds her hand) "Of course."
stocking: i-i think he'll listen to this...
Dr. John: "...Stocking, I'm sorry. In cases of repeatedly rough forms of intercourse, recovery can take three days, four days, a week. Injuries to the vagina were extensive, and you have numerous lacerations--like thin papercuts. That is why I want to meet the end of this week--because, really, your survival after so long is astounding, and your healing is faster than I expected. But I am concerned how these injuries may have compromised your reproductive organs."
stocking:...*she covers her mouth and weeps*
Kid: (leans down, hugging her)
stocking: *voice cracking* i feel sick...
Dr. John: "Do you want to lie down?"
-later-
stocking:......
Kid: (holding her) "It's time for your next steroid."
stocking: o-ok.
Kid: (gets up) "I'll get you some water from the kitchen, and something to eat with it...Would you walk with me there?"
stocking: *she stands up and slowly walks with him*
Kid: "Easy down these steps..."
stocking: *she manages to make it*
--In the kitchen--
stocking: ...... *she watches kid get the meds ready*
Kid: (shakes one pill from the bottle, set it on the plate next to...) "Be sure to drink the full glass of water, have the steroid..." (slides a plate with a sticky bun on it) "with your meal." (he smiles)
stocking: *she smiles and takes the med, bun and drink*
Kid: "I've been trying to improve at cooking...I had some trouble making the bun not too sticky..."
stocking: its really soft....
Kid: "Too soft?"
stocking: it...it tastes really good.... thank you kid.
Kid: (smiles) "You're welcome..." (moves his hand towards hers...)
stocking: *she rubs her stomach*
Kid: "Stocking?"
stocking: i was really scared....that there was a baby inside me...
Kid: "I understand. The doctors assured us you are not pregnant, and that is important to know."
stocking: r-right but....what if i was....i dont know what i would do....dont get me wrong, i do want a child.... *she starts to cry* but i want it to be from you... i want it to be _our_ baby..
Kid: (moves to hug her) "It's okay. You are okay, Stocking. It's what I want, too."
stocking: *she hugs him back, trembling and crying*
Kid: "..." (strokes her hair) "Stocking...I love you. You are safe here."
stocking: *she slowly calms down* t-thanks...
Kid: "You're welcome...Do you want another sticky bun?"
stocking: y-yeah...
-a week later-
Kid: "How do you feel?"
stocking: a little better...
Kid: "That's good...This will get better, I promise."
stocking: *she smiles* so, do you think im in good enough condition to return to school yet?
Kid: "Well, Dr. John said you were ready at your last appointment, although she advised scheduling time for counseling...Do you feel ready to return to school?"
stocking: maybe.... what day is it today?
Kid: "Tuesday."
stocking: maybe next week then.
Kid: (smiles) "Next week, then." (kisses her forehead) "Have you been drinking enough?"
stocking: i think so...
Kid: "Hungry?"
stocking: not really...
Kid: "How do your muscles feel? Better for walking?"
stocking: a little bit.
Kid: "...Stocking? How about we walk outside? Just along the backyard. If you get tired, we come back inside."
stocking: sure...
--Walking along the backyard--
Kid: "It's bright out..."
stocking: yeah...
Kid: "Feel cold? Or hot?"
stocking: temperate..
Kid: (small laugh. Looks up at trees) "I look forward to seeing the leaves finish growing back..."
stocking: yeah. and valentines.....
Kid: (with his hand around hers) "Valentine's will be good."
stocking: *she smiles*
Kid: "And your birthday."
stocking: *she smiles*
stocking: i heard kyouko graduated from NOT class to the ALT class.
Kid: (nodded)
stocking: though some of the others still have a ways to go.
Kid: "They'll be fine. Everything worth doing well takes time." (smiles at her)
stocking: *she smiles*
Kid: "Stocking...May I kiss you?"
stocking: o-of course kid.
Kid: (kisses her cheek)
-knock knock-
Kid: "Someone at the door? Stocking, will you come with me?"
stocking: yeah.
-at the door, mikako stands with some papers-
Kid: "Mikako?"
Mikako: ah! good afternoon. mr barrett asked me to drop your lessons off here for you. *she hands him the papers*
Kid: "Th-Thank you...We hadn't expected this."
mikako: s-sorry, i'm trying my best.
Kid: (cringing) "No! I mean, we appreciate it! Thank you! ... Would you...like to come in?"
mikako: are you sure? i mean, not that i dont think your house is nice, i do i just... i wouldnt want to intrude, especially since- oh!
stocking: oh?
mikako: i didnt know you were there. *sigh* i heard you were really sick.
Kid: (slight smile) "She's getting stronger, every day."
mikako: ah well. i should head back to the dorms. i hope you feel better soon.
Kid: (looks to Stocking)
stocking: ok i will. take care ok?
-mikako nods and exits.-
Kid: (watching Mikako leave) "She seemed worried."
stocking: i havent really seen her around that much... is she new?
Kid: (nods) "She came to us after...an accident."
stocking: what happened?
Kid: "...Her father was a Flame Human."
stocking: oh.... and what about her mom?
Kid: "The same."
stocking: oh....
Kid: "...The Death Weapon Meister Academy: we are there for all who need us, who want to adjust to an ever-changing world--as we ourselves keep changing, too."
stocking: right.
Kid: (approaches Stocking, puts his arms around her into a hug) "..."
-elsewhere-
soul: *he opens the door* yeah?
