Paranoid Musings - Hyperspace
Even now nearly a year later, the paranoia never faded. It was learned after all, drilled in by encounter after encounter, hunt after hunt. By this point it was instinct to hide his tracks, it was a regular twitch to check over his shoulder and keep nothing valuable on him. Maybe it wasn't needed anymore but the habits were buried into his bones, and Scorp knew it was nigh impossible to fully pry it loose.
So far in this world it hadn't seemed… as bad? No one had hunted him at least, though admittedly there was at least one person he had met with an attitude that reminded him of some past foes. Maybe one foe in particular, but Scorp had cringed away from that comparison- both because thinking about that blonde turned his stomach even now, and also Teo had so far been much more friendly than that person. Other than that all conversations had been relatively short, save of course for the one he had just had.
Scorp paused to rearrange his inventory, moving the resources he had collected deeper into the bag and placing potions within easy reach. Entering the greater spawn area brought about a higher likely hood of seeing someone and it wouldn't do to have someone track him right now.
Cherry blossoms began to catch on his coat and hair, stubbornly hanging on even he gave a brief shake. They had a familiar smell, gentle and fresh, but it still made his jaw tense. Memories lingered of a chaotic terrain, war torn and blasted, yet still somehow dotted with young cherry trees. People with matching jackets walked underneath in lock step, and Scorp was silent. Always silent. Obedient. They were the decision makers, the skilled ones. The weight on his neck-
His steps stuttered to a stop. Claws curled into the meat of his own palm, Scorp took a deep breath and focused on his surroundings. That time was passed, he needed to stay grounded in the present. Maybe it would be best to focus on something else?
The demon set off at a jog, hurrying down a slope and towards the water to leave behind the cherry trees. Scorp thought back on the conversation he had just had- after the scare he had had in the End while trying to cross the void, getting an invitation to talk to someone had whracked up his anxiety again. But it had gone well! He and Cyn had had short conversations before but nothing in depth, so getting to talk with her longer even from a distance had been interesting.
It was an intriguing offer, an alliance. Nothing major had happened to Scorp really, but in all honesty he had assumed he'd never have a teammate. The thought of past teammates turned his stomach, and he grit his teeth as he shoved the memories back down. Moonflower was a good option, a good choice to ally with in case of any issues. Both members were not only new but had also joined the same exact day as him. All three of them would be on a similar level of unfamiliarity with everyone else and likely a similar level of resources so it worked out well. The demon was a little excited for their first proper conversation face to face as new allies, but there was no need to rush it. Best to first secure his bolt hole base and prepare it fully that way Cyn, Invalid, and Scorp himself could have somewhere hidden to go if tides did change in a dangerous direction.
He still found it rather ironic that multiple people had already assumed he was part of Moonflower, considering he had joined at the same time as them. From an outsider's perspective it was a fair guess so it was only fair to make it now true. Though he had been concerned to hear that there was already a deal placed upon one of them. Scorp himself had never felt the weight of an IOU or contract, but memories of a collar and cell brought a sour taste to his mouth. If that leash was ever tugged on his new ally, he already knew he'd do whatever he could to help loosen it.
Scorp swept through the snow, tail repeatedly brushing along the cold ground to disturb and hide his footprints. Tugging his jacket closed against the change in temperature, the demon took a moment to watch the moonrise in the distance.
Maybe he was being dramatic. Maybe he didn't really need to so obsessively hide his home, maybe he didn't have to worry about teams hunting down any stragglers or blowing up his base. He was still going to do it though. Even just the small warnings he had gotten from some of the members had made him tense.
The concept of immortality… it reminded him too much of a shadow in the dark watching his every move. Even as Scorp yet again pushed aside the bad memory, he could swear he heard boots crunch in the snow alongside him. A pair of gingers, one masked and one scarred, watching his back and armed to the teeth. That team would never return but what they had taught him remained. And if need be, he'd use them to the benefit of his new alliance.
Snow faded to ice and as the demon kept his run careful to avoid slipping, weight coiled in his chest. Only time would tell if this place was as ruthless as the last, and he wasn't looking forward to finding out.
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A short little thing I wrote while thinking about my character on Hyperspace :)))) I'm making some of the anarchy servers I've been on canon to him cause it's fun and dramatic and also paranoid is just genuinely my playstyle by this point lol
I also get to yap a tiny bit about having an alliance :DDD Here is art of my redesign lol, feel free to send lore/character asks to this blog if anyone wants
