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ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes · 9 months

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The Phoenix and the Crow

part sixteen

pairing: kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: netural

el's thoughts: the next part!! yayyy please let me know your favorite parts or what you are hoping to see next!!

The sick feeling in Y/N’s stomach had nothing to do with the rocking of the rowboat. She tried to breathe deeply, to focus on the lights of the Ketterdam harbor disappearing behind them and the steady splash of the oars in the water. Beside her, Kaz adjusted his mask and cloak, while Muzzen, one of the Dregs, rowed with a relentless and aggressive speed. Hellgate rested on one of Kerch’s tiny outlying islands, Terrenjel.

Fog lay low over the water, damp, and curling. It carried the smell of tar and machinery from the shipyards on Imperjum, and something else – the sweet stink of burning bodies from the Reaper’s Barge. The place where Ketterdam disposed of the dead who couldn’t afford to be buried in the cemeteries outside the city. ‘Disgusting.’ Y/N thought, drawing her cloak tighter around her. How could these people live with themselves? Not giving the dead the respect they deserved. Then again, it was Ketterdam… How many of these people truly deserved an honoring of their name?

Y/N shuffled away from the edge of the rowboat, accidentally brushing her arm against Kaz’s side. If her being this close to him bothered him, he didn’t show it. Instead, he spoke in a quiet whisper, “We’re almost there.”

The tightness in her chest dwindled at his words. She nodded just enough for him to notice her thanks.

When the boat’s hull scraped sand, two men rushed forward to haul them farther onto land. The other boats she’d seen were making ground in the same cove, being pulled ashore by more grunting men. Their features were vague through the gauze of her veil, but Y/N caught a glimpse of the tattoos that inked their forearms. A feral cat curled into a crown– the symbol of the Dime Lions.

“Money?” One of them had asked as the crows clambered out of the boat.

Kaz handed over a stack of kruge and once it was counted, the Dime Lion waved them on.

They all followed a row of torches up an uneven path to the leeward side of the prison. Y/N had seen the prison from afar before but looking up at it now… She understood why the mention of the jail instilled such a strong fear in people. She tilted her head back to gaze at the high black towers of the fortress named Hellgate.

A door had been propped open, and another member of the opposing gang led Y/N and the others inside. They entered a dark, surprisingly clean kitchen, its walls lined with huge vats that looked better suited to laundry than cooking. A strong aroma of vinegar and sage filled her nose. ‘Like a mercher’s kitchen.’ She’d thought to herself. The Kerch believed that work was akin to prayer. Maybe the merchant wives came here to scrub the floors, walls, and windows to honor Ghezen, the god of industry and commerce. Y/N resisted the urge to gag. They could scrub all they liked. Beneath the wholesome scent was the indelible stench of mildew, urine, and unwashed bodies. It might take a miracle from the Saints to dislodge it.

They all continued down a dark hallway, and she thought they would head up into the cells, but instead, they passed through another door and onto a high stone walkway that connected the main prison to what looked like another tower.

“Where are we going?” Y/N whispered. Kaz didn’t answer. The wind picked up and lifted her veil and lashed at her cheeks with salt spray.

Nina let out a breathless gasp as she looked around the familiar surroundings. “I thought we were breaking him out. Brekker, you lying bastard.”

Kaz didn’t turn around to look at her, “We are breaking him out. But he was already scheduled. He survives tonight then he gets out.”

Y/N looked between the two, confused as to what was happening.

Nina gritted her teeth, “Hellshow.”

The slow cranking of metal against metal echoed in the arena over all the shouts and loud conversations from the crowds. The two grisha women walked closer to the metal cage, Nina grasped the thick bars between her hands tightly, as if willing the metal to bend at her will. They both watched as a tall man walked out from under the gate.

“Matthias.” Nina’s voice was barely heard over the cheering around them.

The two men in the ring stood there for a moment before the one with ‘cannibal’ written on his back lunged first. A strong punch to the Fjerdan’s jaw caused his head to snap to the side, and with no time to recover another blow was aimed at his stomach.

After taking a few more hits, resulting in the Heartrender flinching at every grunt, the Fjerdan finally snapped. He threw a jaw-snapping punch at the smaller man, spun around, and threw his elbow back landing on the man’s collarbone. The latter fell to the floor giving Matthias an opening to continue his attack. He picked up a leg and dragged the man on his back before crushing his leg in his grasp.

Y/N’s eyes widened at the memory and felt a sickening feeling creep up on her. Such a dishonorable way to keep your life. But then again, what choice did these people have?

The Dime Lion led them around the tunnel to the third archway, where a prison guard dressed in a blue-gray uniform was posted with a rifle slung across his back. “Four more for you.” The Dime Lion shouted over the roar of the crowd. Then he turned to Kaz. “If you need to leave, the guard will call for an escort. No one goes wandering off without a guide, understood?”

“Of course, of course. Wouldn’t dream of it.” Kaz said from behind his ridiculous mask.

“Enjoy.” The Dime Lion said with an ugly grin. The prison guard waved them through.

Y/N stepped under the arch and felt as if she’d fallen into another nightmare. They were on a jutting stone ledge, looking down into a shallow, crudely made amphitheater. The tower had been gutted to create an arena. Only the black walls of the old prison remained the roof long since fallen in or destroyed so that the night sky was visible high above, with dense clouds and free of stars.

It was a different view from when she came with Nina before. Now higher in the stands, the crowd’s shouting echoed and made her ears ring. Around her, masked and veiled men and women crowded onto the terraced ledges, stamping their feet as the action proceeded below. The blazing light from the torches on the walls was hardly bright enough to make out anyone’s face even with a strained effort, but it was bright enough below them to see the red and damp sand of the floor.

Y/N swayed on her feet when she saw a man standing in the caged arena while a desert lizard crawled out from under the heavy metal trap door. Her sight blurred the moment she noticed the man pick up his knife and quicker than she could whisper a prayer the crowd’s volume got louder only this time they were booing. Y/N turned to the man standing next to her. “Why are they complaining? Isn’t this what they came here for?”

“They wanted a fight,” said Kaz. “They were expecting him to last longer.”

“This is disgusting.”

Kaz shrugged, “The only disgusting thing about it is that I didn’t think of it first.”

“These men aren’t slaves, Kaz!” Y/N spoke harshly but kept her volume down. “They’re prisoners.”

“They’re murderers and rapists.”

“And thieves and con artists. Your people.” Nina spoke up from Kaz’s other side.

“Nina, sweet, they aren’t forced to fight. They line up for the chance. They earn better food, private cells, liquor, jurda, conjugals with girls from the West Stave.”

Muzzen, the man who accompanied the crows on the heist, cracked his knuckles. “Sounds better than we got at the Slat.”

The two grisha looked around the stands at all the men and women who came here to support such a violent show, all of them exchanging bets while walking up and down the aisles. The prisoners of Hellgate might line up to fight, but Pekka Rollins made the real money. At least he used to. News got out shortly after Pekka was thrown into the high-security prison where he was brutally beaten to death by a few of the other prisoners.

“Helvar doesn’t…” Y/N couldn’t get her eyes to focus on anything as she spoke and pulled herself out of her own thoughts. “Helvar doesn’t fight in the arena, does he? You bought his name off the list, didn’t you?”

A grim look passed over Kaz’s eyes as he looked down at the inferni. “We aren’t here for the ambience.”

“Are you aware that I could waggle my fingers and make you wet your trousers?” Nina was beyond furious at this point. Her hands clenched at her sides.

“Easy, heartrender. I like these trousers. And if you start messing with my vital organs, Matthias Helvar will never see sunshine again.”

Once the stomach-churning sound of the heavy metal gate being cranked open was heard the crowds went wild. Y/N looked over to see Nina staring down into the arena with a pale face. She had turned to look down and felt her heart drop to her stomach at the sight before her.

Matthias emerged from the mouth of the cave while the unmistakable growls of wolves could be heard from the other side.

The Fjerdan had to fight his most sacred animal.

#kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker #six of crows #six of crows x reader #six of crows imagines #kaz brekker x y/n #kaz brekker x you #ellora.writes

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kvetchlandia · 9 months

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Uncredited Photographer Beat Poets Allen Ginsberg, Harold Norse, Jack Hirschman, Michael McClure and Bob Kaufman, Caffe Trieste, San Francisco 1975

I walked on the banks of the tincan banana dock and sat down under the huge shade of a Southern Pacific locomotive to look at the sunset over the box house hills and cry. Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pole, companion, we thought the same thoughts of the soul, bleak and blue and sad-eyed, surrounded by the gnarled steel roots of trees of machinery. The oily water on the river mirrored the red sky, sun sank on top of final Frisco peaks, no fish in that stream, no hermit in those mounts, just ourselves rheumy-eyed and hung-over like old bums on the riverbank, tired and wily. Look at the Sunflower, he said, there was a dead gray shadow against the sky, big as a man, sitting dry on top of a pile of ancient sawdust— —I rushed up enchanted—it was my first sunflower, memories of Blake—my visions—Harlem and Hells of the Eastern rivers, bridges clanking Joes Greasy Sandwiches, dead baby carriages, black treadless tires forgotten and unretreaded, the poem of the riverbank, condoms & pots, steel knives, nothing stainless, only the dank muck and the razor-sharp artifacts passing into the past— and the gray Sunflower poised against the sunset, crackly bleak and dusty with the smut and smog and smoke of olden locomotives in its eye— corolla of bleary spikes pushed down and broken like a battered crown, seeds fallen out of its face, soon-to-be-toothless mouth of sunny air, sunrays obliterated on its hairy head like a dried wire spiderweb, leaves stuck out like arms out of the stem, gestures from the sawdust root, broke pieces of plaster fallen out of the black twigs, a dead fly in its ear, Unholy battered old thing you were, my sunflower O my soul, I loved you then! The grime was no man’s grime but death and human locomotives, all that dress of dust, that veil of darkened railroad skin, that smog of cheek, that eyelid of black mis’ry, that sooty hand or phallus or protuberance of artificial worse-than-dirt—industrial—modern—all that civilization spotting your crazy golden crown— and those blear thoughts of death and dusty loveless eyes and ends and withered roots below, in the home-pile of sand and sawdust, rubber dollar bills, skin of machinery, the guts and innards of the weeping coughing car, the empty lonely tincans with their rusty tongues alack, what more could I name, the smoked ashes of some cock cigar, the cunts of wheelbarrows and the milky breasts of cars, wornout asses out of chairs & sphincters of dynamos—all these entangled in your mummied roots—and you there standing before me in the sunset, all your glory in your form! A perfect beauty of a sunflower! a perfect excellent lovely sunflower existence! a sweet natural eye to the new hip moon, woke up alive and excited grasping in the sunset shadow sunrise golden monthly breeze! How many flies buzzed round you innocent of your grime, while you cursed the heavens of the railroad and your flower soul? Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive? You were never no locomotive, Sunflower, you were a sunflower! And you Locomotive, you are a locomotive, forget me not! So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter, and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack’s soul too, and anyone who’ll listen, —We’re not our skin of grime, we’re not dread bleak dusty imageless locomotives, we’re golden sunflowers inside, blessed by our own seed & hairy naked accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sunflowers in the sunset, spied on by our own eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank sunset Frisco hilly tincan evening sitdown vision.

Allen Ginsberg, "Sunflower Sutra," 1955

my head felt stabbed

by a crown of thorns but I joked and rode the subway

and ducked into school johns and masturbated

and secretly wrote

of teenage hell

because I was “different”

the first and last of my kind

smothering acute sensations

in swimming pools and locker rooms

addict of lips and genitals

mad for buttocks

that Whitman and Lorca

and Catullus and Marlowe

and Michelangelo

and Socrates admired

and I wrote: Friends,

if you wish to survive

I would not recommend

Love

-- Harold Norse, "I Would Not Recommend Love" 1973

I ran down the street and into the house smelled of oregano and shook Mickey Monaco, said C'mon, Balaban's got a breadloaf climbing over old Gruber's fence, he thinks the mad dogs is doves.

But Mickey grew up in the bed till he was too old and besides Balaban was crazy, he sucked his tongue and got left back twice.

So I ran to Joey Bellino's house but his mother's black stocking said Joey was out early shoe shining. And besides a, that Balaban he's a crazy a kid, he suck a the tongue and Joey says he get lefback three times.

So I banged on Bitsy Beller's window yelled he was near the top, the mad dogs waiting down below he thinks is doves.

But when Bitsy stood up he turned into a stiff cue stick. And didn't want nothing to do with nobody cracked upstairs. And Dickie Miller became a semipro. And Howie Fish a doctor. So I ran down the street full of hope

by myself because I was on fire. But I got there too late for Balaban. Two of them had a stretch of skin between their teeth fighting over it,

and the foam of their mouths and Balaban's blood spattered in such a way, the most the greatest picture looked me straight in the eye, made me sit in the gutter and cry,

and when I got up vow to be Balaban from that day on

-- Jack Hirschman, "Balaban" 1969

for Jack Kerouac

IN LIGHT ROOM IN DARK HELL IN UMBER IN CHROME,

I sit feeling the swell of the cloud made about by movement

of arm leg and tongue. In reflections of gold

light. Tints and flashes of gold and amber spearing

and glinting. Blur glass…blue Glass,

black telephone. Matchflame of violet and flesh

seen in the clear bright light. It is not night

and night too. In Hell, there are stars outside.

And long sounds of cars. Brown shadows on walls

in the light

of the room. I sit or stand

wanting the huge reality of touch and love.

In the turned room. Remember the long-ago dream

of stuffed animals (owl, fox) in a dark shop. Wanting

only the purity of clean colors and new shapes

and feelings.

I WOULD CRY FOR THEM USELESSLY

I have ten years left to worship my youth

Billy the Kid, Rimbaud, Jean Harlow

IN DARK HELL IN LIGHT ROOM IN UMBER AND CHROME I

feel the swell of

smoke the drain and flow of motion of exhaustion, the long sounds of cars

the brown shadows

on the wall. I sit or stand. Caught in the net of glints from corner table to

dull plane

from knob to floor, angles of flat light, daggers of beams. Staring at love’s face.

The telephone in cataleptic light. Marchflames of blue and red seen in the

clear grain.

I see myself—ourselves—in Hell without radiance. Reflections that we are.

The long cars make sounds and brown shadows over the wall.

I am real as you are real whom I speak to.

I raise my head, see over the edge of my nose. Look up

and see that nothing is changed. There is no flash

to my eyes. No change to the room.

Vita Nuova—No! The dead, dead world.

The strain of desire is only a heroic gesture.

An agony to be so in pain without release

when love is a word or kiss.

-- Michael McClure, "The Chamber" 1961

I have folded my sorrows into the mantle of summer night, Assigning each brief storm its allotted space in time, Quietly pursuing catastrophic histories buried in my eyes. And yes, the world is not some unplayed Cosmic Game, And the sun is still ninety-three million miles from me, And in the imaginary forest, the shingled hippo becomes the gray unicorn. No, my traffic is not with addled keepers of yesterday’s disasters, Seekers of manifest disembowelment on shafts of yesterday’s pains. Blues come dressed like introspective echoes of a journey. And yes, I have searched the rooms of the moon on cold summer nights. And yes, I have refought those unfinished encounters. Still, they remain unfinished. And yes, I have at times wished myself something different.

The tragedies are sung nightly at the funerals of the poet; The revisited soul is wrapped in the aura of familiarity.

-- Bob Kaufman, "I Have Folded My Sorrows" 1965

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simonsquest · 4 months

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THE REQUIEM FOR SIMON BELMONT - A Castlevania 2 Playlist

I created a 60 (ish)-track playlist inspired by Simon's curse as it ravages him, guided by my interpretation that Simon is weakened in those terrible years in preparation to become (and eventually is, in the bad end) possessed by Dracula, thus becoming more ghoul or vampire-like as the years go by. I've highlighted lyrics that I feel are most pertinent to that specific idea I have. I hope these tracks inspire you like they do me. If you have any similar ones to recommend please send them my way. I'm always eager to listen to more. :) Genres: Metalcore, Nu-metal, Melodic hardcore, Power metal, Alternative rock, Pop punk, Ambient, Emo, a few Pop songs The post is very long under the cut, but it features lyric highlights and a direct link to each song on YouTube. Please be advised that the lyrics can be very graphic and illustrate disturbing imagery and ideas. Please proceed with caution!

Departed Way - SoTN soundtrack No lyrics, it's ambient. :)

Bloody Tears - The Megas The land is wrought with terror He roams the countryside They call him “Vampire Killer” Wipe the blood from your eyes Seeking the ancient weapon A journey far from done Racing the setting sun This battle must be won These bloody tears fall Blinded for ten thousand years This nightmare just keeps getting worse What a horrible night to have a curse This bloodline's sole devotion Is ending evil’s reign Standing upon the shoulders Ancestors rise again He’s found another token To bring about the end The dark will rise again Given flesh by sin And so, the shiver of the night arrives The rite that will save their lives This family damned to fight The demon’s gift of eternal night And now, the quest consumes his heart A marked man, slowly torn apart In these eight accursed years He’s been drowning in his tears Bloody tears

Heart of Fire - The Megas The reaper takes what's his That is what they say He wants to take your life It won't be this day You can feel it burn Somewhere deep within You can hear them scream What is it they say? Who's imprisoned here? Is it you, or they? Death comes for all men Now you come for him You will not be denied Death takes no bribe He can't stop you tonight Your heart of fire burns inside This heart of fire burns tonight (x2) You cannot leave this place That is what they say The keeper has the key But you found a way You can feel it burn Feel the flames surround From the darkness you You can hear him say He has the power here You will take it away They cannot cage what's in your heart Tonight, tonight, tonight And now you see what sets apart Tonight, tonight, tonight They cannot stop you now, no Nothing can stop you now Let the flames consume you Let the fire burn

Out of Time - The Megas A lifetime of training, a legacy of pain Bringing honor to those who remain Portraits of heroes, from his recall Faces torn from their place on the wall Nexus of evil, a castle of ash The existence of man slipping into the past He carries the burden, now nearing the peak Perhaps he will find the redemption he seeks There's something here A staircase to darkness appears Out of time Saving this dying land The hourglass, it runs out of sand Shedding his human lies Tonight, the lord of darkness shall rise The bone dust, it settles Between the gears Machinery powered by mortal fear Blood is the fabric that covers the stair The words of his master, becoming his prayer Behold the omen, eclipse of the moon Convergence of evil awaits in this room A demon resides in this living corpse Cut off the head, and another springs forth This can't be real Into this nightmare revealed Out of time Evil, it stands at midnight Weapons, they flash in the moonlight Now it's time to strike this demon down once and for all The moment of truth If it's lost, our legacy shatters The strength of his ancestors gather, to say: "Simon, fight, for the good of all mankind"

DAYWALKER! (feat. CORPSE) - Machine Gun Kelly, CORPSE I'll never be the same I wanna know if I tell you a secret, will you keep it? I need someone to blame (take it) When I find this motherfucker then I'll lay him in his grave I won't ever be the same I bit the fucking apple, I'm surrounded by some snakes I prayed to God, and then I went to sleep with bloody hands I came back Nah, not getting better, can't change it, I left blood all on the pavement I'm on borrowed time, can't shake it, blackout when I'm raging There's an invisible voice that's talkin' to me, and it's always tellin' me to kill I got a problem with separating what my head is creating from things that are real I'm in a room, hyperventilating, and debating to pop off the cap of these pills

Werewolf - Motionless in White I can feel you, I can hear you, howling in my bones There's an evil lurking in the dark Ever-shifting, skin is ripping as you take control I can't tell where you end and where I start I could be up all the night, but I'm paralyzed when the creature comes alive 'Cause it's fight or fright in the full moonlight You can run but you can't hide Smile for the camera, but don't flash your teeth I feel like somebody's watching me (feels like everybody's watching me) Can't fight these cravings in the night A beast who's burdened by his bite And in the pale moonlight, a debt to be paid For one must suffer for all eternity

Porcelain - Motionless in White God knows I tried, but broken, I bow to the beast inside An altered state, sometimes I even scare myself Is it too late to question fate? And hope is fleeting, still tethered to this grim divergence of my being I can't stop the bleeding I can barely stand myself I saw your face, but it couldn't save me I fell from grace, and I cracked your smile Don't rescue me, I can't escape it Ravenously, feed my feral mind

The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance He said, "son, when you grow up Would you be the savior of the broken the beaten and the damned?" He said, "will you defeat them? Your demons, and all the non-believers The plans that they have made?" Your memory will carry on We'll carry on And though you're broken and defeated Your weary widow marches On and on, we carry through the fears Disappointed faces of your peers

Change (In the House of Flies) - Deftones And I watched a change in you It's like you never had wings I took you home I pulled off your wings Then I laughed I look at the cross Then I look away

Blood on My Hands - The Used You felt the coldness in my eyes And something I'm not revealing Though you got used to my disguise You can't shake this awful feeling Feel the pain that I never show And I hope you know it's never healing Straight from your eyes, it's barely me Beautifully so disfigured (there's blood) The other side that you can't see Just praying you won't remember There's blood x2 There's blood, blood, blood Is it really that hard for you to believe?