Black Star: "Burgers!"
soul: oh hey, come on in. *he looks* oh, hey chrona..... tomoe....
mami: hello soul. *she smiles weakly*
Crona: "..." (avoids eye contact)
Black Star: (already at the couch, laying out plastic bags full of burgers, fries, onion rings, milkshakes--oh, and some things for the others)
mami: *she pats their back* its ok chrona... *she smiles warmly*
soul: its ok, im not gonna eat you or anything.
Crona: (still looking down) "Hello."
soul: you hungry?
Crona: (stomach growls, nods silently)
-inside-
Black Star: (mouth full of food, struggling to talk) "Chow down, Crona! Plenty to go around!"
soul: so, how've you all been holding up?
Crona: "...Fine."
tsubaki: i visited my family, and that went pretty well..
mami: i've been doing well too.
Black Star: "Still being awesome." (gives a thumbs up--while he has lettuce stuck in his teeth) "How you doin'?"
sayaka: i've been training my skills up. since kyouko got into ALT, i've been working harder than ever!
Crona: "..." (sips on milkshake, looking down at their feet)
soul: doing pretty good. after that whole other world incident, i realize just moping around isnt going to help anyone. i have to keep trying to become a death scythe.
Black Star: (looks down a bit) "Oh...You up to a certain number of souls right now?"
soul: last i checked we have about... 51.
Crona: "Congratulations."
soul: well....yeah, thanks.
Crona: "..." (shaking a bit)
mami: *she hugs chrona*
Crona: (steadies themselves...) "I'm fine. Thanks."
Black Star: (shakes the onion ring container at Crona) "Come on. They are really crispy and tasty..."
Crona: (tentatively reaches for one--and bites in) "...T-Thanks." (smiles a bit)
sayaka: so, what do you all want to do after this?
Black Star: "A game? Or head out and see what's happening in town?"
mami: that sounds like a good idea.
sayaka: ??
mami: maybe going out around town?
Crona: (nods)
Black Star: "Where to, Tsubaki? Any suggestion? Maybe to the park or a shop?"
-where do you want to explore?- [x] mall [] park [] deathbucks [] arcade [] plaza [] other?
Crona: "Oh, the mall? Um...that might be nice..."
soul: sounds good.
Crona: (small smile, holds Mami's hand)
Black Star: "Cool. I could use some new jeans.."
tsubaki: ok.
sayaka: neat! i hear theres some new games and manga out too.
Black Star: "Then let's get going!"
-at the mall-
Black Star: "Do these jeans make my butt look big?"
tsubaki: they look nice. *she smiles*
Crona: (holds up a shirt: "Cutie") "Um..."
mami: oh, did you find something you like?
Crona: (blushes) "N-No! I mean..." (awkwardly holds the shirt) "What do you think?"
mami: hmm, i think it looks nice.
Crona: (blushes harder) "...I'll buy it."
sayaka: i ship it.
Black Star: "???"
sayaka: *whistling*
Crona: "...Mami? Are you buying anything?"
mami: i might get this. *she holds up a green jacket* i think it looks nice.
Crona: (nods) "The color is nice on you...A lot of colors are nice on you."
mami: aw, thank you chrona.
Black Star: "...Oh, now I get what Sayaka was talkin' about.
sayaka: i know right? *she grins*
Black Star: "Okay, Cupid, what do we do? Let this experiment play out on its own, or jump on in and add something to bond them?"
sayaka: hey come on now, lets just leave them be. so, what else did you get?
Black Star: "Of all things, this book..." (holds it up: it's a book of poetry)
sayaka: wow. i got two new manga series i want to start out on. Hero High School and Kingdom of the Vampires. i hear they're pretty good.
Black Star: "Good you're doing more reading...that's kind of what I want to do since..." ("...Maka.")
sayaka: yeah.... well, cant dwell on the past too much. like soul said, we have to keep moving on fowards.
Black Star: "We all got our ways of moving forward...AND MY WARRIOR'S WAY OF MOVING FORWARD WILL BE TO READ THIS SUPER-GIRLY POETRY!" (beat) "I mean, super-girly manly poetry!"
sayaka: sure. *sweatdrop*
soul: maybe you could ask kid to read you some of his.
Black Star: "No, his stuff just makes people's skin crawl. I don't know how Patty hasn't chopped her own ears off from that."
soul: yeah...and dont get me started on the stuff he writes when he's relly depressed. its like chrona's stuff. only creepier....and i think there was a cannibalism analogy in the last one... *shudders*
Crona: "WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY POETRY?"
soul+sayaka: nothing.
sayaka: i think its nice. *sweats*
Crona: (creepy eyes of creepiness) "Okay..."
sayaka: *sweats*
mami: so now what?
Black Star: "How about we get some food?!" (nervous) "Right, everyone? Ha ha ha ha..."
sayaka: yeah, im starving.
Crona: "But we had those burgers..."
Black Star: "Nope! More food! Let's go! Sayaka, what you want?
-elsewhere-
Kid: (washing his face in the bathroom, trying to calm down...studies his chin in the mirror) "No lines. Good."
stocking: kid? are you ok?
Kid: (smiles) "Yes. Just keeping an eye on myself...I...have a confession to make about...what I did _not_ do in the last month..."
stocking: ..... *she listens*
Kid: "...I had stopped my medication."
stocking: !! k-kid...
