Life wasn't fair. That was Emery's most present thought as she was dragged through the forest, arms bound in rope and face bruised. She wished things were different. She wished that her father hadn't died, and that her mother hadn't left her to fend for herself. She wished that she hadn't been left out on the streets like some sort of rat, an orphan in a town where those didn't often live past twenty. She wished she hadn't borrowed that money, indebting herself to some low-level gang in order to buy herself medicine. She wished she hadn't run away into the Dark Forest, fearful that the gang would force her to degrade herself for their pleasure.
More than anything, she wished she had never been kidnapped by Illagers while foraging for fruit to eat.
The gray-skinned raiders dragged her through the dirt, pulling her to their camp as their blue vein riddled hands tightened around her arms. They brought her to some robed Illager, who eyed her with a critical stare.
"Are you sure this is the one? She seems… worthless."
One of the Illagers holding her captive snorted. "Matches the description perfectly. Pale skin, shoulder length brown hair, five feet on a good day, oh yeah, and tits the size of my head. Think she knows how to use 'em?"
"Bitch probably spreads her legs for table scraps. Throw her in the cage with the other one while I get Mirabelle."
If fear didn't have its grip tightened around her heart, she would've tried to offer a denial of the accusation. She was desperate, sure, but not desperate enough to whore herself out. She didn't… she still wanted to believe that someone would love her one day. Someday.
Please, let me live so I can feel that kind of love.
Body still limp out of fear of upsetting her captors, Emery all but hyperventilated as they threw her into a wooden cage. Locking the cage behind her, the two Illagers leaving her like trash, arms still bound behind her back as she sat there all alone in the dirty cage.
Well, not entirely alone.
Hesitantly, she inched her way to the back of the cage where another prisoner rested, seemingly unconscious. His skin was darker than hers, the same olive as the Sand Villagers. His dark hair and stubble gave him a rough look, which alongside his strong jawline and clearly visible musculature gave him a roguish appearance. Roguish, but undeniably handsome.
She would blush if she weren't in mortal danger.
Placing her shoulder on his, she frantically pushed him back and forth in an attempt to wake him up, so that she could share her terror with someone else and lessen the burden of it. Such a kindness was not afforded to her, as the man refused to awaken from whatever slumber had claimed him. Searching his person further, Emery's eyes widened as she saw what may have been the source of his worrying state.
Dried blood covered the back of his head, no doubt from a blow which had all but shattered the back of his skull. The fact she could hear his breathing at all was likely a miracle, but not one which gave her much comfort in this time.
"So, you're the girl?"
Emery felt her heart freeze as a cold sounding voice reached her ears, and she felt herself stumble backwards until she was practically on top of the sleeping man.
"Leave the Parabellum to its rest. It cannot do anything to help you now."
An old woman in a light blue witch's hat and robes stared at her through the bars of the cage, veiny gray skin marking her as one of the Illagers. Snapping her fingers, two axe-wielding Illagers arrived at her sides. "Bring the Anima and Parabellum to my tent. And do be careful with the girl, we don't want her damaged before our Liege sees her."
Once more she was yanked from her feet and dragged, this time alongside her unconscious companion as the two of them were taken away from the cage and into the largest tent at the center of the encampment. They were both tossed to the floor, her landing and her elbows and him landing directly on his face.
"Careful, I said, you damn halfwits. Whatever, hold them up for me."
A hand grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to her knees as the other hand grabbed the side of her head and forced it to the side, exposing her neck. The same was done to the unconscious man, whom the old woman approached first with a spiked vial. A glowing blue liquid was settled on the inside of it, sloshing around as the woman stabbed the vial into his neck and injected the serum into him.
Emery's eyes went wide as his body began to spasm, his veins glowing blue as the serum ravaged its way through his body. She then locked onto the old woman, who already had a second vial and was approaching her with an uncaring intent. Emery began to thrash around, hoping to free herself from the Illager's grasp with little success as she was held in place and the vial stabbed into her neck.
"This will hurt a lot, but you will be stronger for it."