Closer - Nine Inch Nails You let me violate you You let me desecrate you You let me penetrate you You let me complicate you (Help me) I broke apart my insides (Help me) I've got no soul to sell (Help me) the only thing that works for me Help me get away from myself I wanna feel you from the inside My whole existence is flawed You get me closer to God You can have my isolation You can have the hate that it brings You can have my absence of faith You can have my everything (Help me) tear down my reason I drink the honey Inside your hive You are the reason I stay alive

Devil in a Midnight Mass - Billy Talent I was alive, but now I'm singing (Silent night) for the rest of my life x2 (Violent knight) at the edge of your knife ("Forgive me father") won't make it right A devil in a midnight mass Killed the boy inside the man The holy water in his hands Can never wash away his sins Put my trust in God that day Not the man that taught his way Whisper, whisper, don't make a sound Your bed is made, it's in the ground

Cirice - Ghost I feel your presence amongst us You cannot hide in the darkness A candle casting a faint glow You and I see eye to eye Now there is nothing between us From now our merge is eternal Can't you see that you're lost? Can't you see that you're lost without me?

Ritual - Ghost Tonight, we're summoned for a divine cause Remembrance, no, but for their future loss This chapel of ritual smells of dead human sacrifices for the altar On this night of ritual, invoking our master To procreate the unholy bastard "Our Father who art in Hell Unhallowed be Thy name Cursed be the sons and daughters Of Thine nemesis whom are to blame"

This is How I Disappear - My Chemical Romance To explain the unforgivable Drain all the blood and give the kids a show Who walks among the famous living dead Drowns all the boys and girls inside your bed Well, heaven knows That without you is how I disappear And live my life alone, forever now Can you hear me cry out to you? Words I thought I'd choke on, figure out And now You wanna see how far down I can sink Let me go, fuck

Pet - A Perfect Circle Head down, go to sleep Pay no mind what other voices say They don't care about you, like I do (like I do) Safe from pain, and truth, and choice And other poison devils See, they don't give a fuck about you Like I do I'll be the one to protect you from Your enemies and all your demons I'll be the one to protect you from A will to survive and a voice of reason I'll be the one to protect you from Your enemies and your choices, son They're one in the same, I must isolate you Isolate and save you from yourself Swaying to the rhythm of the new world order and Counting bodies like sheep to the rhythm of the war drums The boogeymen are coming x2

Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm Of The War Drums - A Perfect Circle (This song has the same lyrics as the previous track, just more ambient/discordant.) Go back to sleep Go to sleep

Lullaby - A Perfect Circle (This song is also related to the tracks above. It's ambient and discordant.)

Spiders - Slipknot Well, you can go in alone, or keep it in between The pages of the books you burn so no one gets to read The fingers pull your stitches tight, but knowing someone's secret is not enough Everyone's a little bit a lot of the time Who is food and who is thrown away? When now is not the time, tomorrow disagrees But your real world isn't ready to face the face behind the real me Go in alone, suffer for your feelings, I'm not enough But everyone's a little bitter all of the time

(sic) - Slipknot Here comes the pain Enemy, show me what you wanna be I can handle anything, even if I can't handle you Readily, either way it better be Don't you fuckin' pity me, get up, get off What the hell am I sayin'? I don't know about malevolent Sure as hell decadent, I want somebody to step up, step off Get a grip, don't let me slip 'til I drop the ball Fuck this shit, I'm sick of it You're goin' down, this is a war Fuck it Who the fuck am I to criticize your twisted state of mind? You're leaving me suspect, I'm leaving you grotesque Feels like a burn from which you never learn Cause and effect, you jealous ass Press your face against the glass, suffer You can't kill me 'cause I'm already inside you x4

Rotting in Vain - Korn Repulsion evades me, I say goodbye Digging deep inside of me, getting past this agony I can't seem to get away Another day rotting in vain I can't take this

Duality - Slipknot I push my fingers into my eyes It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache But it's made of all the things I have to take Jesus, it never ends, it works its way inside If the pain goes on I have screamed until my veins collapsed I've waited as my time's elapsed Now, all I do is live with so much hate My future seems like one big past You're left with me 'cause you left me no choice If the pain goes on, I'm not gonna make it Put me back together or separate the skin from bone Leave me all the pieces, then you can leave me alone All I've got, all I've got is insane

Solway Firth - Slipknot They mutter as the body loses warmth They pick your bones like locks inside a tomb And take great care to not take care of you I guess you got what you wanted So I will settle for a slaughterhouse soaked in blood and betrayal It's always somebody else Somebody else was me You want the real smile? Or the one I used to practice Not to feel like a failure? I just want to feel like any other man I won't show you the whole story I won't show you the aftermath Don't look away If I'm alive tomorrow I will alleviate the pressure By cutting you out of me I found my bottom line Dead on the front lines I know I'll never go home While I was learning to live You taught me how to die I guess I got what I wanted Another needle in the back through purified scarification It wasn't somebody else You fucking did it to me You want a real smile? I haven't smiled in years

Eyeless - Slipknot I am my father's son 'cause he's a phantom, a mystery, and that leaves me nothing How many times have you wanted to die? It's too late for me, all you have to do is get rid of me It's all in your head It's all in my head It's all in your head Do you wanna take my life? Better get away from me, stay the fuck away from me Look me in my brand new eye

I'm Not A Vampire (Revamped) - Falling in Reverse Well, I'm not a vampire, but I feel like one Sometimes I sleep all day because I hate the sun My hands are always shaking, body's always aching And whisky seems to be my holy water 'Cause I'm insane, I can feel it in my bones Coursing through my veins, when did I become so cold? For goodness sakes, where is my self-control? If home is where my heart is, then my heart has lost all hope I swear to God, I'm not a So God bless all of you now 'Cause I'm going straight to hell And I'm taking you down with me Because you know damn well So I sharpen my teeth, 'cause I love the way it feels When I sink into your skin and draw the only thing that's real You don't believe me? Should I write it in blood? You better drive that fucking stake right through my heart and try to run I'm a vampire

Disasterpiece - Slipknot You'll never get out of this 'cause you were never alive How does it feel to be locked inside a another dream That never had the chance of being realized? Once again, it's me and no one else I can't remember if there was a someone else It's not mine, it's not fair, it's outta my hands And it's shaking - you'll never take me No one is safe Hate ain't enough to describe me Somewhere between screaming and crying When do I get to know why? I'm gone, goodbye, it's so depressing Withering away Take a look inside, my soul is missing All I have is dead, so I'll take you with me Can't see through the sties in my eyes I'm not supposed to be here I'm not supposed to be Scratching and clawing all the way Is there another way to live? 'Cause it's the only way to die

Mx. Sinister - I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME Oh you never seem to notice When I follow you home In the dark of your apartment When you think you're alone Oh you never seem to notice That my heart beats for you So I'll open you up And make yours beat for me, too

Self-Destruction - I Prevail And everything is fucked, and I cannot be saved Maybe that's because I'm on the way Took everything I had and threw it in the flames Watch it burn while they're steady taking aim I guess it came with repercussions I've been in it for a minute, this is not up for discussion All the preconceived premonitions from people who never listen Creating all the division, how can you live with yourself? I'm the definition of coming to a collision The old and the new edition, the hero becomes a villain Now let me tell you a little bit about the Devil, first I am the one Alpha, omega, I won't be undone My power's limitless, you are like Icarus You have been flying too close to the sun I see what's mine, and I'm gonna take it I do what I say, call it dedication I built an army into a nation Now karma is coming, you can't escape it If you don't know the Devil, then you don't know me

Frankenstein - Rina Sawayama Put me together, thread and needle I'm trying to be normal, but trauma is immortal Oh, my God, this is so unbearable Make it stop, this is more than medical I was doing fine 'Til I hit rock bottom Opened up my problems Watch the poison blossom I could be your Frankenstein, Frankenstein I don't wanna be a monster anymore

Dead Until Dark - Powerwolf Prone to the grave, the dark side you walk In the light of morning we fall Confront the brave, the rebel we stalk In the still of the night we awake Don't dare cry, when fever up high No escape, no break, your life we will take Gone with the night When the unholy demons of dawn Pray When the sunlight is dead we're reborn Cursed by our fate, the undead crusade For the sanctum deep under your skin Raise up the blade, by night we invade For the last of times the fight may begin For in blood, in God, in heaven we trust In the night we are Dead until dark

Nighttime Rebel - Powerwolf In the night of surrender In the full moonlight and the midnight came Be the ghostly defender And of glory be thy name In the curse of a nightmare Be the lightning and thunder And ignite the final flame Seven heads, seven demons, seven murders in the sky Take your fate in your hand now, and so we rise up high Nighttime rebel, stand alone against the wind Nighttime rebel, break the holy sin Nighttime rebel, wake up in the night and let begin Nighttime rebel, holy light against the dark Nighttime rebel, bear a holy heart Nighttime rebel, summon in the dawn and let begin In the ongoing darkness Where the sky is torn and belief has failed Be the guide, the pretender And invoke the dreaded rain Like a wolf, like a phantom To the cross bound nail by nail In the curse after midnight When inferno born and the mask unveiled Be the last man unbroken, and in light the one to fade

My Will Be Done - Powerwolf In times of war we strike with sancted power When from the sacristy I rise To bring the final sacrifice Sing words of praise to glorify my name and Stand still Sacrificed to my will Sainted be what I say Preaching My will be done Here and all my life in heaven My will be done Christ our savior bring the sacrament for My will be done

Fire & Forgive - Powerwolf Sons of God and sacrament The night we're dying for Rest in flame by testament At midnight we return Fundamental armament The price we all ignore Bring to fall the last of savior To son of God we swore

Kimdracula - Deftones The earth will see our eyes go blank tonight The earth will rot away Go blank tonight I, I really wish these snakes were your arms

Good God - Korn You came into my life Without a single thing I gave into your ways Which left me with nothing I scream without a sound How could you take away Everything that I was Made me a fucking slave Your face that I despise Your heart inside that's gray I came today to say You're fucked in every way Won't you get the fuck out of my face now? You stole my life Without a sign You sucked me dry

Bloodbath & Beyond - Ice Nine Kills It's been six days since I've had my fix and now I'm fixed on you Despite your trembling body, I can tell you want it too I'm every man you've ever dreamed of, all your fantasies combined You can tell I'm the best by the blood on your dress, there's no bite as good as mine Through the darkest of ages and blackest of plagues I have fed on the blood of the land Every girl that's in sight knows she's mine for the night They're all trapped in the palm of my hand I've crossed oceans of time, caused unspeakable crime But I wouldn't change a bloody thing Hunted by all mankind but they're one step behind "Prince of Darkness"? Fuck that, I'm the king And I'm slipping through the cracks again They'll never take me alive because I'm already dead And forever in your head So won't you come with me and taste immortality You're dripping from the ecstasy of one last crimson kiss When your blood pours out like rain Take pleasure in the pain You're not the only girl to scream my name, but the first I can't resist So here's one last crimson kiss Don't think of this as damnation 'Cause we don't need their salvation Your neck is up next

The Greatest Story Ever Told - Ice Nine Kills How could this happen? Am I dreaming again? Her body's not moving, I'm assuming she's dead She's covered in bruises but the truth is that I never committed the crime Time to burn and dig the whites of my eyes But, what went on that night? "Listen closely as I tell you I'm not who I seem I'm gonna touch you 'cause I like it when you scream I wanna watch you when you're sleeping and thinking of me" And that's what he told her as he killed her Don't believe what he says, he's not real It's murder and he did it My God (hear me) You better fear me 'cause I'm gonna find you Last night I dreamed we had a future and you were alive It was springtime on our wedding day, there were birds in the sky The sun was glowing, it was beautiful and everyone was there I still can't believe that you're gone, I'm so lost I'm sorry (I'm sorry) Don't go Oh please, God no 'Cause you'll be lying awake From this nightmare and feel betrayed I gave my life And you took it away "Am I dead? Or am I still breathing?"

The Coffin Is Moving - Ice Nine Kills I'm holding my life in my hands And you're holding your views of the world Around never knowing Just make me whole again 'Cause I'm a soldier for misfortune But I believe we can turn it around This memory, the final enemy now We are, we are the walking dead A generation of negligence brought down upon our heads

The Fastest Way To A Girl's Heart Is Through Her Ribcage - Ice Nine Kills There's blood here in the water as I'm slowly losing grip 'Cause your insanity, it's killing me What's inside you is inherently sick Now that the blood is getting darker You drown in your true colors and just the truth remains All you are is a masquerade You always had a way of creeping in my life You're always so inclined to tear apart my mind Is it difficult to breathe with your fate wrapped around your throat?

The Product of Hate - Ice Nine Kills This world is spiralling down The segregation of everything Is the source of the blood on the walls It's passed down by generation This hatred could swallow us all A story told so full of holes Just allows the lies to breathe And to leach into the heart Of the disillusioned and the weak And I'll pray to God we make it out alive I see through this illusion But what's the solution if all that they see is what's different in me? There's a hole in my heart nobody can see It feels like the sun is gone and hope is locked away There's a hole in my heart, why can't they see? God unstitch their eyes please I hope tomorrow's not too late 'Cause today's time is running out Don't turn your back you know it's real So wake up, 'cause something's wrong There's something wrong

Connect the Cuts - Ice Nine Kills Well I've been looking for redemption What was gold, now is lost to the wolves As the choler inside swells like locusts swarm With little faith in a God or humanity, I'm lost Sometimes I think to myself "you should burn, motherfucker, burn" There's no truth in resting on laurels Or the blindfold of crooked ideals and morals On and on 'til the end, the serpents in my head Will show themselves through the whites of my eyes If all is lost again, will I repeat or repent? Or will I realize the Devil's in disguise? I'll fucking self-destruct Well, I've been bitten by temptation Body of rust and a cynical soul I can't seem to fend off all the vermin I hear the Devil, he's calling Fuck Doubt has dragged me down to rock bottom this time Despite the weight on my shoulders, I continue to climb In my final hours, towards a higher power to find I'm damaged by design I can't believe it was so difficult to see That all along my only enemy was me

Jonathan - Ice Nine Kills God has taken my eyes If I see no reflection How the hell do I know I'm alive? As the darkness bleeds into my mind The force that screams to give up Is grave enough to crave my name into stone Inspired by hope or defined by disease? If you knew what it meant to be me Could you close your eyes and never say "never"? Or would you call this the end of the road? I'm running out of memories, a shell of what I used to be As this curse drains the life out of me

Communion Of The Cursed - Ice Nine Kills So where's your savior tonight? As angels fall from the sky His idle hands let me inside Where I cannot be crucified Forgive me father, have I sinned? Who gives a fuck how long it's been? Just let his holy war begin I am the darkness deep within The devil in her daughter's skin And I'll be there 'til the bitter end In the name of God I command you to flee Relentlessly, 'cause we believe By the power of Christ we will set her free You spent your life in his light Still faith can't save you tonight Yet evil stands the test of time I cannot be crucified Pass the cup and drink from me instead Savor the taste and quench your thirst With the communion of the cursed Get on your knees and prove your worth I will cast him out (his grip is weakening) Cast him out (this is his day of reckoning) Through the father, the son, and the holy ghost I will lure this parasite from its wholesome host Eternally, my last decree If a soul must be taken, I demand you take me "Now I lay her down to sleep Her soul is mine, and mine to keep If she dies before she wakes I'll find another soul to take"

Me, Myself & Hyde - Ice Nine Kills I tear apart the pages of the story of my life In black and white, the wrong and right will struggle to survive And I've been falling apart in the pouring rain I'm waging war on myself, a captive casualty Traded a merciful heart for a murderer's brain But now I curse what's in my head Because I can't stop seeing red Did you really think I would falter, my friend? I've destroyed you before, I'll destroy you again I'm the hell that is your future, I'll incinerate your past I'm the devil on your shoulder, but I'll always be your better half We might share one body But this spine is fucking mine By now you should know You're just a spectator, I'm the show Is this the end of me? I bid thee farewell Fuck my fate Just save a seat for me in hell

Cheers To Goodbye (feat. Spencer Charnas) - Escape the Fate, Ice Nine Kills, Spencer Charnas Losing myself, put you through hell I've been fuckin' actin' up too much Tell me that you've had enough I fall apart, you don't look surprised Think I need some fuckin' therapy Figure out what's wrong with me So come gather 'round, you can watch my demise Been living too long in this fuckin' disguise Consuming every substance I can find You can laugh at my life, it's a joke, it's a lie It's time for the moment you've all been waiting for Step the fuck up because the final act of the evening is here A vanishing act, the likes of which you have never seen Count down with me Three, two, one So kiss me goodbye, say goodnight Hold back your tears, don't you cry Which would be worse? To live as a monster or die as a hero tonight

DAMAGED (feat. Spencer Charnas) - In This Moment, Ice Nine Kills, Spencer Charnas I wish there was a way for me to put this into words All these feelings that I have as I start to lose control I feel panic rushin' over me and grippin' at my chest And no matter what I say or do, I know that it won't rest I feel my vision fade, sweat drippin' down my back I can hear my heart pound, I can feel my mind crack And I know that you love me and you wanna save me now In the end of it all, you can't save me from myself The more I try to fight it, he grows stronger every time Post-traumatic stress, yeah, that's what my doctor said So when I think of dying, I just gotta take a breath

Funeral Derangements - Ice Nine Kills Slave to the plot Let 'em rot Or bring 'em back forever They say "Behind those gates, eternal life awaits" But those beyond the grave, come back beyond depraved With church bells ringing, I'll start digging We pray to thee our God (it's all my fault) For the blessing you've provided I'll see you on the other side But I'd kill to bring you back tonight Don't give up, don't let go I'll make this right I'll dig through sorrow and disgust Ashes to ashes, dust to dust They say that time heals all But I won't heed the call Buried in misery Spare me the eulogy Still, I can't escape this struggle Driven when push comes to shovel Whether God's hand or my own Nothing here is set in stone The flesh is living but the souls have spoiled The wrath of God lays beneath this soil

Enjoy Your Slay - Ice Nine Kills Plagued by the past And down a badly beaten path A mess of a man, his fate unknown He can't give up but can't go on like this Oh, I'm not gonna hurt you I'm just gonna bash your fucking brains in Now the fun has just begun And one by one your wife and son Hang in the web you've spun as family ties come undone Come drain or shine, I'll hit your whole bloodline A chopping spree around the family tree Where you can hang once all work is done