Kid: (says nothing, just nods...and cries a little)
stocking: is that all you wanted to tell me?
Kid: (shakes his head, and holds up his wrists to her)
stocking: kid...?
Kid: "I tried to kill myself. More than once."
stocking: kid..... *she hugs him, weeping*
Kid: "I gave up...I gave up on you...I'm sorry..."
stocking: its ok...i-im right here now... im sorry i put you through this...
Kid: (crying) "It's not your fault. This...just happened. I feel awful to say this, after how much I screwed up, but we can only learn and move on...I'm sorry."
stocking: *sniff* y-you're right... we cant beat ourselves up over this...
Kid: (smiles) "Okay..." (hugs her)
-later, they are laying in bed together-
Kid: (looking at her, slowly putting a hand to her cheek)
stocking: zzzz....
Kid: ("Please sleep, Angel. Regain your strength.")
stocking: *she hugs his wrist*
Kid: (A tear falls as he smiles. He closes his eyes, ready to try to fall back to sleep)
-the next morning-
stocking: zzzz....
Kid: *yawn* (slowly opens his eyes, feeling the dried tears along his lashes. He smiles. "She's here.")
stocking: *nuzzling her face into his chest*
Kid: o\\\o ("...She's so warm...She's so alive.")
stocking: mmmn...
Kid: ("This feels nice...and...")
stocking: *she slowly opens her eyes*
Kid: "Morning."
stocking: morning kid...
Kid: "How did you sleep?"
stocking: a lot better...
Kid: (kisses the top of her head, at her hair) "That's good..." (puts his arms around her) "What do you want to do first?"
stocking: not sure...
Kid: "Would you like me to make you breakfast?"
stocking: yes please.
Kid: "So why don't you shower, and I'll make you whatever you want. Waffles? Cinnamon buns? Maybe prepare some fruit?"
stocking: yeah.
-after that-
Kid: (lays out a plate of waffles with fruit spreads and maple syrup, another of cinnamon buns, orange slices, grapes) "...This presentation looks unbalanced..." (looks under the table) "Maybe the table is lopsided."
stocking: it looks yummy.
Kid: (looks back up over the table, smiles) "That's good...How was your shower?"
stocking: it was pretty good...
Kid: "Good..." ("I'll have to ask later whether she is doing another follow-up with the physician...") "Well, let's enjoy this meal."
stocking: yeah...
Kid: (cuts the pancake...then smirks...) "Stocking?"
stocking: hmm?
Kid: "I made your pancake special...I add just a bit more sugar...I was wondering whether you could let me have a taste."
stocking: oh, sure.
Kid: (opens his mouth)
stocking: here you go~
Kid: (closes his mouth around her fork) "Hmm...So sweet."
stocking: hehe~
Kid: (smiles. "I have wanted to see that smile so much...") "I'm sorry to say I didn't make my own waffle as sweet, so if you don't want a bite...")
stocking: im good.
Kid: "Okay." (continues eating) "Anything else you want? A different fruit spread or topping? I also put out the butter."
stocking: i think i'm ok...
Kid: (finishes his waffle, samples a bit of the fruit) "What did you want to do today? We could take a walk to the park."
stocking: yeah, maybe check up with the doctor after that...
Kid: (nods) "Okay." (he takes some empty plates to the sink) "Let me take a shower, and we'll go for a walk to the park, then check with Dr. John."
stocking: ok.
-at the doctor-
Dr. John: "How have you been feeling, Stocking?"
stocking: a lot better.
Dr. John: (smiles) "I think test results will bear this out. I am amazed at your healing ability: while scarring remains on the skin, I have not located internal damage."
stocking: *her eyes brighten* that's great!
Dr. John: "I do want to ask--while I cannot _locate_ damage, do you feel pain in the pelvic region?"
stocking: very little... but not as much as i did...
Dr. John: "I am going to prescribe some skin ointment to assist with healing your skin. And you have to slowly acclimate yourself to any previous activities. Therefore, I recommend abstaining from masturbation or sex for one more week."
stocking: fair enough.
Dr. John: "Have you been keeping up on steroids and slowly increasing your exercise routine?"
stocking: yes.
Dr. John: "Take it slowly to work yourself back up to your previous exercise regimen. Let's meet in a month to see how you are recovering, okay?"
stocking: sounds good. *she smiles*
Dr. John: (smiles) "Take care of yourself, Stocking. And if you need anything, call." (frowns) "And unlike that weirdo with the screw through his head, I don't vivisect my patients."
stocking: yeah, haha. *sweatdrop*
-at the 8th brigade HQ-
iris: *watching something on TV*
maki: oh, so seems the commander of the 5th is attending a film premier. i hear she's worth like, billions.
iris: yeah.... *her expression is solemn*
Akitaru: *huffing* "Yeah." *huffing, lifting weights* "She's pretty loaded--monetarily, I mean."
shinra: yeah... *shudders*
iris: .............
shinra: you ok?
iris: !! oh, yeah, im fine. its nothing.
Akitaru: *looks seriously--and sets aside weights* "That's enough of that..." (stretches) "Maki, get Shinra and Arthur to train a bit more. Iris, I have some maintenance checks to do around the building, and I could use some help with the blessings and such on certain artifacts. You up for helping me?"
maki: roger sir.
iris: yes, of course... *she blushes at shinra*
shinra: *SWEATING*
Akitaru: "Iris, we can start with this artifact. I call it 'the Holy Hand Grenade.' But really, it's just the shape of the container. It really contains the ashes of a Flame Person--the Urn of Kasai. Bless away."
