#blighteds

[deviltreaty-archive]

" i don't deserve you. " , sent in by raven : @blighteds

it is in knee high bramble and bristle that leo's admission comes, thorns kept at bay by the thick deer hide of his boots. had the leather over his chest been thicker, rowe might have been saved from the words coming from his companions lips too; but nothing could prepare him for them. no amount of leather, nor finely crafted steel, could save his resolve from a plummet to the ground ...

the warlock frowns, the weight of his pact heavy on his mind ever since it had been made when the two of them were still but boys, and the world still seemed brighter yet still. how can leo see light in him, when that light was being suffused by inky black darkness? he tries to smile, tries to let the meaning behind the other man's words seep into him; but he can only taste fear.

for it is he who doesn't deserve leoric, loyal to rowe's family & house long past the massacre and beyond. what the paladin has done for the young man, has stained him in innumerable ways : his oath broken, his path on the high ground smeared to be walked down below. if it wasn't for rowe, he might still achieve something close to sainthood. but it's long past time to think on the " what could have been "'s ...

for now rowe is confronted with the very real blossom of something living between them, something mutually felt, even if not allowed yet to fully be admitted.

" you're wrong, you know. " we're perfectly suited.

[royalarms-a]

THE DAWN ASCENDS FROM THE VALLEYS THAT peak through tattered curtains , as they lay , awoken , too exhausted to rise from the pull of dusty sheets , too worn to speak . with eyes half lidded , he looks to the woman beside him with a half - existent expression , & hers is mirrored with grief . the urge to wrap his hand around her cheek fills him , but he denies it out of fear of the unfamiliar . too much has happened in such recent past , & he closes his eyes again , shutting the thoughts away . it's all too heavy . but he knows she feels worse . dammit .

to think you know someone so wholeheartedly , & to find they are a person unscripted by memories . . . well , they'd have to relearn each other , together .

❛ mornin' . ❜ he breaks the silence , voice gravely , deep , fatigued . single word , insensitive , but he doesn't realize until it's spoken . he sighs & turns his face to stare , frustrated , at the ceiling . how familiar , this feeling . ❛ sorry . just -- you . . . don't have to say anything . ❜

. . . @blighteds .

[jeditrash-arch]

"do i smell like roses to you?" merrin

what sort of question is that? cal could hear his mind screaming at him, but he could barely hear it over the sounds of his heart as it beat at an irregular pace. beedee even notices & turns to look at his friend before beeping softly with concern. cal looks down to his feet, looks at BD, & shakes his head to dismiss the worry before he looks back up to merrin. he swallows. Her question leaves his mouth feeling dry & his tongue tied, which is unusual for him as he would ordinarily have a response as quick as the day is long.

“ roses? ” cal echoes the inquiry back to the nightsister. did he hear her correctly? yes, he knows that he did, but he doesn’t believe her question is accurate. merrin doesn’t smell like roses. she smells like rosewood, maybe some amber & raspberry, too mixed with black orchids, but should he tell her all of that? he only knows the scent because he’s found himself lost in it ( too often to admit ) & he’s found himself trying to forget it. but it seems whenever he tries, she comes right back.

cal looks to the side as a hand reaches for the back of his neck & gently rubs the skin beneath his hairline. “ not roses, but something … better. ” he looks quickly at a nearby stall & picks up a broken droid part while his pale cheeks flush a faint shade of pink. “ hey, look! i was just looking for something like this to experiment with. i’m going to get it & go back to the mantis! i’ll catch ya later! ” he then dashes off as fast as his legs will carry him.

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 ✩ accepting, mutuals only!