Love Bites - Ice Nine Kills, Chelsea Talmadge It's tearing me apart, but it's us or them So howl at the moon, oh, how can it be? The softer the skin, the sharper the teeth I've fallen prey to a curse I can't disown Is it all in my head? Blood on the hands of a man so filled with doubt I'm counting on beauty to kill off the beast So just put me down

The World In My Hands - Ice Nine Kills, Tony Lovato How'd I end up here? So uncomfortable I'm a stranger in this body The world's an ugly place And that's a fact that fate has brought me So tell the town below As death took hold You watched helplessly But to hell with letting go 'Cause when it snows It falls to you from me

Hypnosis - Sleep Token Lift, oh, lift me out Of my own skin Of all my doubt Take from me Leave nothing left Take everything Sink, sink your teeth Split my skin, no Just make me bleed Oh, and give me Give me all All that I want You know you hypnotize me always (x6) And I am almost under

Stabbing In The Dark - Ice Nine Kills When the hands of fate Fall on the midnight hour Behind this mask of hate I don the Devil's power These are the Devil's eyes I'll haunt you day after day Knife after knife Taking life after life You can't kill the boogeyman I am the shadow where there once was light Strangling all signs of life

Headache - Motionless in White Some days I try to speak with pins and needles in my brain Some days I feel sadistic, a portrait of my pain Some days I live in fear that I am every fucking thing I hate I know that I'm gonna be fine Oh God, am I gonna be fine? Bright lights, am I dead or alive? So insane I'm losing my mind I made a deal with the devil inside Decay and follow me down, under skin, I am doubt Feeding the flies in your mouth through my eyes I swear that I'm gonna be fine

Mephisto - Crystal Lake You've got nothing left, you're as good as dead Pay the price to be welcomed to hell Now it's time to pay the price, this is a death sentence Your soul is mine Love and hate, you got everything you wanted Price to pay, your fate is already sealed Be prepared, the gates of hell lie waiting In despair, I wanna hear you scream It's too late to repent, you got what you deserve When the clock strikes, you'll be torn apart, damned in hell I've waited for this moment for four and twenty years He won't come to save you, no one will hear you scream Oh, you are mine

Curse - Crystal Lake Our time is up, we're dehumanized You took our hearts out, lobotomized Are we so weak? You set the bridge on fire Too late, you've gone too far, dead end Checkmate, congrats, you won this game But will it be the end of our nightmare? I'm all alone Burning my soul as I'm losing myself All alone, on my own Life, is it a gift or curse? Saw him taking another soul above the sky They left a thousand stories untold Broken dreams make memories shine in gold The harder we try, the deeper we fall We'll burn away when the sun rises up This road is paved with bricks of broken dreams Stand all, walk through this hell with me

Trigger - In Flames I am running from something I don't know I am searching for something, which way to go? I am trying to separate what's real I'm running in a wheel Please tell me my name I haven't checked it today

The Quiet Place - In Flames Spinning further deeper I know you're out to try me I'm not in this to be a slave I push the dirt Make me feel Drown the monster Make all bad dreams go away Whatever it takes to keep your hands free Open scars The quiet place All the bridges fall to the ground And you say you sacrificed And then I close my eyes (x2)

Do Or Die - Magnolia Park, Ethan Ross (warning: flashing images in the video) I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die young It's a fight to survive, we're suicidal I walk in the building to burn it, setting a fire they all getting murdered I'm feeling my demons returning, fuck up again and I guess I'm not learning Got the opposition nervous, y'all are really only tough on the surface I'm living through all of these curses, bringing the pain and they know that I'm hurting Not affectionate, my face is still expressionless Take his head off clean, sleepy hollow I'm collecting it Messing with a king, hit the dirt, you gon' rest in it I'm meant for this, you try to take it from me blow your head to bits It's do or die We live to fight so Don't let me drown, don't let me drown It's flooding in my mind I think I got a problem why I'm always in my head Really going back to my old ways, running so low on the tolerance, all of the stress I'm going back and forth, slamming my fists, I'm losing it again All of the hate makes it feel like love and I can't even trust any of my friends, damn No remedy for all this pain We live to fight so come try me

Kool-Aid - Bring Me The Horizon (warning: flashing images in the video) Is this what you wanted? (no) So suffer your fate, oh, come here and give me a hug Nobody loves you like I love you, oh, my dear But you should've known that it was gonna end in tears Such a sucker for an execution The void is a vampire, fat on our blood While they try their hand at playing God Afraid there's no cure I got my (hands around your throat, I love the way you choke) 'Cause I am yours and you are mine, I'll never let you go I'll never let you go Get the fuck up That this was gonna end in tears

Running In Circles - Dead Poet Society Feel like I'm never enough Slowly coming undone, yeah I run in circles Get back, get back, get away Watch me try hard anyway It's all fake, the self-hate's killing me I know that I'm not that And I'm sick of pretending So sick of pretending I need to run away Soon I'll be just like the others Hide my face No one knows it's pulling me under Feels like I'm running in circles Feels like I'm running, running, oh I'm fucked up and I can't see straight I'm so sick of pretending, oh That I'm someone and something I'm not So I'm back where I started Falling apart

Watch The World Burn - Falling In Reverse Yeah, I got voices in my head again, tread carefully I got problems, I got issues, yeah, apparently Trauma that I'm burying, I think I need some therapy I'm past the point of no return, fuck being passive-aggressive I'll brandish a weapon, teach all of you motherfuckers a lesson They swim in the deep, and they creep in the shallows, I'm lost They're licking their chops, they're fixing to rip me apart, I'm swimming with sharks You started a battle, bitch, I'ma finish it 'Cause I got enemies trying to get rid of me Evil tendencies are fucking with me mentally I can't control the monster any longer that's inside The pain and sorrow left us hollow No tomorrows hard to swallow Death is calling so appalling Tightrope walking, now I'm falling down The pain inside is the fuel that drives The flesh and bones through blood-red skies The death defying, hypnotizing One day you're gonna figure out that Everything they taught you was a lie Watch the world burn The fear is what keeps you alive Break the fucking chains, take back your life The fear is what keeps you insane Break the fucking chains, take away the pain

#alternatively titled: tumblr user simonsquest's brainrot in 60-some tracks #castlevania #akumajou dracula #castlevania ii #castlevania 2 #castlevania ii: simon's quest #castlevania 2: simon's quest #simon's quest #my art (technically on the fake album cover)#simon belmont #cursed simon belmont

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offdacabsav2 · 1 year

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Requiem

He ripped his sword from her chest. Blood trickled from the blade’s scorched edge. Crimson leaked out of a long cut across his forehead. White and gold tainted by charred black and liquid red.

The Maiden’s final expression had been one of horror. Dried tears remain dormant. A red sash tied around her throat, incarcerating her to a jutting piece of metal.

Even now, she infuriated him. He wanted to stab her again and again and again and again until she was an unrecognizable mound of flesh.

Her cowardly, childlike terror made him shake in rage.

But… it didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered anymore.

Raggedly, he clawed at oxygen, trying to force it into his lungs. The knight stumbled backwards and fell to his knees.

His mind should be racing, should be panicking, but he wasn’t. No, only two voices reached his bleeding ears.

Everyone’s gone.

We won.

The longer his eyes lingered on the growing puddle of blood reaching for him, the closer he slipped.

It didn’t matter.

His scream built deep in his soul. A guttural, shaky cry of torment. It shaped into sobs. His chest heaved violently, surrounded by his friends.

Burying them was torture. Pure hell.

It hurt.

God, it hurt.

It hurt so bad that his physical wounds went numb and all that remained was the crushing emptiness.

His final straw… Weiss.

Her cold, beautiful face… pale. He thought if he cried hard enough the universe would pity him and somehow, someway… bring them back.

Each excruciating toss of the shovel, each layer slowly sealing her body forever.

And he prayed he went with them, that he could join her in eternity.

He shut her eyes permanently with gentle hands.

Their graves were marked. In order. By team.

‘Heroes of Remnant.’ That’s what the carving in the oak read.

It cradled them, sheltered their souls. Large and full of life.

The sun soaked him in warmth. It’s counterpart fell below the horizon, making way for a new day.

He sat alone by the cliff, watching a miracle color the sky in cool yellow. If one studied him, they could tell no difference between his gaze and a corpses gaze.

Wind caressed the field of plush, emerald grass, weaving in between blades and branches, tenderly dancing with nature.

Below him, crystal blue waves washed over sand, overtaking the shore as it the tide came in.

He closed his eyes and felt…

Alone.

“Cleanup efforts continue as more injured and deceased are unearthed from debris. The death toll climbs every day, now reaching 200 with 500 more missing. But, today, a discovery was made. Nine named graves and a message: ‘Heroes of Remnant’. These heroes were the members of huntsman teams RWBY and RENO. Heroes… valiant and courageous… All of us, everyone; we should be thankful brave souls such as those men and women gave up their years, so we could live out ours. There is a missing marker, however. Jaune Arc is noticeably absent. Authorities mark him MIA and plan to begin searching in two weeks.”

Two years later.

A cloaked, bearded figure stands atop a hill overlooking Vale. Cranes and maintenance crews rebuild the city brick-by-brick. Wooden structures towering like skyscrapers, fields of rubble cleared in one fell swoop. Past the new buildings and heavy machinery, proudly displayed for passing travelers paying their respects… murals.

Decorated in ornate designs. Flowers cloaking the courtyard around their dirt beds. A rainbow assortment.

Pictures of the fallen behind their tombs.

The figure bent down to removed topsoil and placed his remembrances. A blooming memory for each. He looked on with a hard gaze and straight mouth.

In his hand, an edelweiss. Full of life and compassion. Strong, regal, beautiful.

Pale as the winter landscape.

His eyes glistened as the sun set. He placed her gently, curling his finger around a petal for the last time.

The figure allowed himself a solemn, ghostly smile.

And he left.

#rwby whiteknight #rwby volume 9 #white knight #jaune x weiss #jaune arc #Wanted to write a depressing ending cause that would go hard #Weiss Schnee x Jaune arc #jaune arc x weiss schnee

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screechthemighty · 1 month

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I am once again just as confused as you are that a chapter is being churned out so quickly. To be fair, this is a chapter I've had in my head since the early days of this fic, so that helped. Anyways, enjoy!

the unknowable tomorrow | a tristamp fanfic part twelve: meryl

cws: family death, grief, injury description, vomiting mention, some grossness related to harvesting giant bugs as a food source

When Meryl stepped out, she was worried she’d been sent back again. The air was thick with smoke, and she could see fires burning in the distance. Thankfully, a second look confirmed this wasn’t the Fall. It was daytime, not night, and there were a lot more people around. “Line up!” someone shouted. “We’ve got to get this gear distributed, fast!”

Meryl followed the sounds of shouting. There was a line forming to receive jumpsuits and respirators. Some people were being assigned to a truck nearby, others to a nearby cluster of buildings—or what was left of them. The sand underfoot was black, hardened in places from the heat. There was no sign of Vash, but knowing him, he’d be going where people needed help. So, Meryl got in line with everyone else.

“Next!” The person distributing the gear gave Meryl a once-over. “Resource distribution.” He said, passing her one of the less heavy jumpsuits and a respirator that only covered her nose and mouth. “Over there. Be sure to keep your mask on. Air quality’s not going to get any better.”

Meryl took the gear and joined a cluster of people getting suited up. No one spoke to her directly, giving her time to listen to their chatter and survey their surroundings. By the time she had the gear fully on, she was pretty sure she knew when she was.

In the future, most things were powered by Plant energy, rechargeable batteries, or solar power. There had been some attempts in the early days of recorded human history to harvest fossil fuels to power backup steam and combustion power, but they repeatedly ended in disaster. The fuel was too volatile, and their harvesting machinery was too haphazard. Enough lives were lost that people moved on, instead focusing on Plant-based power and later, solar. She was in the middle of one of those disasters. A fire had started in the oil fields, and a fuel truck had exploded while it was being loaded, all in the same day.

That was all bad enough, but Meryl had a unique worry: this all happened long enough after the Fall that her lack of aging would be immediately noticeable. The respirators all had clear fronts to allow for lip-reading, so she wouldn’t be able to hide behind it. What do I do? she thought as she rolled up her sleeves. Vash seemed to know about the portals, but how much did he really know? How could she possibly explain the truth to him?

“Okay, let’s move it!” someone barked. “We’ve got people to help!”

Meryl took a deep breath. I’ll help. I’ll look for Vash when I do. When I find him…I don’t know. I’ll figure it out when I see him. Ugh, she hated how much she’d had to improvise lately. She was pretty sure when Roberto told her she’d have to think on her feet he hadn’t been talking about situations like this.

Once everyone was suited up, they were let loose on the town—or what was left of it—to distribute food, water, masks. Meryl saw throngs of people coated in ashes, their eyes glazed over like the Jeneora Rock survivors’ had been. Her heart ached for them, but she tried not to let it distract her from keeping an eye out for Vash. She looked for his puff of blond hair, the bright red of his coat, the slight glow of his prosthetic (because surely he must have it by now). She listened for his voice, for any gossip about a strange noodle of a man who’d swept into town and offered to help.

For a long time—what felt like ages—there was nothing. Just smoke-stained buildings and smoke-stained faces and the cries of the injured and desperate. Until…

“Hey, could you give me a hand with this?” The man before her was hauling a small wagon full of empty containers. “We need to get these filled up.”

“Sure,” Meryl said, as she had to pretty much every request made of her so far. “Filled up with what?”

“Water. Assuming…” The man paused and shook his head. “Come on.”

Meryl followed dutifully. She was led to the back of a building, where there was a water dispenser and a group of three people with anxious eyes. “He hasn’t said anything, has he?” said the man who’d brought Meryl over.

“Not a peep,” replied one of the three. “No news is good news, right?” This didn’t stop the woman from anxiously running a hand through her hair. “One minute left.”

That minute was spent in near-silence, lining up various clean but mismatched containers so they could be filled as efficiently as possible. After one last check of someone’s watch and a soft count down from ten, the spigot was turned on. The others in the group gathered around anxiously, no one making a sound until…

Water. First a trickle, then a steady stream. The group breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight. “Okay,” someone said, “let’s get to it.”

Meryl fell into line moving empty containers up when the one before it was full. “What’s wrong with the water Plant?” she asked.

“It was hurt in the second blast,” said the man across from her. “Pretty badly. We lost the food-making Plant entirely.” He glanced towards the building. “We’re lucky that engineer showed up, otherwise we’d really be toast.”

Meryl’s heart skipped a beat. “Engineer?”

“Yeah, some guy in a red coat. We warned him that the tanks had leaked and the vapor levels still weren’t safe, but he went in there anyway.” He shook his head. “He’s a lunatic, but he’s saved our asses so far.”

That sentence alone confirmed that it was Vash. “He’s been keeping the Plant alive this whole time?”

“So far, but he said he couldn’t promise us it’d recover fully. That’s why we’ve been stocking up on water while we still can. If the worst happens, at least we’ll have enough to get us out of here.” He pulled the full container out of the way, letting Meryl slide up the empty one. “Feels like we’re playing Russian roulette every time we do this, though.”

Meryl hummed and glanced back at the building. He was so close, but she couldn’t think of a way to get to him. The vapors from a leaking Plant tank were toxic to humans, and while she was willing to risk skin irritation, she doubted Vash would be happy if she hurt herself. “Does he come out very often?”

“Not really. I’ve only seen him once. We have to bring him his meals…speaking of, actually, do you mind making sure someone’s doing that?”

Perfect! “Yeah, I can do that.”

No one had, so Meryl volunteered for the task immediately. She was given very strict instructions not to enter. Leave the tray at the door, ring a bell, come back to get her own meal. Meryl nodded like she was paying attention, but half her focus was taken up figuring out what to say to Vash. She still didn’t have an answer by the time she got back to the Plant building. The damage hadn’t looked so bad from the back, but from the front, she could see how devastating the explosion had been. There was a gaping hole where the left corner had been, and what she could see of the inside was blackened with smoke. That hole, along with the front door, had been cordoned off with a wall of debris, and several signs warned people not to approach. It was a grim sight.

How do I help him?

Meryl set the tray down on a mostly flat surface, rang the bell, and backed away as instructed. She lingered nearby, watching. If she could see Vash and what kind of state he was in, maybe that would help her decide.

Vash emerged after what seemed like ages. He was unhurt, far as she could tell, and much older now. He was a spitting image of the Vash she’d find hanging upside-down between two corpses one day.

And he looked so, so tired.

Meryl had the decision there and then. She started waving her arms. “Vash!” she called. “Vash!”

Vash’s gaze jerked over to her. A smile slowly started to form on his lips, widening into bright relief as he got a better look at her. Meryl forgot about the warnings and started to run to him. Vash quickly looked concerned. “Not too close!” he called. “Not too close…”

Meryl skidded to a halt, even though every part of her wanted to hug him. “I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner,” she said. “Are you okay?”

Vash’s smile came back, even as tears started falling down his face. “I am now,” he said. “I’m so happy to see you.”

“I’m happy to see you, too.” She smiled. “Is there anything I can do to help? Anything at all?”

“You already are. I feel a lot better knowing you’re here. But…I’ve been really busy with the Plant, but if it’s not too much trouble, can you keep an eye on things out here? Just let me know how they’re going?”

“I can. I’ll make sure to bring your food so we can talk. Uhm…” Meryl ran back over the hours she’d already been there. “I haven’t heard too much. I was trying to find you. But they’re stockpiling water in case they have to leave. They let some people out of the tirage area while I was getting them bandages…how long has it been?”

“Five days since the explosion. I got here on the second day. Have they gotten the fires put out?”

“I’m not sure, but I can find out.” Time to put those reporter skills to the test. “Anything else you want to know?”

“If anyone else is sending help. I know some people from smaller settlements have come, but there’s got to be more people coming.”

“I’ll ask around.” Meryl glanced over Vash’s shoulder. “How’s she doing?”

Vash’s shoulders slumped. “Not good,” he admitted quietly. “She was injured in the fire, and she misses the other Plant. It was…rough for her, being there when she died.” He ran a hand through her hair. “I’ve done what I can, but a lot of it’s…physical, you know? Not just her Gate. I can only do so much for that. Right now, I’m just trying to keep her comfortable.”

“I’m so sorry, Vash,” Meryl said. She remembered being in the elevator with Roberto, watching the light slowly go out in his eyes as the puddle of blood grew underneath him. Vash was going through the same thing, just slower, and with family. No wonder he looked so tired. “I wish I could be in there with you.”

Vash’s smile came back, but it didn’t look forced. It was tired, soft, but genuine. “That means a lot,” he said. “Knowing you’re out here will help. Promise.”

“And I can give you a hug when this is over.”

“I look forward to that.” Vash finally picked up his meal tray. “Take care of yourself too, okay? I know things aren’t any easier out here.”

“I will.” Meryl decided to take a risk, walking closer to the barrier and reaching out over it. “I’ll see you later.”

Vash hesitated before taking it. His flesh hand felt cold, and his grip was tight. It was a poor substitute for a hug, but Meryl hoped it would be enough for now. “See you,” Vash whispered back.

Meryl waited at the barrier until Vash was back inside before leaving.

Time to get to work.

She came back a few hours later with dinner for Vash and a lot of information. She’d spent the day bouncing between tasks, going where needed, but she’d been able to multitask. People gossiped, and there were enough new faces that her questions hadn’t seemed too out of place.

“They’ve already sent away the most seriously injured,” she said. “People who needed doctors right away and such. Anyone left here is in stable condition, more or less, and they did get a medic in. The fires around town are out, but the oil field is still burning. I guess there’s an oil well somewhere and they can’t get the flames out long enough to re-cap it.” The volunteer she’d spoken to had all been filthy, exhausted, increasingly hopeless the longer they’d been there. “Most of the assistance has come from Little Almeria.”