-elsewhere-
tsugumi: *she's cutting out paper hearts for decorating.*
Meme: (whistling as she puts up a paper heart on the wall)
-in the temp holding cells-
giriko: the hell are you in here for, junior?
Anya: *sniff, rubbing her nose* "So absurd."
giriko: i was talkin to your boyfriend there.
Arthur: (claw scratches all over his face) "The dragon was truly a violent creature. I was lucky to avoid its fiery breath."
giriko: you mean the little lizards. yeah, that sounded hilarious.
Anya: "Why am I even here?! I didn't ask to be 'rescued' by this nincompoop!"
guard: we're just keeping you here until we can contact your legal guardians to come pick you up.
Anya: "My legal guardians in a completely different nation! Why do I lack diplomatic immunity?! Call the ambassador! Call the consulate! CALL MY TSUGUMI!"
kirika: calm the fuck down, just call the dorms or something.
Anya: "THEN GIVE ME MY ONE PHONE CALL!"
Arthur: "...I too would like my one phone call."
kirika: yeah, go callup fuckin merlin or some shit.
Arthur: (frowns) "My father's name is not Merlin. We do not discuss my father."
kirika: *rolls eyes* whatevs, dude.
Anya: (chanting as she strikes metal bars with a mug) "Tsugumi! Tsugumi! Let me call Tsugumi!"
guard: miss, just calm down for a moment.
-later-
tsugumi: anya! are you ok?
Anya: (sobbing) "The lizards! It was horrible!"
tsugumi: huh?
Anya: "I did not need him to defend me from dragons! Why?! Why?!! Why do I attract crazy people?! Tell your cousin Maki the next time I see him, I'm kicking his head off!"
tsugumi: *sweatdrop*
ao: oh, hello morning knight.
Arthur: (smiles) "Hello, Celestial Star Being. Has the Princess recounted my tale of bravely slaughtering those wicked dragons?"
ao: more or less.
Arthur: "Have I been asleep for long? It's already morning?"
ao: no no, its still mid-noon.
Arthur: "...Oh..." ("...This person is odd...") "Princess, shall I escort you and your friends home?"
Anya: (growling at Arthur) "Tsugumi...I want to hit him..."
ao: the thought is appreciated, but we know the way from here.
tsugumi: down girl.
Arthur: "But I insist: a knight cannot leave defenseless girls on their own."
Anya: "We. Killed. A. Monster. What have you done--polished your shoes and stare at yourself in the mirror?!"
ao: oh?
Arthur: "Come along, ladies--I shall guide you to your home. Follow me!" (walks in the opposite direction of the girls' dorm)
Anya: (facepalm)
-the three return to the dorms-
Anya: "He is such a fool! A blithering, incompetent fool!"
tsugumi: yeah... i want to like him and give him a chance... but he's kind of a jerk.
Meme: "...What did I miss?"
tsugumi: to be honest, i dont even know anymore...
Anya: (screams into a pillow) "He is so dumb! So stupidly hot and dumb!"
Anya: "..."
Meme: o_o
tsugumi: ..........................
ao: .................
mio: ..................bruh........
Anya: (removes pillow, looking dead inside) "...I have to go jump off the balcony now, excuse me." (walks to the balcony)
tsugumi: DONT! *pulls her back*
Anya: "I said nothing! I said he was dumb! Stupidly dumb and hot! I mean--ARG!"
Meme: "Huh. So Arthur really is attracting all kinds of girls--and guys, too."
mio: you know what would make him hotter? literally setting him on fire.
Anya: "Yes! Do that! Tsugumi, have your cousin do that!"
tsugumi: O_O
-elsewhere-
medusa: *sitting in her cell* *grumbling*
Guard: (whistling)
Guard: "What's eating you, witch?"
medusa: guaaaard im thisty! (thinking: this SUCKS! having to resort to begging....i hate this! i bet arachne is rolling in her grave laughing.)
Guard: "You had your ration of water for the hour--how can you be thirsty again already?"
medusa: it may as well have been fucking BATHWATER!
Guard: "We provide what we can get from the faucet, the same that the guards here have to drink, too. What, you want us to go above ground to get you 'quality' water?"
medusa: yes, some fresh air would be nice.
Guard: "Forget it. Death Scythe gave specific instructions: you are never to be let out of this cell."
medusa: *hmph*....
Guard: "Now, you knock off this whining, and maybe I'll get a guard to go upstairs and get you non-bathwater water."
medusa: very well.... *she lays in her bed and looks up at the ceiling* (thinking: stupid anti-magic handcuffs.... if they didnt give me these damn things i'd have been out of here ages ago...)
Guard: (intercom) "The witch is giving us trouble down here. Lot of complaining."
???: why dont we send her on downstairs... make sure she behaves herself.
Guard: (tense, talks on intercom) "_Downstairs_? I mean, isn't that a bit harsh?"
???: im sorry did i stutter?
Guard: (tenser) "No. Sorry. I'll escort the prisoner downstairs immediately...I'll need to grab some assistants, though."
medusa: ???
Guard: (to other guards, outside Medusa's door) "Prepare the anti-magic shackles to go around her body, and the chains, too. We don't want to give her an inch."
medusa: where the hell are you taking me?