[lunabrae]

in some weird way, she knew this would be the outcome. cloud marches along, while she remains under a local awning they had both passed underneath. rain that only fell in the upper sectors, washed down the streets of midgar. a cleansing that only blessed the skies of the elite, though she chose to stay dry, stray droplets leaking through the cover above her, landing periodically around her person.

she knows she should warn him, though part of lunafreya's curiosity bleeds through --- how long it would take for him to notice. the lapse of her clicking heels tailing behind him. maybe he wouldn't, and she could go home.

cloud strife. ex-soldier. ravus doesn't remember him, though trusted the uniform enough to leave her in his care. only moments ago did the mercenary receive an earful regarding loyalty and honor from her brother, as well as a hefty helping of gil. he'd wanted her to leave midgar. he'd paid a man with a large sword right in front of her as his decision in lieu of any proper discussion. yet again, she is robbed of choice.

and then, he turns. she watches him from the shade. he peers over his shoulder at first, then swivels on his right foot. ten paces ahead, muddled by the rain, perhaps he can't see her vulnerable expression. even if midgar was facing incoming ruin, each step felt wrong. the rain, another omen.

when cloud approaches again, she meets him with a smile, donning the persona of a woman afraid of getting soaked. " sorry, i think it'd be better to let it pass. " / @blighteds for cloud

[jeditrash-arch]

"You’re fully conscious, but you don’t know what part is you." - anakin or darth vader?

by now, one would imagine the heavy, mechanical breathing would become familiar; yet, every time he hears it, it sends shivers down his spine ( & makes him second guess his choice in joining the empire ). gradually, his eyes lowered to the ground, fingers fidgeting at his sides as he knelt before his master. he managed to hear his words above the pounding of his heart, but barely. he swallowed as his hands curled into shaking fists to prevent him from reaching for the fabric of his dark clothing.

what can he say? what should he say? he can’t bite back despite feeling the words trapped on the tip of his tongue. another swallow keeps them away as he takes in a deep, unsteady breath. How did he end up in this place? what wrong has he done to land him with a direct audience with his master? he can’t think about it for too long, it’ll only take him under.

“ lord vader. ” a singular response comes from shaking vocal cords. “ the only part of me that matters is the part that best suits the needs of you & the empire. ”

𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 ✩ accepting, mutuals only!

[jeditrash-arch]

the sword catches his eye almost instantly. a weapon of such size seems like it would be cumbersome, & yet, it keeps his interest; not only that, but it also raises questions in his mind. namely, how would a weapon of such size perform? walking over towards the other, the third-class SOLDIER looks the sword up & down before looking at the blond. taking the sword from his side, he chuckles before aiming toward the other. “ show me what you're made of, or is that sword of yours just for looks? ”

@blighteds ft. 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒆 ✩ lyric starter call. ( status : open )

[starshcwer]

( 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒 ♡ | @blighteds )

"i jus'.... sleep better if you're around."

what was a soldier afraid of? what gave them nightmares? what did cloud see when he closed his eyes that scared him enough to interrupt his dreams? to stop him from sleeping? the answer came to her easily: burning buildings, the loss of everything that had raised them, & a sword that cut through their childhood without remorse. though she didn't remember him, his story had left no room for doubt. he had the memories & the scars–––– just as she did.

somewhere in her mind, she could picture him as he would have been then. somewhere between the boy he had been when he'd left & the man before her now. the image was distorted & blurry as if she was watching him with half––––lidded eyes, but she could still see him. & the thought of this cloud, injured & alone, tore her heart asunder. she knew that feeling–––– she knew that loss–––– & she knew well how the reminder could haunt one's dreams.

she had already known that she would stay, but her newfound perspective had cemented her resolve.

tifa gave into his hand around her wrist, sitting beside him on the inn bed & brushing his hair aside so she could see his eyes. how she had missed the exhaustion & the tension in his face, she wasn't sure. had she been too distracted with the others? or had he just been that good at hiding it until now?

❛ i'll stay. ❜

she pulled her hair from her ponytail, untying the laces of her boots to leave them at the side of the bed. she moved slowly, giving him more than enough time to take back his request, but instead they lingered in a silence that war far too familiar to be uncomfortable .

finally, tifa tucked herself under the covers, lying on her side to keep her eyes on cloud. she was unsurprised to find him staring back, though she couldn't name the emotion that joined the flecks of mako in his gaze. she wanted to reach for him, but her fear of overstepping turned that want into nothing more than a twitch of her fingers. instead, she lowered her voice to a whisper, speaking as though she was sharing a secret between them.

❛ are you okay? ❜

she wasn't quite sure what she was asking about. his sleep? his general well-being? how he felt about her lying beside him? whatever he was willing to share, she would be there to listen.

[royalarms]

boop me one more time and ill boop your ass into the ground

who??? me???? ....................................................

no.............................................