“Nothing from November?”

“Nothing yet.” It was strange to think that November existed now. So did July, as much as the thought chilled her. “People aren’t happy about that.”

“I don’t blame them. November’s government are the ones that sent them out here in the first place.” Vash glanced in the direction of the fields. “Did anyone…talk about it possibly having been sabotage?”

Meryl hesitated. “Not…really. Just a lot of people cursing the bad luck of it all.” And it was bad luck, to have an explosion in the oil field and an explosion so close to town in the same day. Bad luck, or…

“Do you think it was him?” Meryl asked quietly.

Vash stared down at his food. His eyes were so tired, so sad. She’d seen that look before after Jeneora Rock. Another disaster caused by Millions Knives. “I don’t know,” Vash said. “I feel like…I would’ve felt if he was here, you know? But who knows anymore.” He pushed his food around his plate without picking it up. He’d moved back into the doorway in theory so they could talk while he ate, but he’d done more talking than eating. “Could’ve been he sent someone. Could have nothing to do with him. Could just be bad luck.”

“It’s not your fault, either way.”

Vash smiled ruefully. “I may need you to remind me of that a few more times.”

“I’ll say it as many times as you need.” Meryl smiled at him encouragingly before turning back to her notebook. “Oh, speaking of November, they’re going to try making contact again tomorrow. And there’s some debate whether they should go back there if they can’t get things under control or if they’ll go to Little Almeria. That’s really going to depend on how much water they can collect…” She hesitated. “Uhm. No pressure.”

Vash shook his head. “This situation has been nothing but pressure for everyone. I’m not special.” He finally took a bite, chewed slowly, and swallowed hard. “Are they doing okay with food?”

Technically yes, but it was an area of concern. They’d sent people out to hunt worms and were stockpiling nonperishables for a possible trip out of there. But Meryl remembered Vash’s three day fast after Jeneora Rock, and how worried Brad and Luida had looked when Vash claimed he wasn’t hungry. “They’re making sure any important volunteers have enough,” Meryl said, aiming for gentle but stern. “Including the man keeping their Plant alive. The rest of us are doing okay, too.”

Vash ducked his head. A slight blush spread across his cheeks as he laughed sheepishly. “Am I that easy to figure out?”

“A little.” Meryl fought the urge to step closer to the barricade again. “You’re not taking anything from anyone. You’re giving them a lot, and they’re returning the favor. Okay?” Vash nodded. “Is there anything else you need? Or anything she needs?”

Vash thought about it. “Nothing you could get easily,” he said. “Unless November agrees to send help, and if they do, the mayor already has my wish list.”

“Well, if they call us back tomorrow, maybe I’ll try to get on the line and give them a good lecture.” She’d do it, too. Meryl had been through too much to be intimidated by the thought of a politician getting annoyed at her.

“That’d probably work. I’m pretty sure those guys who tried to kidnap me only messed with you because they were desperate.”

Meryl laughed, but winced at the same time at the memory. “Let’s hope it doesn’t have to go that far again.”

“Yeah.” Vash finished off his meal. “I should get back to it.”

“Don’t forget to get some sleep.”

“You, too. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

The town seemed so much quieter once Vash slipped into the building. Meryl gathered up his dishes and walked back.

The sunset was blood red. She couldn’t remember if that was a good omen or not.

It sure didn’t feel good.

Meryl didn’t sleep well that night. She couldn’t clearly remember her dreams, but vague flashes lingered. The Big Fall, Jeneora Rock, July, the burning oil fields, and a silver-clad figure stalking through the smoke. And as if that weren’t bad enough…

“You know how to gut a worm?”

Kill me, Meryl thought grimly.

But she’d told Vash she would help, and seeing how it was either worm prep or assisting the medic, she picked the worms. Keeping the respirator mask on helped with the smell, at least. And it was a good chance to hear the latest gossip.

If only the gossip had any good news.

“…said that there wasn’t as much water output last night,” someone whispered.

“There’s always less water output at night, isn’t there?”

“Yes, but it’s been decreasing every day. That’s what I heard.”

“They are having us put aside a lot of meat for preservation…”

“Will we be able to transport everyone? So many thoma ran off…”

“Guys, enough,” cut in a new voice. “Speculating isn’t going to get us anywhere. We’ll figure it out if it happens.”

The room fell silent. Meryl tried to go back to work, but her mind wasn’t in it. She’d missed talking to Vash at breakfast. She needed some excuse to see him at lunch. If the Plant was doing poorly, then Vash probably was, too. He needed her now.

But how do I get to him?

The next worm put in front of her had something clinging to its underside: masses of goopy balls all clumped together. The person next to her perked up. “Nice! An egg layer! Hey, guys, we’ve got worm roe!”

Meryl barely managed to get her mask off and get to an isolated corner before she puked.

Mercifully, they sent her to help with inventory after that.

It was a lot easier from there to slip away and get Vash’s lunch to him. It took him longer than last time to appear, and when he did, he looked awful. Not as bad as he had when he’d gotten sick, but close. “Oh, Vash,” Meryl breathed.

He stared down at his food before meeting her eyes. He didn’t have to confirm it was bad; she could see it all over his face. “…hey, Claudia?” he said quietly. “This is kind of a weird question, but…do you know any good stories?” Of course, every book she’d ever read and every story she’d ever been told flew right out of her head. Vash must have seen the panicked look on her face, because he quickly added, “Or…anything else we can talk about? Anything at all? I just don’t want to think about…this.”

“I understand,” Meryl said. “Uhm…” Think, Meryl, think! “I…accidentally unearthed a massive cheating ring in my school when I was a teenager?”

A startled but genuine laugh burst out of Vash. “You did what? How?!”

“Well…” Meryl blushed slightly. “It was kind of stupid at first. I was an overachiever. I wanted the student paper to do serious pieces, you know? Real journalism from my small-town high school.” She shook her head. “So, when I heard about a secret homework-for-money deal going around the school, I thought it was my big break and started digging.”

Meryl was a little surprised how much came back to her as she told the story, but apparently, she remembered more from high school than she’d realized. To be fair, it was hard to forget the incident that had led to her being ostracized and labeled as the nosy jerk who’d gotten a lot of her fellow students in trouble. It was embarrassing to tell, especially with the filter of hindsight, but it held Vash’s attention, and that was what mattered. “…and in the end, I didn’t even get to write an article about it,” she finished glumly. “I got labeled the school snitch for nothing.”

Vash winced sympathetically. He’d started eating about halfway through the story and had put a decent dent in his lunch. “That sounds rough.”

“It was. I wasn’t trying to be a snitch, either. I just wanted to get to the truth, and I didn’t think…” Meryl hesitated. “I didn’t think about what it might cost.”

A lesson she’d never really learned. And Roberto had been the one to pay the price, not her.

“Everything has a cost,” Vash agreed quietly. “Every decision. Someone’s got to pay it. It can be so…” He put down his fork and rubbed his eyes. “Painful.”

Meryl frowned in concern. Before she could ask, Vash suddenly straightened up and looked over his shoulder. “Vash?”

“I have to go,” he said. “Thank you for talking…” He set aside his tray and took off into the building. “Be safe!”

“Vash!”

He was deep in the building by the time Meryl reached the barrier. She thought about jumping it and running after him, but remembered the warnings about the toxins inside. Vash would send her right back out if she tried, and he probably needed to focus anyway.

Still, she glanced over her shoulder more than once as she walked away.

The water output was lower that night.

The whispers were out of control. Meryl tried to ignore them as she wormed her way into being the one to bring Vash his meal. It wasn’t that hard; people seemed afraid to even look at the building, much less approach it with food. She was left alone as she walked to it, rang the bell and waited.

And waited.

No sign of Vash.

Is he in trouble? What if he overexerted himself and he passed out? Meryl shifted from one foot to another. He might need help. I know it’s not safe, but…

There was always a price to pay.

…screw it. She’d be the one paying it this time, and she didn’t care.

Meryl ran for the supply trucks. A lot of the heavy-duty supplies had already been claimed, but after some digging, she was able to find some googles, a detachable hood, and a pair of gloves that fit. If anyone asked, she was checking in because she hadn’t heard from the Plant engineer and she wanted to know about the water shortage. She’d probably get a scolding, but, well…she probably wouldn’t be around long enough for long-term consequences anyway. Benefits of being a time traveler.

She threw the extra gear on, making sure that as much of her skin was covered as possible. She didn’t have to see herself to know she looked ridiculous. I just hope I don’t spook the Plant, she thought. It took some effort to climb over the barrier, but she just barely made it without landing on her face.

No going back now.

Meryl took one last deep breath before going inside.

There was something almost terrifyingly quiet about the interior. Her footsteps echoed in the empty halls, and the smoke damage made the space feel much, much darker. The deeper she went, the less the air smelled of smoke, but the more it started smelling of that same harsh odor that had clung to Vash when he came outside. There was a strange haze hanging over the hallways outside the Plant room. It made even the familiar setting of refurbished ship-based buildings feel alien. She almost called Vash’s name, but was suddenly afraid of breaking the silence.

The light changed color as she approached the door, turning a strange red-purple, like a bruise. A heavy weight of sadness, exhaustion, pain, none of it hers, started to settle over her shoulders. She was shaking by the time she entered the Plant room.

What she saw nearly made her stop breathing.

There were two tanks inside. One was shattered, empty; the other one had been mended, but had lower fluid levels. Vash’s jacket, boots, and prosthetic arm were laying on the floor outside it, and inside…

Vash, fully clothed, cradling the injured Plant against his chest with his one intact arm.

It was worse than Meryl had thought. Half the Plant’s petals were gone, and her body was scarred with gashes and burns along the same side. What was left of her petals wrapped around her and Vash, and her face was buried in his shirt, like a child having a nightmare. She looked so small and frail in his arms. Even if her tank hadn’t gone fully red, Meryl would have been able to tell that she didn’t have much more in her.

Vash knew it, too. His eyes were closed tightly, a deep pain marring his face, but he still held onto her so tightly. She could just see his Plant markings pulsing across his skin, and something sprouting among his hair. Petals…or were they feathers? A full flower was starting to bloom at his temple. The same one she’d seen in July, growing from his tendrils.

Something hummed in the air, shaking her very bones. A song. Vash’s song. He was humming it desperately to the Plant. If Meryl stepped closer, she could just make out a weak accompaniment. The swan song of a being about to die.

Her throat suddenly felt tight.

I shouldn’t be here.

She turned around and ran.

The tears in her eyes weren’t from the toxins. She barely made it out of the building and a safe distance away before she started tearing things off her face. Her first shaking sob brought the smell and taste of smoke, but she didn’t care. It was better than the choking sadness she’d felt in that room.

She’s not going to make it.

The Plant was going to die. There was nothing Vash could do.

Meryl knew she should turn around, go back. Be there to try and comfort them both.

Coward that she was, she couldn’t do it.

She dreamed she was floating in the tank. Not the one here, but the one in July. The liquid was cold and itched against her skin.

“You shouldn’t have come in.”

Vash was floating next to her. Tendrils spilled out of his back, out of his mouth. His face was a map of Plant markings, his eyes so tired, so tired.

“I wanted to help.” Meryl felt tears start to form in her own eyes. “I wanted to do something for once.”

“What are you talking about? You have been doing something.” Vash reached out towards her. His fingertips were black. It was spreading up his arm.

“Not when it counts,” Meryl replied.

“It’s counted to me. Every time.” Vash stared at his own hand in confusion. “Please don’t do this.”

“Don’t do what?”

“Blame yourself. I don’t blame you. If I can’t do everything, neither can you.” A sob escaped Meryl’s lips. His eyes were so kind. How could he still look so kind, when he was suffering more than she was? “Just promise me you’ll be here tomorrow?”

“I promise. I promise.”

“Okay. That’s good enough.” Vash looked around. “This isn’t very nice. Come on.”

He took her hand.

They were still floating, but she could breathe freely. When Meryl opened her eyes, all she saw were stars. A massive window looking up into endless stars.

“This was my favorite place on the ship,” Vash explained. His voice had grown higher, younger; when she looked his way, he was a kid again, the same age as when she’d found him in the wreckage. “Do you hear that?”

She didn’t, not at first. But when she closed her eyes, tried really hard, she could. Soft, subtle, but definitely a heartbeat.

“We’re going to be okay,” Vash whispered, “right?”

I hope so, Vash.

I hope so.

The next morning, she made sure she was the one who got breakfast to Vash. He didn’t come out for her, and someone called her away before she could consider pushing through her fear and going back inside, but she made sure to fold his napkin into a flower before going. Maybe that would cheer him up, at least.

He’s going to lose a member of his family. How can a paper flower cheer him up?

She went through the motions of helping around town, boxing up dried worm meat, making sure the cars were in working order. She was only jarred out of her stupor when she was assigned to help with the water. Dread immediately filled her.

Was this it? Would this be the moment the Plant passed?

Water started to fill the first container. Then a second. When they pushed the third into place, the steady flow suddenly increased. Meryl’s heart leapt into her throat.

Is this a Last Run?

She’d heard of them, but never witnessed one. The last of a dying Plant’s energy was used up in one burst, one last final surge of production. Millions Knives had kidnapped dozens of Plants to prevent them from undergoing one, instead leaving them in a limbo between life and death. A cruel fate in its own right.

What would Vash do?

The production stayed steady, just faster. On the fourth container, the water started to smell salty. The flow spurted, sputtered. Slowed to a trickle.

Stopped.

Meryl took off running.

She didn’t bother stopping to get more protective gear; she just jumped the barrier and ran. The air inside stung her eyes and made her skin itch, but she ignored it. Her only thought was getting to Vash.

I couldn’t be there yesterday, but I have to be there today. No matter what I see inside.

She had to be there.

The Plant room was dark, only faintly illuminated by a few flashlights. The tank looked empty, but when Meryl got closer, she could see her slumped at the bottom, curled up against the glass near a kneeling Vash.

She looked…peaceful.

Meryl hadn’t expected that.

Vash looked up at her. His ashen face was streaked with tears. “Claudia…y-you shouldn’t be in…”

Meryl knelt next to him and hugged him tightly.

Vash didn’t hesitate to hug her back. His body shook with sobs. He was so tall now, so heavy; he practically engulfed her in his embrace. Meryl didn’t mind the weight. She could bear it.

She was just grateful she had the chance to this time.

Vash insisted that Meryl see a medic when they finally emerged from the Plant building together. She was given a salve for her exposed face and hands, some eye drops, and a stern talking-to about the risks. “You’re lucky it dispersed as much as it had,” the medic said before giving Vash a once-over. “And I’m not sure what your deal is, but you’re extremely lucky.”

Vash made a noise that barely qualified as a laugh. “I don’t think lucky’s the right word,” he said.

The medic’s face softened. “I heard,” he said. “For what it’s worth…you bought us more than enough time. We have supplies enough to get to November if we wanted to. That’s thanks to you.”

Vash forced a smile, but said nothing.

Just as the medic finished up with Meryl, someone leaned into the room. “Hey, if you’ve got a minute, they’ve called a meeting. Sounds pretty important.”

Meryl and Vash exchanged a look. That can’t be good. She didn’t know for sure, but something told her this was about more than the Plant.

The meeting space was packed full of anxious faces. One man—Meryl faintly recognized him as the mayor—made his way to the front and faced the crowd. “I’m sure many of you have heard by now,” he started, “but it’s true…we have lost our remaining Plant.” The room broke out into horrified murmurs; the mayor had to raise his voice to be heard. “Additionally, we were able to make contact with November city today. They informed us that they would not be able to send additional assistance. This leaves us…” The murmurs grew into agitated, terrified conversations. “If I could have your attention, please…”

“What happened?” demanded one voice. Meryl realized the question was directed at Vash. “How did this happen?”

Vash’s body tensed. His prosthetic clenched into a fist. “She was badly injured,” he said. “It’s a miracle she made it as long as she did.”

“But you said you’d help,” called another voice, this one much more accusatory. “You said – “

“I told you I’d do what I could and I did that,” Vash interrupted. His voice was level, but his fist shook, and his eyes stayed glued to the floor. “I did everything I could.”

“But we’re still down both Plants,” said the first voice harshly. “What were you even doing in there? Are you a real Plant engineer?”

So many of the eyes fixed on Vash were accusatory, even angry. He kept staring at the floor and said nothing. He’d just lost a sister and they were blaming him.

I don’t deserve to cry, he’d told her once. It wasn’t fair then. It was even less fair now.

“What is wrong with you?!” Meryl snapped. She stepped between Vash and the crowd. “You got a week of surplus water because of him! Did any of you see how bad that Plant was? Because I did, and he’s right. It’s a miracle she held on that long, and that miracle only happened because of him. But you’re going to act like it’s his fault?! You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

“Claudia,” Vash said quietly.

A lot of people were staring at her now. It was better than them staring down Vash, but her mouth suddenly felt dry. Still, she pushed on. “If you really want to be mad at someone, be mad at November for not sending help,” she said. “Or better yet, stop pointing fingers and start focusing on how you’re going to get out of here.” She looked up at the mayor. “So? Where are we going? Little Almeria or November?”

The mayor looked surprised to have the attention back on him, but recovered quickly. “Yes, well, that’s actually one decision we’ll have to make. I’ve assembled the pros and cons of each…”

Fortunately, he was able to keep the conversation on track from there. Meryl felt Vash step closer to her, his hand bumping against arm. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Meryl took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “You’re welcome,” she whispered back.

In the end, it was decided they would go to Little Almeria so the wounded could be seen to as soon as possible. Everyone was swept up in the surge of packing what transports they had; somewhere in all the fuss, Meryl realized she’d lost Vash. She was barely able to slip away to hunt him down.

I just hope they’re leaving him alone.

He was alone when she found him, fortunately. He was standing near the Plant building, speaking quietly. “…I can definitely make it from here. I don’t think they want me around much longer anyway.” Vash saw her coming and smiled, holding up one finger as she approached. “I promise I’ll be fast. Don’t want to hold you up too long.”

As she got closer, Meryl could see that Vash was speaking into some kind of thin device. When he tilted his head, she saw a wire connected to an earpiece. “I will. You, too,” he finished before pushing a button on the device and pulling the earpiece out. “Sorry…I was getting in contact with Ship Three. Figured I’d head back early.”

“That’s a good idea. You could use the rest.” Meryl examined him carefully. “Are you okay? Those people back there were so out of line. I can’t believe they’d say that.”

“I can,” Vash said, matter of fact. “They’re scared. Scared people want someone to blame. I’m an easy target.”

“But you didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Doesn’t change how they feel.” He shrugged. “Thank you for what you said, though. It really meant a lot.”

There was still so much sadness in his eyes, but his smile was genuine. Not the weak thing that he’d worn in the past. “You’re welcome,” Meryl said. “Do you want me to go with you? I don’t want you to be alone.”

“I don’t want to hold you up…”

“You’re not, trust me.” She had no more reason to stay here than he did. “I think they’ll be able to get by without me.”

Meryl stopped by long enough to leave her protection gear on a random truck, then met up with Vash. No one tried to stop them as they rode out of town, either with accusations or thanks. Meryl wanted to be angry with them for that, but the weariness on their faces made the words die in her throat.

Vash was right; they were scared. It didn’t make what they’d done right, but there was no point in taking things further. They’d said their piece. Meryl had said hers.

That was all.

“Hey, Claudia?” Vash asked when the town was further behind them.

“What is it?”

“What was high school like? I never went, so…”

She understood what he was really asking: tell me a story. Another chance for her to distract him from the unfairness of it all. Fortunately for him (and a bit unfortunately for her), she had a fair amount of high school stories.