Guard: "And put the gag around her, too."
medusa: ?! (thinking: what the hell are they doing?)
Guard: "The stairs are down this hall: keep a hold on her, and ready yourself: you know what that location does to people of lesser constitution. We'll need the guards with strong anti-demon wavelengths to resist the worse effect."
medusa: (are they taking me down to the kishin's shrine?..) *she laughs*
Guard: "...What do you find funny about this?" (grips hard on her shoulder) "Knock that off, or a worse punishment awaits you."
medusa: *she stays silent until they arrive*
Guard: (points to the wall) "Chain her there."
medusa: (thinking: usually this is the other way around...)
Guard: "Okay, let me check the chains..." (studies them) "Look secure." (sees the gagged Medusa) "You brought this onto yourself. You upset the supervisor, and you see how badly you have made this for yourself."
medusa: *smirks*
Guard: "Wipe that smile off your face..." (feels tension in the back of her neck)
medusa: oh?
Guard: "Y-Yeah..." (scratching the back of her neck. "What the hell...?")
medusa: *she doesnt say anything*
Guard: (looking around the room...and feels like the walls are undulating) "Okay, she's chained. Let's get out of here..."
medusa: ....
Guard: (practically pushing the other guards forward) "Come on! Move it!"
-soon, she is alone-
medusa: .........
--What sounds like wind blowing through the room is heard--
medusa: oh noooo its a draft! whatever will i do? *there is an obviously sarcastic tone to her voice*
--The wind knocks the back of her head against the wall, holding it there--
medusa: ow! shit...
???: "You..."
medusa: ??
???: "I know you..."
medusa: oh?
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Text
Trials Of The Underworld - Ch. 02
Well, it seems responsiveness to this idea wasn't quite as great as my expectations envisioned.
All the same, thank you very much for the early response to my story, in terms of reviews and readership alike. I hope you're all enjoying this.
This oneshot introduces the prompts from Zee-Zee Magee of fanfiction dot net (Stealthy moving on) and Bookworm101234 from archiveofourown (Arthur versus Cruella), though they don't get fully borne out yet. I hope you enjoy.
As always, if you want to send a prompt of your own, feel free to.
Read on ff.net.
Read on AO3.
By The Clock Tower
He had come into existence as one of eight, born from an egg and deep under ground as his kind did. The first thing he did after being welcomed by the eggs' guard was collect the pickaxe that would name him. It had named him Stealthy; as with all dwarfs, the name fit.
For his first year, his life had consisted essentially of mining for fairy dust and going to the pubs in his downtime, like every other dwarf's. Then, it took a turn when one of his brothers, Dreamy, fell in love with a fairy. Stealthy could no more understand that than his six other brothers could, but nevertheless all of them supported their brother's decision to run away with her. Later, they supported Dreamy also when he broke said fairy's heart for her own sake. And when Dreamy, after he was renamed to Grumpy, ended up in King George's dungeon after changing his mind and trying to win back the fairy, Stealthy went to save him.
He succeeded, but met his end by doing so, and spent over thirty years in the Underworld struggling with unfinished business he didn't know. Even after he found out, he became unable to move on after learning that the former ruler of the Underworld intended to wreak havoc in Storybrooke.
Mere hours later, Stealthy learned of Captain Hook's and King Arthur's plan to help the Savior, in the world of the living. The moment he did, he settled down in the diner to wait for news.
He had guessed from the beginning it could be a long wait, but he wasn't ready for just how so. Nor was he ready for the bits of information he overheard while he waited.
In the Blind Witch's Diner…
This might not be Hell, but as far as Stealthy was concerned, it was close enough. King Arthur and Captain Hook still hadn't returned from their quest, knowing his unfinished business did not magically poof him out of the Underworld, and the Blind Witch and Cruella De Vil had spent the last hours talking so loudly about the changes they planned to make that maybe even the living could hear them even without the phone booth.
Worse, news had arrived about the doomed people in the River Of Lost Souls rising out of the water and dragging others in. So far they couldn't get too far from the river, but that could change. And as Cruella had taken the care to point out to him specifically, 'the stubble sandwich' was bound to have run into them on their way out, which meant they were just 'two more swirls for that glorified spinach soup'.
If that was true, then Hades must be up to no good in the world of the living. There had been no new arrivals since Arthur, but just because no one had died it didn't mean no one was suffering.
All kinds of thoughts about his brothers being enslaved by the God of Death traveled across his head like a herd of deer running in circles, even as he tried to steer them away from his worst ideas. And the Blind Witch and Cruella coming over to enjoy the terror he made no effort to hide was no help.
But Stealthy's hope had endured over thirty years in the Underworld. What was left of it could survive for a few hours longer.
Even if those two hags were doing a pretty good job of stamping it out.
In the Underworld's Sorcerer's Mansion...
He had struggled with the idea of taking up residence in Merlin's home. He hadn't made the Sorcerer proud, and either the man himself or the Apprentice might show up at any time and have the dead man's equivalent of a heart attack at seeing him. But the mansion fit far too many requirements. It was seemingly vacant, it was out of the way, and it was inherently powerful enough that the worst of evildoers stayed away; from what Captain Jones had told him, Hades hadn't even been able to approach it.
So he had moved in. Now he stood before a full length mirror in the largest sleeping room, surveying his new look for one last time, still not sure it fit him.