“Well.” Meryl adjusted her grip on Vash. She wasn’t used to riding, so she was grateful for the support. “You may have had a different experience than I did. But picture all the weird and awkward stuff you felt as a teenager, then imagine being around a bunch of kids going through the same thing or worse, and a bunch of adults who suddenly expected you to start acting like an adult. But still treated you like a kid.”

Vash thought about it, then winced. “Oh, no.”

“Ohhh, yes.”

She recounted everything she remembered from high school, from her days flying under the radar, observing the other social spheres without really joining any, to her days as a social pariah for ratting on her schoolmates. The weight of schoolwork and extracurriculars. Friendships gained and lost, her brief time dating before she decided her grades were more important than high school boys. Simpler days.

If only the Meryl of the past had known what was coming for her. She might’ve joined the school shooting team after all.

They stopped riding at sunset. “We making camp?” Meryl asked as she got off.

“No, I’m actually…” Vash stayed in the saddle, standing up in the stirrups as if trying to see ahead. “…going to wait here. They should be close.” Vash looked down at her. “I think…that means this is it for now.”

He wasn’t wrong. Meryl could feel the familiar tingle in the back of her neck again. She was sure that the portal wasn’t far. Still… “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” she asked.

“I’m sure. Besides, might be a little weird if they see you again and you haven’t changed at all.”

Meryl laughed sheepishly. “Good point. I’m a little surprised you haven’t asked more questions.”

“I’m learning to roll with the punches.” Vash climbed off the thomas and held out his arms for a hug. Meryl obliged. “I’ll see you later, Claudia.”

“…Meryl.”

“Huh?”

“Claudia’s not my name. I wasn’t sure what was going on at first, so I didn’t want to give my real name, but you should know.” No point in keeping it from him, not when he already knew so much. “I’m Meryl. Meryl Stryfe.”

Vash pulled away from the hug and gave her a once-over. At first, Meryl was worried she’d destroyed his trust in her, but suddenly, he smiled. “Meryl,” he repeated quietly. “I like it. Meryl suits you better.”

She wasn’t sure what this meant for the future, how it would change what was to come. But the smile on his face made the uncertainty worth it.

Something buzzed in Vash’s jacket. He scrambled to put the ear piece back in and grabbed the communication device. “Hello? Oh…oh, yes, I can…” He turned around and waved to someone. “I can see you! I’ll be right over!” He pulled the earpiece back out and gave Meryl another quick hug. “Have to run. See you later, Mery!”

“See you, Vash!” Who knew when or where, but she was sure she’d see him again.

In a flash, the hug was over, and Vash was on his thomas and riding away. Meryl waited until he was close to two new dots on the horizon before turning around. Sure enough, a new portal was tucked away behind a nearby boulder. Time to move on, she thought.

Something was nagging at her, though. She double-checked that she had everything in her pockets, then double-checked that Vash was safely riding away. She did and he was, so she tried to brush it off as she entered the portal. But, of course, just as she was stepping through…

Shit! I forgot to ask about the Undertaker again - !

#fic: the unknowable tomorrow #trigun #trigun stampede

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rainbow--panic · 9 months

Text

Bravestarr x Detective! Reader

Pairings: Bravestarr x reader

Warning:None

Notes: Please tell me I'm nothing the only one who remembers this awesome show, also let me know if you would like more bravestarr content

This was literally made at 3:30 am so I'm sorry for any errors

New texas was quite a site. You had never seen a desolate planet so filled with life. You were (Y/N) (L/N), a new detective rolling into town. On your home planet you were a great detective, great enough to the point that your agency wanted to send you off planet when they expanded and got an office in new texas. Overall it was fine, if you liked tumble weed and dust getting everywhere like sand on the beach.

You stepped out of the ship that had delivered you to the planet and made your way to the nearest station. From there you got to ride on......a bull? You were comfused, yet intrigued to see that there hoverbikes, as they were known on your planet, were made to look like bulls. You giggled to yourself at how odd it was. From there you had an escort who brought you to Fort Kerium. You were supposed to meet up with some people when you got there, a sort of "welcoming committee" a judge named Mcbride, who was an old friend from the earlier days, a sherrif named Marshal Bravestarr, and his deputy named thirty-thirty.

The escort showed you the hourse you would be staying in, it was a nice little home near the sheriff's office, a bit broken with some cracked boards, but you had hopes that you wouldnt have to be here too long. You dropped off your things, inspecting the inside as you walked. The inside reminded you of the story books you were read as a kid, about the old west and the settlments. This whole planet gave off that vibe of being oldtime-y, except for all the machinery of course. You found your bedroom and set down your things, heading back outside. as you passed by one of the windows that are by the entrance door you noticed somewhat of crowd had gathered outside. Its majority seemed to be town people who looked exactly as you thought they would. Old time-y like their old west surroundings. Three people stood out tho, your old friend McBride, a man with a cowboy hat and brightly colored clothes, and a horse...standing up? Wasn't expecting that one, were you?

They all shouted and cheered when you came out with a big "welcome to Fort Kerium!" Then the three that stood out came up to you with their introductions, welcoming you to their big-little town. You had got aquainted with some of the people who ran stores and lived nearby. soon everyone departed aside from the three as they spoke about the area. "Always stay alert here, criminals run rampit here" stated McBride. "Though Im more than sure you are capable of handling yourself" she added witha cheery smile.

"Sure, i mean we've been to new detroit before, i doubt this place would be much worse" you stated. Thirty thirty looked confused, "what happened in new detroit?" he questioned. You looked up at him and smirked. "Its a long story, but to summerize it, you can't have shit in detroit." McBride laughed.

Bravestarr, who had for the most part remained quiet, finally spoke up. "Miss (L/N), if you ever need any backup in the feild, olease dont hesitate to call on me" He looked at you with a smile which you returned . "How kind of you bravestarr, I'll definitely take you up on that, if needed."

McBride gave the two of you a look before huffing, with a smile. "Well we will leave you to your unpacking then" she said as she began to turn, pushing thirty thirty and bravestarr diwn the few steps of your porch. "See you tomorrow!"

Wavig them off, you went inside your new home. Perhaps that exchange was a bit awkward but that bravestarr was surely...something. You brushed away the feeling as you began to unpack.

Meanwhile, as the three went back to the station, Mcbride and thirty thirty began to toy with bravestarr. "How come you never offer to give me backup in the feild, huh? cuz i aint no purdy girly?" remarked thirty thirty. "what about me bravestarr? will you hive me backup?" McBride taunted. They both laughed and tormented bravestarr while he remained silent, thinking of your interaction earlier. He smiled as he got back to work while letting their taunts become background noise.

#bravestarr x reader #bravestarr #thirty thirty #new texas #guns #cowboys #cowboy #texas #texas x reader #new texas x reader

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roxie-roo · 1 year

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Emptober Day 29: Stars

The rift would be opening soon, with Grumbot's connection in both this world and the other. That meant the hermits would be going home. That meant Tango would be going home. He and Jimmy both knew that.

So, the two of them resolved, they would spend as much time together as they possibly could. He finished that big project for Fwhip, he had nothing else he really needed to do.

That night, the two of them laid on the sands of Tumble Town, within the rocky bowl surrounding it. Hand in hand as they stared up at the night sky. Of course, it wasn't as comfortable, or as easy to see, as it was on the roof of the ranch. Then again, it also wasn't as dangerous. No matter how different, it felt right.

"-it took me like twenty times to get it!" Tango rambled, gesturing wildly with one hand while Jimmy did his best to understand. In truth, he didn't know the first thing about redstone. But Tango was so passionate about it, and machinery. It was adorable.

"Sounds like you had a busy afternoon." He laughed softly and shook his head with a little smile.

"I did!" Tango huffed, his hand falling back against the sand with a soft thud. "It was real busy... but I'm done, and I'm glad to be home now.."

"Yeah." Jimmy looked up at him and grinned. "Home..." the grin faltered a bit, remembering that Tango would have to go to his real home soon. "But.. this ain't your real home.. we both know that."

Tango paused. He knew that he lived mostly in the Deep Frost Citadel. That was a house. And sure, he missed it. He was kind of homesick? But that's not how he'd describe the feeling. Being in this new world was just overwhelming.

Then there was Jimmy. There was a reason that the ranch always felt like home. That was because Jimmy was there. The ranch was just the house.

"House.." Tango settled on correcting. "The citadel is just my house. The place I live."

"Ain't that a home?" The sheriff tilted his head. Void, he was so fucking cute.

Tango shook his head and laughed. "No, silly.. Home is where the heart is. You're my home. Wherever you are, that's home."

Jimmy felt his cheeks heat up with bright red. "Oh.." He pulled his hat down over his face to try and hide it. "Oh... Tango- that-"

"I mean it, Jim." Tango sat up properly, facing him with the warmest smile that Jimmy had ever seen. Even with the frost taking over, rather than the flames, Tango still had a brilliant warmth, that made Jimmy fall in love all over again. "You're my homestead. Sure, ranches are nice and all.. but you're what made it better."

"Oh.." Jimmy said again. Honestly, he felt rather stupid, only being able to say that. Which he'd already said twice, now three times. He really should come up with something else to say. Something maybe that would make Tango not feel like he's regretting his words.

"Jimmy?" Tango snorted quietly. "You alright, bud?"

"Y- Yeah!" Jimmy squeaked. "Perfectly! I- I just-... I wasn't expecting that.."

"Like I said, it's true. You're my honest to void home."

"Y-.. you're my home too,, Rancher.."

"I would hope so." Tango grinned, pulling Jimmy to sit up with him and kissing his cheek. "Now,, let's enjoy the rest of the night, yeah?"

The stars remained forgotten between the two of them as soon as lips connected to cheeks, along jaws and foreheads, and the corners of mouths. Eventually coming to rest, connecting to each other and between fits of breathy giggles and playful jabs. Comments of "your hands are cold!", and "you're so boney!", rang through the otherwise silent desert night.

They wouldn't have it any other way.

They were home.

#emptober #empires smp season 2 #roxie's writing #mcyt #team rancher #I just wanted to write somethin cute #And boom #ranchers <3

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barbaracleboy · 1 year

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Omega’s Assault: Chapter 2

Here it is! The AO3 link to this Chapter is here (https://archiveofourown.org/works/40301664/chapters/100948392#workskin). If you’d rather read it on Tumblr, then...

Queen Elizant II pointed both of her blades towards the Wasp King, and his soldiers pointed their spears right back towards Elizant and her Explorers. Queen Bianca looked back and forth between the two factions in fear and confusion before raising her hands and speaking up.

Bianca: Wh-what is happening??? Elizant who is...

Bianca was shocked to notice Vanessa II behind the Wasp King, a pair of her own guards blocking her from both sides with their spears.

Bianca:...Is that the Wasp Queen?

The Wasp King let out a chuckle as the captive Vanessa II glared at him.

Wasp King: She is "Queen" of nothing. You may refer to me as the Wasp King, the sole ruler of the Wasp Kingdom!

Bianca: But...Wasps don't have Kings...

The Wasp King chuckled again before bowing lightly to the Bee Queen.

Wasp King: You are Queen Bianca, of the Bees, correct? Charmed, I'm sure.

Elizant: Do not feign pleasantries, you horrible tyrant, your minions have been attacking my people for moons now!

Vanessa lowered her head in shame once more.

Bianca:...How did you and yours get into my hive anyway, Wasp..."King"?

Wasp King: Well, as I would hope you are aware, we Wasps are just as capable of flight as you Bees. As such, my troops and I merely flew up to your hive's Balcony and made our way in.

Bianca: You snuck into my kingdom!?

Wasp King: "Snuck" is a strong word, we were faced with light opposition.

Bianca was disgusted with the Wasp King then, but before she could say anything a wheezing, dusty Hornet stumbled his way into The Hive's Hub.

Vanessa: Fuff!

Wasp King: General Ultimax?! I told you to distract the monster, you worthless imbecile!

General Ultimax: I...I-I tried, y-your highness...it chucked my t-tank like...like a pebble...I landed deep into the Lost Sands...

Bianca: Good gods, are you injured?

Ultimax was about to answer, but before he could (and before the Wasp King could insult him any further) the Deadlander Omega roared once again. Quickly, many of the Bugs there ran to the Balcony to view the creature, and at that point it was scarily close: it had an arm or two in the Lost Sands now, and its gaze was once again fixated on The Hive.

Ultimax: IT'S HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!

Bianca: N-nobody panic! Dr. H.B. has been tweaking her strongest machines for hours now, and hopefully they'll be able to ward the monster off!

Dr. H.B. caught the attention of all there when she walked in, huge remote control in her hands, and gave off her signature laugh.

H.B.: C'mon, Bianca, you say "hopefully" like victory isn't guaranteed. Sit back, all of you, and watch some masterfully made machinery do its work!

With a swift motion, H.B. hit a button on her remote and sent several flying Drones out of the Honey Factory and towards the giant Deadlander. Quickly the creature was surrounded by them, and as it shifted its many gazes in (what looked like) curiosity the biggest of the drones spoke.

Heavy Drone B-33: Target sighted. Preparing missile barrage.

Bee-Boops: Readying honey blasters.

Right then did the Bee-Boops started firing blobs of honey at one of the Omega's hands, and before it could fight back it received several missiles to its eyes from the Heavy Drone B-33. The monster roared again, and though it lifted a hand to fight it was slightly weighed down by all the honey.

H.B.: Haha! Witness the power of Bee Technology, boys and girls!!!

The Omega used some of its free hands to grab multiple Bee-Boops and tossed them full-speed towards Defiant Root, breaking holes into several buildings. One even hit the tree itself, leaving a deep mark. Bianca gasped in horror at this sight as H.B. grumbled and started hitting more buttons on her remote. The remaining Bee-Boops continued firing as they circled around, and the Heavy Drone started blasting lasers into the Omega's eyes in the hopes of ending it. Though the monster seemed to be pained, it still managed to swat and smash all the Bee-Boops surrounding it. It even knocked away the Heavy Drone, much to H.B.'s annoyance.

H.B.: Damn it! Come on, come ooooon!

Though it struggled to rise off the ground, the Heavy Drone did eventually make it into the air and even managed to fire off more lasers. These ones missed their targets, however, instead hitting a few of the Omega's wrists. The monster still reacted strongly to these blows and roared as it smashed the Heavy Drone again.

H.B.:...Alright, ya big bastard...if that's how you wanna play...

The Heavy Drone got up once more and started charging for one last hurrah of an attack. The Omega started moving towards it again, and once it rose an arm to strike the Heavy Drone blasted forward at an intense speed, intending to ram into the monster...said monster proceeded to grab the machine, seemingly unaffected by its "ramming". It squeezed the robot in its grasp, breaking it even further. Eventually the Heavy Drone B-33 was no longer in H.B.'s control, and it uttered one last phrase as it started intensely sparking.

Heavy Drone B-33: Damage capacity exceeded. Activating self-destruct sequence.

In an instant the machine had exploded, destroying one of the Omega's hands and causing it to stumble backwards into the Metal Lake. While the creature was stunned for the moment, its massive body caused the displaced water to flood various surrounding areas: the lower levels of the Rubber Prison were filled, much of the water splashed into the Far Grasslands, a third of the Lost Sands were turned to mud, the Ant Kingdom pier was all but destroyed, Metal Island was in ruin, and Bugs scrambled to help each other as many had been pushed into the lake's waters.

Meanwhile, everyone on the Hive's Balcony watched in varying levels of shock and terror. All except H.B., who was forcing out a laugh of "victory".

H.B.: Well, heh...we did manage to ward it off-

Bianca: You cannot possibly consider that a success, Honey Bee!!!

Vi: I mean...i-it is away from The Hive...

Leif: But we doubt it'll be away for long, not to mention the damage it's causing to everywhere else.

Wasp King:...Well, it would appear that Bee weapons can't stop it, and even Wasp weapons seem to struggle...and from what I know of Elizant's forces, I highly doubt they'll be able to do anything.

Queen Elizant II clenched her fist and glared at him.

Wasp King: I refuse to abandon this land [not when I did so much to gain control of it...], so if there are other options for us to fight the Deadlander Omega with I demand to hear them.

The others stood around trying to think of a solution, though some of them were too preoccupied with fear over what the monster may do next. Some were worried for the wellbeing of the Bugs in the areas it attacked, directly or otherwise. After a while, Vanessa spoke up to make a suggestion.

Vanessa: I have heard that the Termite Kingdom has excellent weaponry: if we cannot stop the Deadlander Omega, then they may be our next best bet.

Wasp King: Then I shall gather some troops and head there posthaste!

Vanessa: Wait, Hoaxe...

The Wasp King grumbled upon hearing her say that name...

Vanessa:...I think you should go with Elizant.

Elizant and Team Snakemouth were surprised by the suggestion, but the Wasp King's only reaction was to scoff.

Wasp King: And what makes you feel I care what YOU think?

Vanessa: If the...rulers of both the Wasp and the Ant Kingdoms talk with the Termites, they'll be more likely to understand the gravity of the situation. Thus, they'll be more likely to give you their weaponry, or at least help use it to beat the monster.

Wasp King: Ha! I don't need them to give me their weapons: I need only take them!

Vanessa: Yes, take the weapons we've no idea how to use. Cause conflict amongst the Bugs of this land and help breed disaster when a colossal beast is already threatening us on its own!

The Wasp King growled, not knowing how to refute her logic. Meanwhile, Elizant stepped forward and spoke, though her previously strict-sounding tone had slipped into one more of concern.

Elizant: W-with all due respect...the relationship between the Termite Kingdom and my own has...fallen...I doubt they will accept or listen to me at all.

Vanessa: We need to try, Elizant. There needs to be some way we can stop this monster, and right now it would seem that the Termites are our only chance.

Leif: But...what if they can't stop it?

Vanessa:...We cannot spend all our time worrying about that of which we are uncertain. We must do what know we can, and work to help all we can.

The Wasp King rolled his eyes and scoffed once more.

Wasp King: Ugh, enough of your preaching, Vanessa. Elizant, you are going to join me and my troops on our way to the Termite Kingdom.

Elizant: Team Maki will be coming with me. They are my strongest explorers, and-

Wasp King: Do you not trust me and my soldiers to keep you safe?

Elizant only glared at him further. He couldn't see her face, but he knew how she was looking at him and he knew how she felt about him. There was a tense silence for a moment, one that was broken by Kina walking in with a groan.

Kina: So I really did bring all that junk here for NOTHING, huh?

Maki: Kina...

Kabbu cleared his throat and brought himself forward, both to make a request of his own and also to try and take attention away from Kina's remark.

Kabbu: I-if I may request, your majesty, I suggest that me and my team come with you as well!

Vi: Yeah! I don't want that thing attacking our home either: I'll make the Termites help, one way or another!

While Kabbu scolded Vi for her implications, Elizant put a hand to her chin and thought for a moment.

Elizant:...Very well, Team Snakemouth. You can accompany us as well. We shall hasten work on the Tunnels and have them lead to the Termite Dome, then-

Wasp King: We've no time to wait for digging, you fool! The Termites have a dock, my troops shall carry us through there and we will meet with the Royals then.

Leif: Wouldn't they be opposed to us coming in unannounced?

Wasp King: Ha! The Bees were "opposed" and we came in anyhow!

Now Bianca started glaring at the Wasp King, having grown to hate him in a manner unlike how she felt for most other Bug. In such a short time, too.

Wasp King:...Besides, as you can see, the Deadlander is causing flooding all over the land: the Termites will be too busy with that to fight us off well.

Kabbu: I...I don't want to attack them-

Wasp King: We will attack whomever we must, you idiotic Dung Beetle!

Tensions were high all around: clearly the alliance was not going to be an easy one. Even the little Caterpillar, Yin, was worried, so she started huddling next to Maki for comfort.

Maki:...Queen Elizant...I would like to come, but I need to keep Yin safe...I cannot trust she will be with that Wasp King around.

Wasp King: I don't believe you have a choice, do you?

Bianca: I-if I may interject, Sir Maki...You may leave Yin with me. I like to think I am quite good with larvae: I will protect her to the best of my ability until you return.

Yin: Muh!

Maki thought about it for a minute, and when he was done he nodded and brought Yin into Queen Bianca's arms.

Maki: Please protect her, Queen Bianca.

Bianca: Of course, Sir Maki, I will do my best. I shall do everything in my power to ensure this little darling is happy and healthy!

Bianca raised Yin up and started lightly playing with her before being interrupted by the Wasp King.

Wasp King: On the subject of ensuring safety...General Ultimax!

Ultimax forced himself to stand at ready, in spite of how afraid he was feeling at that moment.

Ultimax: Y-yes, your highness!!!

Wasp King: You and some soldiers are to stay with Vanessa, keep her...safe...

The Wasp King leaned closer to Ultimax, keeping his voice low enough so that only he could hear.

Wasp King: [You and your troops are to keep an eye on Vanessa. If she seems to be planning anything, you are all to put a stop to it. Do I make myself clear?]

Ultimax:[...Y-yes, sire...]

The Wasp King nodded before calling a few of his tropes to go with Ultimax. A few others moved to stand with the King himself, and a few more moved to stand with Team Maki, Team Snakemouth, and Queen Elizant II.

Elizant:...Why must you bring so many of your soldiers?

Wasp King: To carry us, for what reason do you think?

Elizant was silent, but The Wasp King didn't care. The two glared at each other once more before Elizant crossed her arms in annoyance.

Elizant:...Are your troops not going to carry us down?

Wasp King: Ha! Why doe we need to use that if the Bees have an elevator? Use your head, woman...Follow me!

The Wasp Troopers sounded off in compliance, and they all start following the Wasp King. With little other choice, Elizant and her Explorers followed along (though none were happy about their current situation). Before Elizant was too far off, though, Bianca called for her.

Bianca: Elizant...I wish you the best of luck, I pray that you and your Explorers and your children will be unharmed...

Bianca looked to Vi, who was grumbling as she walked with her teammates. After a moment she looked to Elizant with a look more worried than she would ever show to most.

Bianca:...Please help ensure mine are as well...

Elizant:...I will do my best, Bianca. I will try-

Wasp King: Hurry up, wench!

Elizant clenched her fist again and quickly turned around, following The Wasp King in spite of her frustration. Bianca, meanwhile, sighed and held Yin close. Both she and Vanessa walked back into The Hive, heading for Bianca's Throne Room, Wasp Troopers surrounding both of them. Ultimax was following too, as was a frustrated Dr. H.B.

The doctor sighed before looking up at Ultimax.

H.B.:...Hey, uhhh...Fuff, right?

Ultimax: Wha-My name is General Ultimax-

H.B.: Yeah, yeah. That Wasp King guy said you were distracting the monster, right? How were you doing that?

Ultimax: With my tank! The Ultimax Tank, the perfect-

H.B.: What's a tank?

Ultimax: Will you stop-ugh...it's a sort of war machine, a big, bulky, wheeled vehicle with multiple guns and missiles and-

H.B.: What!? Since when did Wasps have those!?

Ultimax: We pride ourselves on our military prowess!!! Now quit wasting my time.

Ultimax turned away from H.B. and started moving faster into The Hive. The scientist, meanwhile, was very excited by the revelation, and was quick to follow the Wasps inside

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The feelings of trepidation and distrust felt by Elizant, The Wasp King, and their followers never left, even as they all moved through the Lost Sand towards Metal Lake. Vi clutched her Beemerang the entire time, ready to attack the Wasps at a moment's notice, and many of the Wasps shot threatening glares back at the Explorers now and again (though they'd often be frightened off by Kina's own glare). At any rate, the group made it to the eastern edge of the Lost Sands, in which a large hole was made by the Deadlander Omega. It was a well-known secret that the Sands were surrounded by massive walls, but this wasn't given much thought until now, when one was busted through by a creature bigger than most settlements.

Kabbu: Goodness...we really are small, aren't we?...To think that we now call that giant creature our adversary...

Vi: Is it a Giant? Apparently it's called a "Deadlander Omega" or something, but what's a Deadlander?

Kabbu: The Deadlanders are fearsome monsters, unlike any you'd find in your average grasslands. We had to encounter them often in the North.

Leif: But were any of this size?

Kabbu: No...I could never before fathom that a creature so large could exist, let alone how it would interact with us.

Wasp King: Will the lot of you quiet down? Your cowardice will only get in our way...

Kina: Who are you calling cowards, you-

Wasp King: SHHHHHHHHH...Look...

The Wasp King pointed, at the nearby Deadlander Omega. It was still reeling from the Heavy Drone's self-destruction, many of its arms in the Metal Lake, though a few of its eyes were still open.

Wasp King: We need to be careful, and quiet as we can be. My soldiers shall carry us and fly us from here to the Termite Kingdom Docks. I would suggest staying still until we get there, because if we will NOT be stopping to pick up any that fall.

Leif: What if you fall, then?

The Wasp King chuckled lightly, yet disgustingly.

Wasp King: I am the King: I trump all of you in importance.

Elizant: Do not forget that Vanessa's plan involved both of us speaking with the Termites, cretin.

Wasp King: I have NOT forgotten, Elizant, though if you are foolish enough to drown on the way there I will gladly attempt my original plan and take the weapons by force!

Elizant was about to bite back at The Wasp King, but Maki placed a hand onto her shoulder in protest.

Maki: Your Highness, remember what Queen Vanessa said: is it really so wise for conflicts to rise between our groups when that monster is causing so much chaos?

Wasp King: Ugh, you lot keep bringing up Vanessa! And she is no Queen, I already said! Bah...Soldiers! We shall begin our flight to the Termite Kingdom now: fly low, avoid the creature's gaze when you can, and keep your mouths SHUT until we get there.

Wasps: Yes, Wasp King!

The Wasps started getting into formation: each Bug there got two Wasps to lift them up at once (except for Elizant, who got three, and Vi, who got one). As soon as the "passengers" were relatively comfortable, the Wasps quickly got to flying. Luckily for them all, the eyes on the Deadlander that were open were mostly pointing away from their general direction. As they flew southwards towards the Termites, the group were all very tense: most of them struggled to stay still and quiet, with the Explorers in particular not fully trusting the Wasps that carried them. Vi in particular was very annoyed, and she made that clear to the Wasp that was holding her.

Vi: Ugh, will you not grip me so hard?! You're hurting me!

Wasp: Shut your trap, brat, before I drown you...

Vi: I dare you, jerk!

Wasp King: Both of you be quiet! We may attract...

Suddenly, a menacing light shined onto the group of Bugs, and they could barely contain their dread once they had realized it: the Deadlander Omega's eyes were scanning the area, looking for something, anything...and it spotted them. It spotted several Bugs flying and being carried, and it started to slowly move towards them, every second or third step splashing another wave of water onto the already-damaged areas around it. The Wasps and their temporary allies didn't know why it chased them: was it through hunger? Curiosity? Malice? They all knew they couldn't scare the creature off, they knew that they couldn't reason with it (what with not knowing anything about it), and they knew that they couldn't fight it as they were, so they panicked. The Wasps flew erratically, and faster than what made their "passengers" comfortable, in the hopes that they could potentially dodge the Deadlander. Vi, meanwhile, was buzzing her own wings and trying to get out of her Wasp Carrier's hold.

Vi: LEMME GO! I DON'T WANT IT TO EAT ME, LEMME GO!!!

Wasp: Quit scrambling, you stupid kid, you'll-

They were both interrupted by a wave that crashed into them, launching them forward. Elizant and her Explorers were horrified, Kabbu and Leif were in particular, and the Beetle reached out in vain to try and grab his comrade.

Kabbu: VI!!!

Leif thought quickly and launched an icy projectile towards the water where Vi and the Wasp were about to land. It formed a floating of platform of ice, big enough to keep both the Bee and the Wasp out of the water, though they landed onto it hard enough to still be harmed.

Vi: Owwwww...

Elizant: Wasp King! We must mobilize to rescue Vi and her ally!

Wasp King: We will not stop for anything! Do you think we will last if we halt every time one of you pests stumble!?

Elizant: But we need them!

Leif scowled at Elizant: "But we need them!" she said, as if a pair of Bugs (one being still being a child) were but tools to her. Not that the Wasp King was any better, with his lack of care for them being apparent. Leif looked away from the Royals, both in disgust and to make sure Vi was safe. For her part, Vi forced the Wasp off and painstakingly rose to her feet, only to turn around and notice the Deadlander Omega striding towards her. She stood still for a moment, paralyzed, until the colossal monster took a step large enough to send yet another wave her way. Face-to-face with the threat this time, Vi's fight-or-flight instinct made the rare choice of flight, and as she buzzed away (leaving the still-damaged Wasp on the icy platform) she screamed a cry of pure terror: the type of cry one makes when faced with little other options. A desperate cry. The Wasp on the ice had barely gotten himself up before the wave assaulted him, launching him forcefully into the water and bringing him to flail as he struggled to stay afloat.

Wasp: HELP! HELP M-

The Deadlander grabbed the Wasp, and focused a few of its eyes on him as it lifted him up towards itself. The bright light emanating from its many eyeballs pained his, yet the sheer force of its grip made it hard for him to move at all, let alone look away.

Vi had made her way to the Wasps carrying her teammates and just barely caught onto Kabbu's hand. He could see her face stained with terrified tears, the likes nothing they knew of would normally bring from her.

Kabbu: V-Vi?! Are you well??? Are you-

Kabbu looked to the monster and noticed the Wasp in its claws. He wasn't sure if it would eat him or crush him or even truly intentionally harm him, but in his own terror Kabbu was in no mood to find out.

Kabbu: That Wasp!!! We need to help him!

The Wasp King: Silence, you utter idiot! We cannot risk the beast delaying us any further: He got himself caught, anyway. We only need to worry about reaching the Capitol!

Leif glared at the Wasp King once more: between Elizant and now this tyrant, Leif was starting to lose his respect for royalty. Suddenly he formed a chunk of ice in his hands, and he launched it towards the Deadlander Omega, less in the hopes of damaging it and more in the hopes of making it release the poor Wasp. Though the frosty magic managed to catch the Beast's attention, it still held tight to the captive Wasp as it continued moving towards the group.

Kina: ARE YOU CRAZY, WHY'D YOU DO THAT?!?!?!?!

Leif: We're not sacrificing each other! We live together or we die together!

The Wasp King: You worthless fool! Soldiers, drop him!!!

Before anyone else could object, the Wasps carrying Leif let go of him, leaving him at the mercy of the monster and the Metal Lake.

Kabbu: NO!!!

Kabbu forced himself out of his Wasp's hands and dived towards Leif, leaving a terrified Vi to zip down after him: she did feel it wasn't the wisest idea, but her care for her teammates superceded her self-preservation, at least in that instance.

Maki: Team Snakemouth!

Maki immediately got to trying to remove himself from his own carrier, barely being slowed down by both the Wasp's struggles and Kina's shouts in protest.

The Wasp King: Gods, are you all so pitiful!? We should just abandon all of you!

Before Elizant could retaliate she was alerted by a cry from Kabbu: he, Vi, and Leif managed to survive their fall, with Leif having quickly made an ice platform big enough for all three of them.

Kabbu: Hurry forward, Your Majesty! We'll hold the Deadlander off!!!

Elizant: Kabbu!? Wasp King, we-

The Wasp King: SILENCE OR ALL OF YOU WILL BE DROWNED!!! WASPS, DO NOT STOP MOVING FORWARD!!!

Without question did his soldiers keep flying, and as much as it pained Elizant she knew that neither she nor Team Maki could do anything if they were to fall. Maki and Kina watched Team Snakemouth helplessly as Elizant turned away, her expression hidden as always. Team Snakemouth, meanwhile, stared up at the Deadlander Omega as it moved towards them, towering over them. Vi shakily grasped a few Needles and turned to her teammates.

Vi: "W-w-we live together...or we die together..."right, Leif?

Leif placed hand on both of his teammates' shoulders and nodded.

Leif: Right.

Kabbu: Do you hear that, menace!!! We do not fear you! We shall fight against any threat to protect those we care for!

The Deadlander didn't understand Kabbu, perhaps didn't even hear him, and instead emotionlessly brought a hand directly onto him, his allies, and the platform they stood on. Team Maki stared in shock, even Kina being horrified into silence...and this horror was turned to confusion when the behemoth pulled its hand out of the water, seemingly grasping a small orb. This orb contained Team Snakemouth, scared and shivering with the exception of Leif. Leif was covering his face for a moment before he realized the position he and his allies were in. Almost instinctively, Leif put out his hands and held them against the inner walls of the orb. Though the Wasps continued flying towards the Termite Dome, Elizant and Team Maki shared Team Snakemouth's bewilderment as the giant Deadlander did little more than stare at the orb and the tiny creatures within.

Vi: I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die ...

Kabbu: Leif...how...what is this?

Leif: Oh, buddy, if we knew we'd have been doing it a looooooong time ago.

The trio looked around and at each other in confusion for a while, before being interrupted by the Deadlander shaking the orb they were protected by: first lightly, then faster. Leif's face showed clear signs of struggle during the shaking, and though he wished to shout at the monster he couldn't help but feel that he should conserve his energy. Vi, on the other hand, had no such feeling.

Vi: GODS' SAKES, EITHER KILL US OR LEAVE US ALONE, YOU GIANT FUCKING CREEP!!!!!

The Deadlander Omega suddenly stopped shaking and brought the orb closer to one of its eyes, immediately freezing Team Snakemouth in terror.

Kabbu: Did...did it hear you?

Vi: If you heard me I didn't mean it.

The creature continued to stare at them and growled in a manner that strangely sounded more inquisitive than threatening. At any rate, it didn't stare for long before carelessly lobbing the orb towards the Termite Kingdom docks. The orb soared and spun through the air, nearly hitting the Wasp King himself (getting a frustrated cry out of him). Though this was the direction they were headed anyway, Team Snakemouth's fellow Explorers (as well as Elizant herself) called and reached out to them as they flew past, trying in vain to help them.

Elizant: No!!!

Team Snakemouth themselves screamed as they spiraled past before they crashed onto the ground in the Termite Dome. All three Bugs were terribly dizzied from the throw, and had barely the balance or stamina to speak, let alone get up.

Vi: Uuuuuugh, my baaaack! Is this how it feels to be an old lady?!

Before Kabbu or Leif could try and comfort Vi, the trio had several blades and crossbows pointed at them from various Termite Guards.

Termite Guard: You there, where the hell did you come from!?

Kabbu rolled over onto his belly, though his fatigue prevented him from getting up fully. Even still, he raised his arms to show he was no threat and spoke as quickly and clearly as his mind could allow him after having just been tossed like a pebble.

Kabbu: W-w-we are Explorers, from the Ant Kingdom, and we wish to speak to your monarchs!!!

Termite Guard: Ant Kingdom? In what damn world would our monarchs want to speak to anybody from the Ant Kingdom?

Before Kabbu could answer further, the Wasp King and his troops landed, bringing with them Elizant and Team Maki.

Termite Guard: What the-the Ant Queen??? And-who are you supposed to be?!

Wasp King: We require your kingdom's finest weaponry, bring us to it at once!

Termite Guard: Are you mad!? At least answer our question first!

Wasp King: I asked you no questions, I am issuing COMMANDS!

The Wasp King began charging a large fireball, and the Termites were too paralyzed by fear to respond. Before he could throw it, however, he was tackled by Leif. The attack knocked both of them to the floor, and the Wasp King's crown fell of his head and clinked around on the tough dome ground for a bit. Leif noticed that the Wasps they had come with looked strangely...fatigued. They held their heads and groaned, looking pained and dizzied. Before anyone could ask anything the Wasp King angrily put his crown back on and shoved Leif off of him.

Wasp King: Soldiers, fight off those Termites!!!

No sooner than him shouting that did the Wasps seemingly recover and go straight to assaulting the Termite Soldiers. Vi and Kina quickly got ready to fight as well before stopping when Queen Elizant held out her arm.

Elizant: Explorers, stop fighting! Wasp King, we specifically wanted-

Elizant cried out in shock when a fireball zipped past her, blasting into a nearby wall.

Wasp King: Be SILENT, you idiotic embarrassment of Royalty!

Elizant: How dare you...

Quickly, the Wasp King pulled out his axe as the Ant Queen pulled out her swords. They clashed their weapons for but a moment before a large hand crashed through the roof of the Termite Dome. Some Bugs were quick to jump out of the way as soon as it came in, and many of the others proceeded to run around in a panic as more and more of the colossal claws broke into the isolated kingdom.

Termite Guard: IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD!!!!!

Kabbu: P-p-please, calm down! W-we-

Vi: WE NEED TO GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!!!!!

Leif: Vi, chill out!!!

As the Bugs inside the Termite Dome scrambled to avoid being trampled, the Deadlander Omega outside had no clue what it was even doing. In spite of the destruction it was causing, the creature didn't see what was in the dome, and almost seemed to be trying to feel around in the hopes of finding out. It took a few more steps, these ones away from the dome and deeper into the Forsaken Lands, but for one of its steps it halted for a moment and stared into the fog. Though none of its many eyes showed any emotion, the Deadlander had an apprehensive sort of aura about it. The colossal beast shuddered before it started heading away from the Termite Kingdom and towards the Ant Kingdom. As its legs broke through more of the Termite Dome, the shock and terror amongst the Bugs inside worsened until they all stopped. Once the Deadlander Omega had left they all stood there, confused, with little remaining of the monster's presence but the structures it destroyed and the sound of its footsteps in the distance.

Termite Guard:...What the fuck was that?

Kabbu: That was the Deadlander Omega, a gigantic menace that has been spreading terror and causing chaos all over Bugaria [though we know not what it wants, if anything] and we all traveled over the Metal Lake because we were hoping you and your kingdom could help us end its terrible rampage before everything that every single one of us holds near and dear to our hearts is trampled like dirt!!!

There was a bit of an awkward silence afterwards, only being broken by the Guard's response.

Termite Guard:...With what boats?

Elizant stepped forward and cleared her throat.

Elizant: We need to speak with your monarchs: your kingdom is known for being very technologically advanced-

Wasp King: Certainly more than hers is.

Elizant:...And we hoped to form an alliance with Queen Layra and King Hector, in order to combine our forces with their weaponry and drive off the Deadlander Omega.

The Termites groaned and muttered amongst themselves, clearly concerned about the proposition.

Termite Guard: Under most circumstances, there'd be no way in Hell our King would want anything to do with you...

The Guard looked upward at one of the many holes that were quite literally punched into the top of their kingdom's protective dome.

Termite Guard:...This ain't most circumstances, though.

The Guard sighed and shook his head before ordering his cohorts to start doing damage control. Afterwards he motioned to both Elizant and the Wasp King as well as their subjects.

Termite: C'mon. Palace is this way.

Both Monarchs present nodded their heads and proceeded to follow the termite, their soldiers right behind. Kina put her kunai back where they were and giggled.

Kina: And that Wasp guy thought we had to fight!

Maki glared at his sister before rolling his eyes, choosing to say nothing. Meanwhile Team Snakemouth leaned over to each other and whispered as they walked.

Vi: I'm with the Termite, what the fuck was that? The Omega broke in and left like it was nothing.

Kabbu: Vi, watch your language, and...I'm afraid I have no clue. Perhaps it got bored?

Leif: Can't be, it was too sudden.

Vi: I dunno, I'm pretty quick to drop things when I'm bored.

Leif: Yeah, but you're a Bee and not...that. What we're wondering about are the Wasps: did you see how they got when we knocked their King over?