As the clothes he had died in stood out too much, he had changed into a suit like those he had seen in Storybrooke, with a silver vest, jacket, and trousers, a white dress shirt, a purple necktie and pocket square, and black dress shoes. None of those had been his color when he was alive, but Arthur wanted some distance from the person he had died as, and the color scheme seemed decent from his limited knowledge of that kind of attire.
He had more important issues to take care of anyway, and between his preliminary self-training in using his new powers, his brief familiarization with the Underworld, and his change of look, he had already lost too much time. He might not be getting any deader, but after what he had learned of the two witches ruling in Hades' stead, he didn't want to leave them in charge any longer.
More nervous than he had been when he deceived his subjects with the broken Excalibur, Arthur smoothed down his jacket, nodded at his reflection, and vanished from the Sorcerer's Mansion in a cloud of silver smoke.
In the Blind Witch's Diner...
"Attention."
Stealthy jumped in his seat at the sound: half of the beer in the mug jumped out and exploded across the table's surface, several stray globs splattering his chest. All sorts of reactions ensued at other spots; Cruella dropped a glass of alcohol into the ground, the Blind Witch gasped, and even the kid who had stopped talking centuries ago looked up.
That voice had come out of nowhere, and while conversational in tone, it seemed to be heard through the whole place as if the speaker was right beside each person at the same time. It did not sound aggressive - in fact, it even had a touch of hesitation - but everyone knew it took some powerful magic to make that.
"What was that?" Cruella snarked.
"It sounded like that armored beefcake's voice," the Blind Witch replied, all the usual breathiness of her voice gone.
The armored beefcake. She must mean King Arthur. And indeed, it had sounded like him. But he didn't have magic when Stealthy last saw him. How could he have done that?
"Attention. Attention to everyone in the Underworld. Please gather by the clocktower. There are important news for you to hear."
That was Arthur's voice. There was no doubt now. But how was he doing that? And what did he want?
"Please do not be afraid. I will not hurt you. I merely have an important message to give you, and would like to give it in person to as many of you as possible."
Chattering rose up amongst the diner like the buzzing of a whole beehive. Cruella glared all across the room, but no one even seemed to notice her; the excited and hopeful murmurs were too prevalent.
Stealthy kept quiet, but he shared the sentiment. For Arthur to be giving a message, he hadn't fallen into the river. And if he hadn't fallen into the river, he had somehow sent the pages to the Savior, and Hades had been defeated. It did not answer the question of how he was sending this message, but Stealthy didn't really need to know that. He'd take someone like Arthur a thousand times before settling for Cruella and the Blind Witch.
"I shall be giving my message in twenty minutes, by the now restored clock tower," Arthur finished. "I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible. Farewell."
The moment Arthur finished speaking, all the people in the diner stampeded out of the door like a pack of ravenous dogs racing for the same bone. The degraded panel had no chance against them - it crumbled to pieces as if either no one bothered to open it or whoever did was unable to do so before being pushed by those behind him. Startled exclamations rose up from Cruella's and the Blind Witch's throats as they looked at the fleeing crowd. Meanwhile, Stealthy let go of his mug and hid under the table and chairs he had been sitting at.
Would it do any good? That breathy-voiced hag had a nose sharper than a bloodhound's, and though Stealthy had started masking his scent years ago, maybe it wouldn't be enough.
"What do we do?" Stealthy heard the Blind Witch asking, all hints from her usual breathiness gone.
The other woman scoffed in reply. "What do you think, darling? We march up to that conceited poser and show him he can't come around and steal our playpen."
A few seconds of silence followed.
"Should we really do that? There's something weird about Arthur suddenly being able to talk to us like this. It's almost as if he gained magic."
Cruella burst into laughter.
"You must have eaten something that's even more rotten than usual, darling! That's not magic; the stud must simply be using some kind of hidden radio to talk to us! It's just a trick to throw us off!"
"But he said the clock tower was repaired…"
For the first time, Cruella took a while to answer, the only sound from her a hum from thought. Then she said, "Maybe he's learned a few tricks now, but do you really think he can do anything that can best the stuff Hades gave you?"
Even without looking at her, Stealthy could almost sense the witch grinning again.
"That's the spirit, darling!" he heard Cruella cheering. "Now stop being pessimistic and come with me to crush the hopes of everyone in the Underworld, beginning with that delusional oaf!"
A pleased hum from the witch followed Cruella's response.
"Before or after his speech?"
Cruella's answering laugh made icy needles jab Stealthy's spine.
"After, darling. Much more hope to crush that way." Another moment of silence followed. "Let's go. It'll be nice to see just how much hope we'll be crushing."
Stealthy heard the Blind Witch snort in annoyance, presumably at Cruella's use of the word 'see'. Then he heard both women's heels clicking on the diner's floor, and then thudding on the stone floor outside thanks to the broken door.
They were in for a nasty surprise, in Stealthy's opinion. Whatever had happened to Arthur, the tricks he had learned were impressive. The fact he had spoken of a restored clock tower proved it. Stealthy had lost count of how many times groups of prisoners had tried to restore it as a punishment from Hades, but he knew that whenever that happened, the thing never held up for more than a minute before crumbling back down with a thunderous boom. If Arthur had managed to repair it and there had been no mighty crash yet, things looked good.
But those two witches had a few tricks up their own sleeves, and Arthur might not be ready for them. Someone had to warn him. And with them not having noticed him, Stealthy could do that.
Relieved that he hadn't lost his touch, the dwarf crept out from under the table and followed the witches at a distance, determined to see what they were planning so he knew what he should warn Arthur about.