Vi: Yeah, what was that? Sympathy headaches?

Kabbu: The Wasp King was very quick to put his crown back on as well...

Vi: That's 'cuz he looks dumb without it.

Vi and Kabbu shared a quiet laugh. However, Leif was too busy thinking to laugh along. Whilst his teammates tried lightening the mood with one another, Leif's mind was focused on the meaning of what just occurred...

Back at The Hive, General "Fuff" Ultimax was sitting by the Plaza's honey fountain and trying in vain to catch his breath. Despite how much he would have liked to pretend otherwise, the Hornet was scared out of his mind, and was barely able to keep his breath anything short of a hyperventilation. After a while he stuck his hand in the fountain and was about to bring some of its sweet, healing honey into his mouth when Vilma caught sight of him.

Ultimax: Errrr...can...can I have some?

Vilma:...Yes.

Ultimax: Thank you...

Vilma nodded and went "Mhm" as Ultimax stuffed his hand into his mouth, trying to drown his terror in sweets. He nearly choked when Dr. H.B. popped up next to him and whistled for his attention.

H.B.: Helloooo, Fuff! How're ya doin'?

Ultimax: GODS, WOMAN, GIVE ME SOME SPACE!!!

H.B.: Fair enough.

The Bee took a couple steps back and let Ultimax breath some more. Afterwards she cleared her throat and asked again.

H.B.: So, how are you doing?

Ultimax:...What do you think?

H.B.: Eeeh, I'd be pretty bummed if I had something as cool as a "tank" get destroyed.

Ultimax: Yeah, I bet you would!

H.B.: Speaking of which, how easy would you say its internals are to work with?

Ultimax sat in silence in a moment before tilting his head at her.

Ultimax: Huh?

H.B.: I mean, it doesn't make much difference to me but would you say it's a complicated machine or a simple one orrrr...?

Ultimax: I-I...I don't entirely know how it works, I didn't build it.

H.B.: Meh, that's fine, reverse engineering's my specialty.

Ultimax: Reverse...what???

H.B.: You know how to use it, though, right?

General Ultimax suddenly shot up and stood as proudly as his wobbly legs would allow him.

Ultimax: Of course I do, have you any idea who I am? I'm the finest General in the Wasp Kingdom, not some dope who just stumbled-

H.B. Ah, nice, so you will be useful!

Ultimax's face drooped and he looked to the Doctor confusedly.

Ultimax: Useful?

H.B.: Come with me to my lab, would you?

As the scientist made her way to her laboratory, Ultimax (with a baffled look about him) glanced around before deciding he had no choice but to follow...

#bug fables #bug fables spoilers #writing #omega's assault #deadlander omega #kabbu #vi #leif #the wasp king #queen elizant II #queen vanessa II #queen bianca #yin #maki #kina #general ultimax #dr. h.b.

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secretsolarsystem · 2 years

Note

i’ve seen who you are under the mask.

*Vader music*

this prompt was MADE for vaderkin. angsty vaderkin. which is what I bring you! (although, there's not much uh. romance.) I promise I will write some silly/fun/sexy fics for these prompts but we gotta get some angst out too :|

canon-divergent, post-rots/pre-anh, sad desert hermit!Obi-Wan, Vader!Vader (lol), ANGST. OOF OUCH ANGST, 1k

—

He was sitting on a rock, worn down by years of erosion and years of him perching here on this very spot, when he sensed his presence. He had gotten a whiff of it before, that severed bond valiantly stirring in the recesses of his mind. But now he truly sensed him, here, standing behind him and – if the sound of sand crunching under boots was any indication – coming closer.

“Welcome home,” he said dryly.

All he got in response was the sound of labored breathing coming through some sort of machinery and the boots coming to a halt just next to him. “Of all the cruelties you have inflicted on me,” the deep, inhuman voice said, “this is greatest.”

It sounded nothing like him, but it was exactly him. That voice sent chills through Obi-Wan’s spine, each syllable a reminder of what had happened. But the words, the biting words that could kill with their earnestness – that was the man behind the mask.

“While I will confess that your being here was never my intention,” Obi-Wan replied steadily, “I apologize for the oversight.”

“I do not want your apologies,” the voice spat.

Obi-Wan kept his eyes on the small house below them, watching as the woman came out to call the young boy inside, it is dinner time. As the boy obeyed his aunt with heavy feet, Obi-Wan watched.

He did not know what to do now. He was here to protect that young boy, and hopefully train him. His father’s arrival was feared, possibly even anticipated. But now that he was here, all Obi-Wan could think was that this was Anakin Skywalker. He was not Luke’s father, nor the man who betrayed the Jedi Order they had once belonged to, and not even this hulking figure that was more machine than man and had killed more people than Obi-Wan let himself believe.

No, he was Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan’s padawan; Ahsoka’s master; the galaxy’s greatest pilot; a lover of podracing and hater of the sand that now surrounded them. He was golden skin and bright blue eyes and white teeth.

Obi-Wan did not think that, if it came down to it, he could kill Anakin. He could not even hurt him. He had meant it when he said he was his brother, and that he loved him. Perhaps he should not have said it in the past-tense, because he could feel it now, that love.

“Apologies are all I’ve got to give, I’m afraid,” Obi-Wan whispered, eyes staring blankly at the house. Maybe it was right that Anakin was here, for Tatooine to have her two sons together at last.

“I am here for him,” Anakin stated the obvious. “And you. It will do you well to go quietly, for his sake and yours.”

“It will do you well,” Obi-Wan shot back immediately, “to remember that I’ve seen who you are under the mask.”

He felt, more than anything, how the man flinched next to him. “The monster behind this mask is of your creation, Ob-”

“Not a monster,” Obi-Wan shook his head, unable and unwilling to hear his name come through that mask. He stood up, looking up into unblinking eyes. Ever since his growth spurt as a teenager, Anakin had managed to keep a few inches over Obi-Wan. Now he towered over him. “Behind that mask is a man who once knew love. He had been loved, but it was not enough.”

“You have no idea what you-”

“He had the love of his mother, of his wife, of his unborn children, of his brothers,” Obi-Wan went on. He paused, listening for the way Anakin’s breathing got quicker. That and the way his gloved, mechno-hands balled into fists were the only indicators of emotion. “And all of it was not enough.”

“Everything I did, I did for love!” the man boomed, taking a step towards Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan did not flinch. “Of course you did,” he agreed with a frown. “You loved so much, your love could have saved us all. And instead, it doomed us. All of us.”

“You blame me?” the mechanized voice said, eerily steady. “You cut me from myself, leave me to die, and blame me?”

Shaking his head, Obi-Wan sighed. “I blame myself for not letting you know before then that your love was returned,” Obi-Wan said, unable to keep his own voice from cracking. “Do not make that boy suffer the consequences of my actions. Take me, but leave him.”

“You have no right to tell me what I should do with my son,” Anakin said, crossing his arms. The action used to look petulant on Obi-Wan’s young padawan, before it grew into the thoughtful stance of a war general, showcasing strong arms and broad shoulders. Now it was just an intimidating, angry thing.

“And you have no right to throw away his life,” Obi-Wan retorted.

A sharp, warbled sound escaped the mask, and it took Obi-Wan a moment to realize it was a laugh. “He has no life here,” Anakin said, gesturing out to the sea of sand.

“He does,” Obi-Wan argued, crossing his arms and putting his hands in the sleeves of his robe. “He has his family and friends and hobbies and dreams of better days. If you take him to your- to the emperor, that will all be gone. Surely you know this.”

Silence. Knowing silence.

“I have no such life,” Obi-Wan went on. “I am old, and I have lost everything dear to me. Take me, a treacherous Jedi, but leave the boy. For that’s what he is, Anakin – a boy.”

Like you were, when I lost you.

The helmet turned, looking down at the house below them. Obi-Wan longed to see his face. He knew the sight of it would break his heart, but it would kill him to never see those eyes again.

“We leave now,” Anakin said suddenly, as suddenly as he turned and walked away, black cape billowing behind him in the evening desert wind. Obi-Wan turned and looked at the house once more, watching as the light turned out. “Before I change my mind,” he added, and Obi-Wan dutifully followed.

Good night, little Luke, Obi-Wan thought, eyes trained on the man leading him to the ship. I hope to never see you again.

from this prompt list

prompted fic collection on ao3

#hey maybe i should stop listening to mcr when i write huh #anyways #obi-wan goes with vader and they fall in love and kill palpatine and vader gets reunited with his kids and they're all fucking HAPPY #PLS AND THANK U #thank you for sending this in bestie!!<3 #ask #prompt #my writing #obikin

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locomotive-sunflower · 2 years

Text

Sunflower Sutra

I walked on the banks of the tincan banana dock and sat down under the huge shade of a Southern Pacific locomotive to look at the sunset over the box house hills and cry.

Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron pole, companion, we thought the same thoughts of the soul, bleak and blue and sad-eyed, surrounded by the gnarled steel roots of trees of machinery.

The oily water on the river mirrored the red sky, sun sank on top of final Frisco peaks, no fish in that stream, no hermit in those mounts, just ourselves rheumy-eyed and hung-over like old bums on the riverbank, tired and wily.

Look at the Sunflower, he said, there was a dead gray shadow against the sky, big as a man, sitting dry on top of a pile of ancient sawdust—

—I rushed up enchanted—it was my first sunflower, memories of Blake—my visions—Harlem

and Hells of the Eastern rivers, bridges clanking Joes Greasy Sandwiches, dead baby carriages, black treadless tires forgotten and unretreaded, the poem of the riverbank, condoms & pots, steel knives, nothing stainless, only the dank muck and the razor-sharp artifacts passing into the past—

and the gray Sunflower poised against the sunset, crackly bleak and dusty with the smut and smog and smoke of olden locomotives in its eye—

corolla of bleary spikes pushed down and broken like a battered crown, seeds fallen out of its face, soon-to-be-toothless mouth of sunny air, sunrays obliterated on its hairy head like a dried wire spiderweb,

leaves stuck out like arms out of the stem, gestures from the sawdust root, broke pieces of plaster fallen out of the black twigs, a dead fly in its ear,

Unholy battered old thing you were, my sunflower O my soul, I loved you then!

The grime was no man’s grime but death and human locomotives,

all that dress of dust, that veil of darkened railroad skin, that smog of cheek, that eyelid of black mis’ry, that sooty hand or phallus or protuberance of artificial worse-than-dirt—industrial—modern—all that civilization spotting your crazy golden crown—

and those blear thoughts of death and dusty loveless eyes and ends and withered roots below, in the home-pile of sand and sawdust, rubber dollar bills, skin of machinery, the guts and innards of the weeping coughing car, the empty lonely tincans with their rusty tongues alack, what more could I name, the smoked ashes of some cock cigar, the cunts of wheelbarrows and the milky breasts of cars, wornout asses out of chairs & sphincters of dynamos—all these

entangled in your mummied roots—and you there standing before me in the sunset, all your glory in your form!

A perfect beauty of a sunflower! a perfect excellent lovely sunflower existence! a sweet natural eye to the new hip moon, woke up alive and excited grasping in the sunset shadow sunrise golden monthly breeze!

How many flies buzzed round you innocent of your grime, while you cursed the heavens of the railroad and your flower soul?

Poor dead flower? when did you forget you were a flower? when did you look at your skin and decide you were an impotent dirty old locomotive? the ghost of a locomotive? the specter and shade of a once powerful mad American locomotive?

You were never no locomotive, Sunflower, you were a sunflower!

And you Locomotive, you are a locomotive, forget me not!

So I grabbed up the skeleton thick sunflower and stuck it at my side like a scepter,

and deliver my sermon to my soul, and Jack’s soul too, and anyone who’ll listen,

—We’re not our skin of grime, we’re not dread bleak dusty imageless locomotives, we’re golden sunflowers inside, blessed by our own seed & hairy naked accomplishment-bodies growing into mad black formal sunflowers in the sunset, spied on by our own eyes under the shadow of the mad locomotive riverbank sunset Frisco hilly tincan evening sitdown vision.

Alan Ginsburg, Berkeley, 1955

#legion #oliver bird #melanie bird

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agnapalace · 1 year

Text

the paleozoic era in my flesh

The day he found Paz’s room empty, Venom dreamed of the bottom of the ocean.

He was laying on the seabed, supine, hands folded on his chest as if arranged for his final resting place. Dark stretched out in front of him, yawning wide, daring to devour his body. Yet, his ability to feel the water churn around him, or even the dank smell of forgotten creatures surrounding him, was absent. Fully dressed in his battle fatigues, Venom felt nor heard nor smelled anything. His chest was still, yet he could breath.

Around him was nothing but darkness, this he could see. Every limb felt conjoined to the sand that cradled him. Only his solitary eye swiveled around in his socket.

He watched as a creature slipped by his head, squidlike legs propelling a spiral shell forward. It was an ammonite, he realized, from the Jurassic period.

A large hard shell scuttled past his leg, approaching his face. It didn’t appear to have eyes, but Venom felt himself being watched closely. A trilobite, from the Cambrian period.

The trilobite moved away from his face and disappeared into the darkness.

Venom tried to move his arm. The left one, no luck. The right one—as he watched the yellow mechanical fingers creak into view, he was surprised to see they were no longer yellow: green algae climbed up the automaton joints and curled up around his fingers, nature reclaiming machinery. It took him a few long moments to recognize what it was, selaginella algae from Devonian.

He continued to lie still even as fish he couldn’t identify swim past him. He felt a sea sponge blossom on the shrapnel jutting from his forehead, claiming it as his own. Something brown and many long legged crawled from under his eyepatch, darting down his cheek until it found purchase at the ocean’s floor. Selaginella algae crept up his right arm, farther and farther covering his body, until his chest was a garden of tall swaying green branches.

I’m becoming one with the ocean.

It wasn’t a bad thought. He thought he would be more fearful of dying, but the thought passed through him as one would idly wonder about the weather.

He speculated if the shrapnel in his body would eventually dissolve and fade away with his bones. Even now, he felt his flesh slipping off his bones into the darkness. So he closed his eyes, and waited for the inevitable.

+++

The day he found Paz’s room empty, Venom awoke in a hospital bed. Again.

His eye blinked rapidly at the harsh fluorescent lights—after all, he had just been at the bottom of the ocean, where he had long adjusted to the comforting darkness. Someone hovered above him outside his line of vision.

“Boss?” It was a high and clear female voice.

“Paz?” he muttered. That’s right, he had just been looking for her, her room was…

He heard the scratching of pen to paper. “It’s Hungry Canary,” the voice said. Venom blinked, and turned his head toward the voice. The vision of one of the Med Bay surgeons came into view, hair cropped neatly and wearing a white lab coat over her Diamond Dog fatigues. The clipboard she had just been writing on was tucked into a side pocket. “I’m glad you’re awake, Boss. You gave Commander Miller quite a scare.” Venom’s eye grew wide. “What happened?” he croaked. His throat felt rough and dry like sandpaper.

Canary gave him a sympathetic look as she began to check his vitals. Sudden dizziness led to his collapse on the first Medical Platform, she said, pulling out her clipboard and making notes on his heart rate. Quiet had come to his rescue, apparently, and brought him over here quickly as she could.

“Luckily, you only appear to be suffering from exhaustion and perhaps heat stroke. You’re going to be in bed for the rest of the day.”

“Where am I?”

Canary glanced up at him from a latex glove disposal bin. “The closest open medical room.”

As Venom turned his head left, his breath stopped short.

Nine faded photographs were plastered to the wall. Canary looked at him again, eyebrows knitted together in worry. “Boss, you’re looking very pale all of a sudden. I’m calling another surgeon to tend to you, and then I’m letting Commander Miller and Commander Ocelot know you’re awake.”

Venom didn’t answer. The surgeon took another look at him, and left his quarters.

How could this have happened? . He wanted to sit up so badly, tear off the covers, and shout Empty? This is Paz’s room. We need to find her, now.

But when Venom tried to force his body up, dizziness flooded his brain. He leaned back on the pillows, feeling his world spin. His fingers suddenly clumsy, he tried connecting the comms line to someone who could actually help him.

“Kaz?” Static filled his ears. No reply, not even a hint that it had connected.

“Ocelot. Ocelot, I need—”

The line went dead. Venom stared at the stark whiteness of the blankets, biting his lip. Neither his compatriots nor his own body would comply with his overwhelming desire to find Paz. Blood flowed in his mouth, and a splotch of red blossomed on the scratchy fabric.

He could try contacting Quiet, even though her comms line wasn’t hooked up to his on Mother Base. Just when his fingers began dancing over the dial, ready to give her a call out of pure desperation, the line came to life.

“Kaz, Ocelot—?”

“Snake?” The Colombian accent that filled his ears could be no one else.

“Paz.”

“Snake,” she repeated. “I’m so sorry to worry you.” Venom pressed a finger onto his comms earpiece, desperate to cling onto Paz. She was okay, she was here. “No. It’s fine. Just tell me where you are. I’ll tell Kaz to send our guys to you right away.” “I’m…” Paz’s voice cracked. “I’m not on Mother Base anymore.” Venom’s stomach dropped. “Don’t kid around.” It was impossible, unless she had rigged up a lifeboat. Kaz would have told him right away if she had stolen one.

“Listen to me. I’m at the bottom of the ocean.” Her words were uncharacteristically firm.

“No, you’re not.” Now he was agitated. “Quit fucking around. You were just…I just saw you a few hours ago. Gave you that photograph. You don’t sound like yourself, Paz. Just tell me where you are.”

Paz let out a humorless laugh. “Snake. Let’s stop now. We’ve both known this from the beginning. My body no longer exists in a physical sense.”

“No…Ocelot said—”

“Did he really? Snake?” The shrapnel bit down on his skull, a wave of pain echoing in his head.

“Try to remember, Snake.” He couldn’t. He just knew Paz was here in the sickbay and lost her memory and he was coming to visit her today and—

And then what happened?

That’s right. He was coming to visit her today; she had been feeling unwell lately. But when he had opened the door to her room and saw what was inside…

Or what wasn’t there.

“Paz, you were here. You’re real.” As if him saying it will make it so.

“Thank you,” Paz says, and he can feel her smile through the words, albeit forlornly. “Thank you for remembering me. I think that’s why I was able to come back in this form, at this time, at this place, even as a happy illusion.”

He so desperately wants to oppose what she’s saying, argue it’s a result of the amnesia. But the more she speaks reality washes over him like the warm ocean surrounding Mother Base. Just as the cold darkness did from the seabed of his dream.

“You still suffered here,” Venom says. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t apologize. That was your illusion, too. But it’s kind of sad, isn’t it? Even though I’m not there, I was still in pain. But all the memories you brought back—well, they helped me, and you—remember there were some happy times together.” Paz pauses for a moment. “Peace Day couldn’t come again. But I’m fine with that.” “Is that what I want to hear,” Venom asks, “or what Paz really thinks?” “I think you know,” Paz says. “She’s been asleep on the ocean’s floor for nine years now, Snake. Maybe she’s dreaming, and we’re a part of the dream. Ever thought of that?”

“So if you go away, we’ll die.” Venom mulls over this thought. “The dream will end.” “Don’t be so gloomy about it,” Paz chastises him. “But… if you want to put it another way, this will probably be the last time we can talk like this. So, yes, this dream will end. If you can call it that.”

Venom wants to laugh at this whole situation—two ghosts talking to each other in the middle of the Seychelles Ocean, talking about dreams, of all things!—, but when he speaks, he can feel his throat getting thick with emotion instead.

“I’ll keep on remembering you. Even if I stop being ‘myself’. It’s my promise to you, and Paz.”

One day he will cease to be Venom Snake—that is guaranteed. His absolute destiny lies within the confines of Outer Heaven, where he will take up his role so Big Boss can die and keep on living. But he’s not there yet; that’s why he can make this promise to the phantom called Paz.