By the Underworld's clock tower...
Thanks to his magic, he had repaired the clock tower with a single wave from his hand, and cleared the debris from the floor with an equally simple gesture. Accomplishing both feats had made him stare at the results of his job like an awed fish, at least until people started arriving, by which time he composed his expression.
The turnout was not particularly big, as far as Arthur could tell. Still, there were enough people to fill a reasonable amount of space on every direction he could look at, although any late arrivals still had enough room to make it to the front if they wished. If Arthur had to guess, most people in the Underworld had stayed away, afraid he would just turn out to be the next Hades.
It made sense. Although he had tried to sound as friendly and reassuring in his speech as possible, the idea of a new magical overlord must not be appealing to many.
Regardless of the low turnout, most of the people he could see looked either cautiously hopeful or downright eager to hear what he had to say. Not one face he could spot looked angry at him or eager to have him removed.
Perhaps it should be reassuring, but it only made his nervousness soar. When he had proved himself to be the rightful ruler of Camelot (or so he thought) by displaying Excalibur to his people, they at least had evidence, and even in the face of it, many questioned how an orphan who mucked out stalls could be the ruler who would repair their broken kingdom. Now, even though he had no true evidence that he was the one meant to repair this broken kingdom, (being chosen by Zeus wasn't something he could easily prove) there were no questioning or reproachful faces, and almost everyone he saw seemed at least hopeful about his takeover, with a few even looking at him as if he was the Savior.
Either Hades had been an even worse king that Arthur thought, or the witches had somehow managed to outdo even the God of Death in rottenness.
Arthur had no problem believing in either, but knowing he had such a mess to repair did not soothe him in the least.
The twenty minutes he had announced drained by faster than water from a stabbed goatskin. Most people that he figured would come were already here, muttering amongst themselves, but a few late arrivals still swerved through the crowds to get at what they deemed a nice spot to listen to him.
Arthur enabled the late arrivals to settle into the spot they chose, and then raised his hand to request for silence. The sounds around him faded like snuffed flames, save for a few scattered whispers. With silence back, Arthur reactivated the spell he had used to inform the Underworld's citizens of his speech, one that enabled him to speak with everyone in the Underworld at the same time, and yet making it so that no one would hear more than a conversational tone.
With the spell in place, he smoothed down his jacket once more, and began speaking.
"Greetings, inhabitants of the Underworld. I am King Arthur of Camelot, and I have important news to give all of you."
He paused to see if his introduction would trigger any angry comments or physical violence. No one reacted particularly differently. If any people harmed by his rule were here, they were keeping quiet for one reason or another.
"As those who haven't seen me may have guessed, I am new to this place. And as you may have noticed from my recent accomplishments…" saying so, he gestured to the restored clock-tower behind him "... I have been, how shall I put it, blessed with certain gifts recently."
It should be a good way to put it, but it probably hadn't been the best thing to say; a few nervous faces were appearing here and there.
"Please don't get scared, I won't use them to hurt any of you. I know you have been through three very detestable leaders, and I do not wish to follow in their steps. I do not profess to have been the best leader myself when I was alive, but I will strive to be the best I can."
A few of the nervous faces started to perk up, but several remained uneasy. Arthur went on with his speech.
"Above all, I ask you to look at me not as a new king, but as a restorer. I am aware the Underworld has not served its proper purpose for a long time. That this place, meant to help people deal with their unfinished business so they can move on, has been distorted into a site of suffering whose rulers only mean to cause pain. I promise you, I will not be like that. And I invite all who need help to tell me about your problems, so that I can assist you in dealing with them. This is by no means a conscription or a summons, and I promise not to take offense to any who would rather I had nothing to do with them. But to those who need a helping hand, know that both of mine are available."
It was hardly the best joke ever told in all the realms, but chuckles and even a few barked laughs rippled through the crowd. It must have been long since anyone in charge had told a joke unrelated to suffering.
Arthur let them enjoy the humor, and then assumed the most serious expression he possibly could. He was about to say something he would rather not have to say, but which he felt was best spoken than left unsaid.
"And while I wish it did not have to be this way, I do have one warning to issue." Seeing all eyes back on him, now with general apprehension, he finished, "What any of you did in life does not matter. Even now, you can change. I know that from experience, and will help anyone who wants to be helped, regardless of what they did in life." He turned his expression as serious as it possibly could, and dropped his voice to a firm tone. "However, I request that no one tries to make afterlife miserable for anyone else. If you do, I will have to intervene."
A few disappointed murmurs rose up here and there, but each one fell silent when Arthur turned a stern gaze in the sound's direction. Even with them, the general reception to his speech still seemed much better than the one he had gotten after proclaiming himself King of Camelot. No disbelieving scoffs, no actual angry faces, and no challenges for the crown… just a sea of hopeful gazes so intense it almost made him dizzy.
"I shall be available whenever you need me," he went on, speaking in his calmer tone again. "Anyone interested in doing so can talk to me right now, and for those who aren't ready to do so yet, I am residing in the Sorcerer's Mansion for the time being."
A few people took a step forward on the spot, but froze there, as if thinking he had more to say.
"That is all for now. Thank you for listening."
Saying so, he disengaged the spell he had cast, in case anyone wanted to talk to him right now. An old lady with her face covered in wrinkles and a heavyset middle-aged man with a hairless head leaned slightly forward as if they were ready to do just that.