“Thank you,” Paz repeats, her voice crackling with static. “I’ll meet you again at the bottom of the sea.” He waits, ready for her to cut the connection. There’s nothing left for him to say. “Oh, and one more thing…” Paz’s voice is nearly unintelligible now, her voice engulfed by the roaring static. “S…y… peace!” The line goes dead. Venom just stares at the blank medic bay wall before him. “Paz,” he says aloud, “I went to the bottom of the ocean. You were being kind. You weren’t there.”

Didn’t she say her body no longer exists? Of course he wouldn’t find her. It’s been nine years—her flesh has been stripped away by now, bones awash in Pacific Ocean.

The shrapnel horn throbs painfully, as if chastising him: You should know better.

Venom closes his eyes, and pictures his body again on the seabed, devoured by algae and sponges. He wants to be picked clean by creatures long extinct, digested by endocrine systems that scientists can no longer examine and pick apart. And when his bones are left on the ocean’s floor, they will dissolve and fade away and only the obsidian shrapnel will be the only proof he was there. It is a fitting end for a phantom: returning its debts to the Earth when it shouldn’t exist there the first place.

Vines and algae and sea cucumbers and flowers grow on his body. Free of Big Boss and the future that awaits him.

At the bottom, I can be myself.

Another one of his delusions.

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manwalksintobar · 2 years

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Sunflower Sutra // Allen Ginsberg

Berkeley, 1955

#poetry #Allen Ginsberg #sunflowers #Jack Kerouac #visions #San Francisco #locomotive #America #beat poetry

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kvetchlandia · 2 years

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William S. Burroughs - Allen Ginsberg on the Roof of their Shared Apartment, Between Aves B and C, Near Tompkins Square Park. (I Used to Live Right by That Place, Way Back When) - 1953

--Allen Ginsberg, "Sunflower Sutra," Berkeley, 1955

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intangibly-here · 3 years

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if I'm let go now (i’ll just fade to blue)

xiao x gn!reader

⁃ scenario; 1.7k words ⁃ forest child!reader ⁃ angst ⁃ hurt no comfort

————————————————————

he holds your heart (warm red, steadily beating) in his palms without even knowing.

title from chevy - floating.

————————————————————

your first memory is one of a forest.

the emerald green canopy of draping leaves, the mossy trails dotted with mushrooms. the singing of birds, small sparrows and rounded bluejays, filling the skies. the dry bark pressed against your back, but a small form nestled in the hollow of a tree stump.

you are a child of the forest.

and as a child of the forest, one without origin, one without mortal ties, one that only knows itself and it’s own longing - you know deep inside your soul there is only one thing you’re looking for.

what that thing is, you’re unsure of;

nonetheless,

you must look for it.

and so you pick yourself up and travel.

distantly, you know you’ve lived these lives over and over again.

the very first one was as a sand-built traveler of the desert, born encircled by a patch of cacti. in that life, you had searched for an oasis, a single child by your side.

the child spoke of a land where plumes of magic spiraled through the lands, where islands remained suspended in time, hovering over grounds unchanging.

you smiled and patted the child on the head.

upon arriving at the oasis and returning the child to their family, you felt a tug. the tug was not one of great strength and painful efforts, but one of a gravitational force that exceeded physical abilities of all kinds.

you followed it, retracing your steps back to the ring of cacti.

where everything begins, everything similarly ends.

you crumble and dissolve into golden pools of sand.

of the endless trail of lives you’ve lived, most have become inescapably forgotten, merged into a blur that made them indistinguishable from one another.

the most memorable would be the one you’d lived last, as a wisp of a spirit clinging to the shoulder of an ethereal woman.

though in the midst of war, she remained a gentle, kind, innovative soul, always seeking to change for the better.

she was stunning.

and as you watched her live her life out, eventually (inevitably) returning once more to the field of glaze lilies, lain on the flowering plants to drift away, you wondered.

wondered how immortal beings could care so much about loss, when endings were only the relieving path of entering the cycle of reincarnation. the path to wipe clean the slate of life and start anew.

staring at the regal man kneeling by the goddess’ side, silent tears running down his face, you disappear with the wind.

as you travel, you slowly realize the world you’ve manifested in is not one of roaring vehicles nor bustling machinery like several before, but of the last one you’d visited, the one of the goddess and the heartbroken man.

you make your way back to the same land, where once stood a ruined fortress now stands a flourishing city. you can see how stalls line the sidewalks, even from where you stand on the cliffs of the outskirts, paved pathing making for a guide towards the entrance of the harbor.

as you’re thinking about how far this city has grown since you last walked the land, you catch sight of a quick-footed figure, alert and patrolling the vast land that is liyue.

this is who you’ve been looking for.

at first, it was just an obligatory interest. one that is duty-bound, directed by a play-writer hidden behind the boundaries of the world and tied together by the strings of fate.

then, as the weeks, months, and then years go by, you find yourself watching the little things he does, inadvertently noticing things you wouldn’t have realized without paying even closer attention.

the way that he protects the city both day and night, even when there are hundreds of other adventurers like yourself (a side job you’d picked up where you’d complete commissions whenever you were free) to do that.

the way he lets his short hair flow loose and untamed, the mark on his forehead only drawing out the elegance he exudes.

the way he’s quiet, caring even in the silence when he still suffers. the hope that you can ease his pain, even if only for a moment, with a comfortable silence.

it all makes your mind spiral out of control, your emotions coming undone from the container you had them sealed in.

you wonder what it is.

(you might have an inkling of the answer already.)

“today’s your birthday?”

you turn around, brightening slightly at the sight of the adeptus. you could get lost in the mirrors of his eyes if he would let you.

maybe he would let you.

“..something like that.”

you’d only revealed it last year when mrs. goldet had asked. it’s been a few years since you’ve made your way to this inn when you think about it.

he shifts where he stands for a moment, maybe a little nervously, and then presents you with a neatly wrapped gift box. he must’ve taken time with it.

“may i open it?”

he gives you a brief, confirming nod of his head.

when you undo the ribbon and carefully open the lid of the small box, you come to see a finely weaved butterfly of leaves.

you lift your gaze from the tiny creation, and xiao immediately looks to the side.

“take it. it’s an adepti amulet- staves off evil.”

you look at the reddened tips of his ears and the defensive scowl on his face and file it into the archive of your memories.

“thank you, xiao.”

“please hand this to xiao.”

you look at the packet the geo archon (zhongli, you learn he’s called) presses into your palms with utmost sincerity.

“it’s... to relieve his pain.”

your eyes soften unconsciously, and you dip your head in silent agreement. now, to look for him.

ah, so this is where he was.

your heart aches, the feeling of an overwhelming, all-consuming urge to cry rising up in you.

the wind picks up, tree leaves swaying in the breeze, following the movements of the two figures residing in the hollow of the forest.

a safe place for just the two of them.

you are intruding.

the longer you stand, watching, staring, unable to look away no matter how desperately you wish to, the more your chest throbs, the bone-deep ache of wanting to disappear spreading throughout your body.

the sound of a flute, clear and sweet, floats through the air, slim fingers smoothing over the sides and playing with skill you could never imitate.

the figure you’ve been looking for, upright and powerful and all that you have ever seen (all that he has ever allowed you to see), is relaxed for once. you can see it in the way his shoulders slump, the way his spear is left untouched, rested upright against the trunk of a tree at the edges of the clearing.

you do not belong here.

then, to the sound of the flute, xiao begins to dance. the field of flowers blooms with his gentle, languid movements, petals surrounding him as he flows around the serene space.

it is exactly as he’d described to you once before, that his sweet dream would be to dance in a field of flowers to the sound of a flute.

his dream has become a beautiful reality.

you cannot dream that it would be you he dances with anymore.

as he spins around, a stunning dance that displays his years of experience with agile movement, he turns, takes off his mask, and smiles, the genuine kind that is both awkward due to disuse and tooth-rottingly sweet at the same time. a full blush covers his face warmly.

you should’ve realized long ago whose flute he was imagining.

you blink once, twice, and the tears start to fall, ones you never thought you would cry.

if you could, you would offer your entire being up to him, your heart, these thoughts, these new feelings, on a platter for him to keep, stored away from where anyone could ever reach them. it is not theirs’ to see, only his. it would never be anyone else’s, only his.

(he does not need them, not your heart, nor the medicine.)

the pain in your chest doubles over.

(he does not want them - except it’s only your heart he does not want.)

you understand now what morax had understood hundreds of years ago, where you as an immortal spirit did not.

(he does not want you.)

your gaze tilts upwards from where you stand in the shadows of the greenery, watching the picturesque scene in front of you unfold.

you are a child of the forest, but for once, this forest is not for you.

the moment you walk back to the inn, you feel the otherworldly tug.

how convenient.

(oh. you love him.)

it’s to be expected. your time here is up.

you smile at the owner, and maybe she sees something in your eyes because when you hand her the packet (“give this to xiao when he returns, please.”), she nods and says nothing.

(love, love.)

and so you return to your forest, steady footsteps over hills and plains and lakes and rivers. the blue of the sky melts to orange-reds, then to navy-blacks, then back to orange-reds once more, and the cycle repeats over and over and over again.

(lovelovelovelove-)

the moss greets you first, shifting under your feet in semblance of the way his eyes would whenever you met his gaze.

then, it’s the birds, singing slow melodies you know he loves, their clear song a reminder of how he would hum familiar tunes.

finally, it’s the trees, their leaves falling and submerging you softly, like how you would to him with blankets when he fell asleep out on the balcony, tired from the weariness of an immortal life.

you too, are now tired.

for one last time, you sob your heart out, sitting on the forest floor with nothing around you but the animals and plants.

what do you cry for? the birth of these painful feelings? the lack of reciprocation?

(you’re unsure.)

(maybe it is for your unimportant existence.)

you blink your eyes closed for the final time, and your body falls to the ground with a thump.

the butterfly of leaves drifts out of your clutches and fades with a desolate glow.

where everything begins, everything similarly ends.

(may you stay asleep for eternity so you don’t have to remember.)

you disappear.

#angst #hurt no comfort #xiao #genshin impact #cecilia #xiao x gn!reader

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dzamie-oc · 3 years

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Swimming With a Shark

Summary: A wolf and a human break into an aquarium, and the human gets eaten by a shark who works there. Word count: ~2000 Fandom: OC (Kahudra) Notes: This story contains unwilling prey, implied digestion, a shark without clothes, and one character nearly drowns (he’s okay though)

In an off-limits room of the aquarium, Dave slipped quietly through the door, then held it open for his companion, Varren. "See? Easy-peasy. No alarms, no chases, nothing. And that wolf katul they left as a guard dog - er, sorry, security guy - was too busy napping to do his job."

Varren brushed off the canine pun. "No problem, just don't make a habit of it, yeah?" He kept his ears perked forward as he scanned his new surroundings. The hum of machinery had grown louder without the door blocking it, and Varren's keen nose easily picked out the cleaning and water treatment agents used in this part of the facility. "Are you sure this will help?"

"Oh, for sure," his human friend replied as both their eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, "it'll let you get familiar with the place. You're sure to impress the manager or whoever it is supervises... whatever it is."

Varren nodded, picking his way along the floor. At this level, there were a number of pools set in the "ground," most of them cordoned off to prevent someone from stumbling in accidentally. Cards attached to the railings provided handwritten information about the state the water was kept in, and the silver-furred wolf challenged himself to guess which creatures each holding tank could be used for. A noise behind him alerted him out of his game, and he whirled around, fearing that they had been found out after all. On seeing it was just Dave, Varren calmed down slightly... until he saw what his human friend had done. "Are you... is that a swimsuit?!" he hissed.

"Well, I'm not one to skinny-dip," Dave replied. On seeing Varren's exasperated look, he shrugged and started looking at the labels Varren had been reading. "Look, you're here to help with a job hunt, and I'm here because SOME of these things have gotta be heated. Besides, they're clearly temporary things, so there probably aren't any fish in them!"

"You can't- there still shouldn't be random humans in them!" Varren shot back, "these things likely have a different sanitizing procedure, and you being in the wrong one could create a contaminant dangerous to the creatures! Hell, that's why I haven't been peering in to see if anything's in them, to minimize my risk of getting fur in one!" At that point, the katul realized he had started to raise his voice, and bit his tongue to keep quiet.

Dave made a vague, dismissive gesture and looked down at another card. "You worry too much. Oh look, warm freshwater, sand at the bottom, and not very deep. C'mon, Varren, what could I possibly be messing with here?"

"A shark," Varren said, and nearly jumped out of his fur when he heard a second voice answer at the same time. Heart pounding, he fought every instinct telling him to be sensible and flee whoever had found them out, instead stepping closer to the pool Dave stood next to. There was a quiet splash, and someone poked her head out of the water, resting her arms on the lip of the tank.

"More specifically, the one who has to clean up before going home," the newcomer said, "so, seeing as you're neither employees nor fish, I'm dying to hear why you're interrupting my swim."

Dave shrugged. "Should be obvious, miss. Water's fine, I take it?" In contrast, Varren took a few seconds before replying, "I'm, uh, studying marine biology and was looking at this aquarium as a place to apply to for... uh... a position."

The woman snapped her fingers at Dave. "Oi, shark privileges. Stay out of the water or else." After a couple of seconds, she turned back to Varren and rested her chin on her forearms. "And you. Breaking into a place you want to work for? Can't say I've ever heard of that working."

Varren crouched down so they didn't have to look down and up as sharply. From this angle, it was easier to see that she wasn't human, having some sort of snout. "Well, Dave - that guy - said it would be helpful to be familiar with the layout of the place. And it's kinda my first non-retail job, so I sorta just-" He cut off suddenly as her voice and words sunk in. "Wait, are you Wendy? The shark diver who does the feeding show on Tuesdays? It's cool to see how close the smaller fish get while swimming past."

"You don't know the half of it; there's a reason you'll never see me do the show in the tank with the cleaner wrasse. But yeah, that's me. Bet I look different from above and out of my su-" A loud splash interrupted Wendy, who turned to glare at the intruder to not only the employees-only area, but the pool of water as well. "Out. Get out," she ordered, before turning back to Varren. "Alright, look. While I can't take a moral high ground over you, I really should report you to management. But, I'm a sucker for honest flattery, so how's this: I'll keep quiet about this meeting, and in return, you'll save me filling out a ton of forms by keeping quiet about what's about to happen to your friend."

The wolf tilted his head at her, then looked over to Dave. The human was still in the water, slowly paddling towards the conversation. "Uh... what's about to happen to him?"

Wendy grinned, and Varren found himself wishing his eyes hadn't yet adapted to the dim light, to save himself the view of many, many sharp teeth. "Well, he jumped into a tank with a shark, refused multiple warnings, and is wearing remarkably little to protect himself. What do you think is about to happen to him?"

Varren shuddered. Dave, apparently trying for the title of king of bad timing, grabbed onto the rim of the tank and pulled himself next to the shark woman. He squinted at her, then dropped his gaze to the water's surface. "Are you... not wearing a swimsuit? Heh, were you waiting for some dashing 'bad dude' to come along?"

Against his better judgement, Varren glanced down, though he couldn't see anything below her shoulders. Then, to the wolf's surprise, Wendy smiled at Dave with the same grin she'd just shown him. "That'll come in handy in a few seconds. Easiest way to ruin one of those things." With that, she plunged back down into the water. Varren watched as the dark, semi-obscured form swam a couple quick circles before returning to the side.

Dave, to his credit, realized the conversation was over, and he pushed himself up onto the floor, then sat on the edge to let his feet dangle in the water. "I think she has the hots for me, dude," the human bragged, flashing a grin significantly less full of sharp teeth at his friend, "c'mon, there's no way she'd bite me, and there's only one thing a guy and a girl can do that swimsuits get in the way of!"

Before Varren could reply, or even warn Dave to get out of the water, Wendy breached the surface. Jaws agape and already around her quarry's feet, she quickly consumed past the human's knees in a single surge. Dave shouted in surprise when she clamped down and pulled, dragging him off the side and back towards the water. In a panic, Dave threw out his arms towards his canine friend, who reflexively grabbed him by the wrists. Wendy, however, was already swimming up again. When Varren next saw her snout, it was wrapped around Dave's belly. He saw and felt the shark swallow; unwilling to let go of the human, the unexpected tug downwards pulled Varren to his knees. Dave opened his mouth to shout again, but the shark's hand shot out of the water to muffle him, leaving him with only his eyes to stare pleadingly at Varren.

Unfortunately for the katul, and even more unfortunately for the human, pulling hard at the mostly-eaten Dave didn't pull him out of Wendy, but instead pulled him and Wendy partly out of the water. Varren looked down at her and immediately regretted it. He'd seen her at work enough to figure that she'd be quite stunning without clothes, but at that moment, the sizable bulge in her stomach, moving with every panicked kick Dave made, had frozen him with terror rather than interest. Worse, by the time he looked back at Dave, Wendy's jaws had just slid over his head, muffling the man's protests with her throat rather than her hand. Not only that, but she was staring at the wolf.

"Leh. Go." she said, her own voice muffled by the arms still between her lips. Varren, however, only stared at her in shock and fear, and when she pushed herself back into the water, he instinctively took tight hold on the thing she was trying to take away. His grip proved stronger than his balance, and all he managed before hitting the water was a surprised yelp. Which, unfortunately, meant the next breath he took was wetter than he was used to.

In a panic, Varren thrashed around, letting go of Dave as he tried to right himself, cough the water out, and replace it with air. He was barely aware of the pair of hands pushing at his back and hips until he managed to grab hold of the rim of the tank and properly have a coughing fit. After what felt like ages, though, the katul managed to return to simply panting hard as he clung to the solid ground.

"You gonna live?" Wendy asked from behind him. A burst of adrenaline saw Varren shoot out of the water like a rocket, whirling around only after he was a few feet from the tank. The shark woman was swimming in slow circles near the top of the water, her dorsal fin and part of her tail cutting through the surface.

"I... you're not going to try to eat me, too, are you?" he replied.

Wendy swam up to the edge of the tank, causing Varren to take another cautious step back. "Not if you don't want me to. Wasn't your fault you fell in the water - well, mostly wasn't your fault, but I'm sure you didn't plan to." She smiled, this time making sure to obscure her teeth. "Anyway, you should probably leave before someone better at security takes the front desk. Good luck on the job hunt!"

Varren shook himself dry, though the water clung to his clothes more easily than to his fur. "Uh... thanks. I'm kinda second-guessing this place; you're very, uh, unconcerned with- with murdering Dave, and with the possibility that I might report you?"

"Dunno the exact legal stuff, but the worst that can happen is a bunch of stuff to fill out affirming that I'm a shark and I was hungry and yadda yadda... It's happened, like, three times now?" Wendy grunted with effort as she pushed herself up out of the pool, then stretched her arms up. Varren backed away some more, transfixed on her gut and trying not to pay attention to how much the human within was still moving. The shark took notice, and started to walk to the other side of the pool. "Oh, but don't worry about me eating you. I mean, unless you make it a habit to swim with me uninvited and hit on me while doing so."

"I'll... keep that in mind." Varren replied, hesitantly, then added under his breath, "and probably stick to places with cameras for awhile." Slightly calmer, the wolf made his way back to the same door he'd come in through, turned, and waved with automatic etiquette. "Goodnight, miss Wendy."

Wendy waved as well, though her back was turned as she bent down to do something with the tank. "Night, wolfy. See you later, whether we're on opposite sides of aquarium glass or not."

#furry #anthro #v.ore #v/ore #soft v/ore #soft vore #vorefic #writing #unwilling prey #human prey #human #furry wolf #furry pred #digestion #ocs #oc: wendy #furry shark #writers on tumblr #text

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