But then, everyone but himself shook in fright as another voice blared through the area without the assistance of any spell.
"Is that all, darling? Well then, now you're going to hear my piece."
As the voice spoke up, the crowd on the street to his left parted faster than a block of butter cut with a hot knife, and two women he was already familiar with made their way toward him. The only difference was that now, he could see the magic clinging to them in unpleasant bitter-looking clouds that had him fighting back the urge to grimace.
"Clear the path, worms!" the one with white and black hair snarled. "Your true rulers are coming through!"
More than clearing a path, most of them fled like rabbits. Some stray brave souls stayed relatively near to see what would ensue, but to Arthur's relief, even the closest ones he could see were over sixty feet away. Unless either of these witches could unleash something really strong, they wouldn't be hurt.
"How can I help you, ladies?" Arthur asked in his best polite voice.
The blind witch made a noise of mock-consideration, and then replied, "I would say 'By dropping dead.', but seeing as we're all dead here, I'll say instead 'By jumping into the River of Lost Souls.'."
Arthur gave her a thin smile, even though he knew she couldn't see it.
"Duly noted, but I'm afraid I can't do that. I intend to repair the Underworld, and I can't do it under that water."
The blind woman shrugged her shapely shoulders.
"Worth a shot," she somehow both breathed and screeched.
The other woman snorted, her heavily made up eyes like two black patches on her face.
"Do you really think we'll just let you stroll in here and ruin a nice eternity of causing pain to anyone that isn't us?" she asked, a playful smirk on her face.
Arthur took a step forward, his own eyes narrowed. "No, I didn't think that. But I'm afraid I don't need your permission."
The white-haired woman's eyes narrowed even further.
"You don't need it, you say? Think again. You need it. And we're not giving it to you."
Arthur braced himself for anything she might throw at him. Instead of attacking him however, she turned to the blind one and said, "Darling, paste him."
The woman grinned like a well-fed cat and threw a wave of magic at him. Arthur raised his hand, wreathed in protective magic of its own, and the spell the witch had thrown at him bounced back where it came from and knocked the blind woman onto her rear with a loud thud and a surprised gasp.
"What are you doing?" the other woman protested. "I told you to paste him!"
"I tried!" the blind woman whimpered as she stood up, her face contorted in pain. "He just threw my magic back at me!"
The other woman's eyes briefly widened. Then her face melted into a snarl.
"Then forget pasting him. Just drop him in that blasted green drink!"
Still as wobbly as a reed under a storm, the woman reached forward with her magic.
Alarm flared up within him.
He shot his hand out again and dispelled the magic like a sledgehammer shattering glass. The witch's spell exploded with such force that she fell forward with a startled gasp like a circus artist doing a pratfall.
"What?" her fur-clad companion snapped. "You can't do that either?"
"He doesn't let me! He just crushed my spell like a bug!"
The woman with black and white hair looked back at him, her already large eyes suddenly twice bigger, and especially unsettling in her gaunt face.
"You couldn't do that when you arrived…" she murmured.
Arthur blinked in surprise. Given the woman's nature, he hadn't thought she would be even capable of doing such a thing.
"I couldn't," he replied. "As I said during my speech, I was blessed with certain gifts recently." He made it a point to pause and give them a stern glare. "And I see now more than ever that they were needed."
The blind woman's usually empty expression twisted into a scowl. The one in the fur coat bared her teeth like an angry dog and growled. "Speak for yourself!"
"That's exactly what I'm doing." Arthur replied with a pleasant nod. But his stern glare only intensified as he added, "And in case you also missed that part of my speech, let me remind you of something else: I will not mind you either coming to me for help in moving on or you simply staying out of my way. But I will not allow you to make other people miserable."
Both women bared their teeth at him like furious bears, but his display must have startled them a great deal, because they didn't utter a peep.
"I've said my peace. Now if you'll excuse me I have a damage survey to undertake."
Before they could tell him whether they excused him or not, he turned left and walked away, making it a point to not look back toward them as he began a more detailed tour of the Underworld, to see how much damage he had to repair.
He didn't even take ten steps before the cheering began.
"ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR! ALL HAIL KING ARTHUR!"
Both Cruella and the Blind Witch kept grimacing like they were about to throw up as the screams continued. They were no longer as loud as before, simply because those uttering them were already farther away, but they could still be heard, and Cruella kept clenching her teeth as they continued.
"There goes your plan," the Blind Witch said once the cheers had finally faded, her high-pitched voice even more grating in its disappointed tone.
Cruella snorted in reply. "I didn't exactly hear you coming up with anything better, darling. Or dealing with him while he was here."
"Don't you have hands and feet?" the Blind Witch complained. "Next time, lend some help rather than complain."
"Instead of arguing, let's come up with some other way to deal with this interloping peacock, alright, darling?"
The Blind Witch narrowed her eyes, but at least this time she didn't complain.
"Alright then," she at last said. "Any Plan B?"
Cruella gave no verbal reply, but the slow sinister grin spreading across her face spoke for herself, even if the Blind Witch could not see it.
Stealthy, however, could. And as he saw it, he realized how good an idea it had been to follow them.
He only hoped he could actually help once they put their plan into action.
This is what I meant regarding the prompts not being fully borne out yet. The next oneshot will see their conclusion.
I hope you enjoyed thie oneshot, and once more, I welcome any prompts you might have.
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