Something cold filled her veins, like liquid steel rushing through her body. It then began to heat up, mixing with her blood as the steel melted inside of her. She screamed, tears beginning to stream down her face as molten steel burned its way through her. Head hitting the ground, Emery wailed out bloody murder as she tried to break the bonds holding her arms in place.
"Keep an eye on them, and alert me when they awaken."
Her vision was blurry, a blue blob shrinking in size as she attempted to scratch at the back of her hands. The liquid fire running through her body left not a single spot free, and in her desperation to alleviate the pain in whatever way she could, she hoped to rip out the veins in her hands and bleed out the serum.
"Shit, she's gonna kill herself! Hold her down, hold her down!"
Hands grabbed at her own, holding them open as she cried from the agony. Her body twitched and shook, head raising itself as she began to pound her face into the dirt. It hurt too much, the pain was too great. She couldn't bear it any longer, it was too much. Too much.
Her forehead slammed against the floor, the pain from her self-harm paling in comparison to the rushing magma burning her alive from the inside out. Her organs felt like they were being cooked alive, flesh like it was melting onto her bones as she slammed her forehead into the ground one final time-
-And darkness claimed her.
… … …
A piercing cry of agony was the first thing he experienced as he woke up. It was then that he felt heat, his body running unnaturally hot for some odd reason. After that, it was confusion.
What the hell was going on? Who was he? Where was he?
His hand clawed into the dirt as he pushed himself up from the ground, head still woozy as his vision took a moment to settle properly.
"Great, now the other one's awake."
Something attempted to grab him, but instinct took control and he quickly threw them to the side. Standing tall on his feet, he felt his eyes naturally drift over to the gray-skinned man he had pushed aside. The man growled, pulling an axe free from his belt and holding the weapon to his neck threateningly.
"Don't you dare try and fuck with us, bastard."
Dare. Us. Dare us. Dari-Us? No, no that wasn't it. Dari-Es? Darius? Like -es but -us? Yes, that was it. That was his name. Darius.
"Are you ignoring me, or are you just stupid?"
His attention refocused itself onto the situation at hand, and the blade of the axe being pressed against his neck. Despite the danger, he felt no panic. He felt comfortable even, completely at ease with the feeling of the weapon against his flesh. Weapon. That word… it was also familiar to him. Just as much as his name.
Was that what he was?
"Say something, you navy-eyed freak!"
Annoyance. The first clear emotion he had ever felt now. It pissed him off. "Oi, cunt."
The enemy's face twisted in anger, but that didn't matter. What did matter, was how Darius grabbed onto the man's hand and leaned his head back, pushing the hand up and the axe away from him. Clenching his fist, he slammed it against the man's angry face and wrenched the axe away from him.
"Fuck, get him!"
Malice tickled the side of his brain, a warning as the second enemy attempted to swing his axe at him. Stepping to the side of the blow, Darius swung his own axe at the man's arm, cutting it off with a single swing. Blood burst from the wound, and a scream followed after it rather quickly. It was an annoying scream, so he ended it by raising his arm and bringing the axe down on the enemy's head.
Letting the body drop, he picked up the other axe and approached the first enemy, who was on the ground staring up at him in shock. "W-Wait, don't-"
He brought the axe down once more, bringing silence to the tent as he rolled his neck and assessed his surroundings.
Vials, jars, and other containers lined the walls in tall wooden shelves, tables forming a perimeter within the tent as papers were strewn about. At the center of the tent was a body resembling that of a young woman, lightly breathing but in terrible condition. Her arms were raw from the coarse bindings keeping them behind her back, face bleeding from the forehead and heavily bruised. Dirt and grass were stuck in her hair, and the worn dress which covered her was tattered, revealing creamy pale flesh. It covered her modesty, but little else at this point.
Glancing down, he noted that he too was wearing rather torn clothing, a tunic and some pants with no shoes. Resolving to fix that at some point, he knelt by the girl's side and grabbed the bindings. Holding the edge of his new axe to them, he cut the rope and freed her from them. Rolling her onto her back, he placed a hand against the side of her neck and watched with mild fascination as the ends of her ears began to lengthen, sharpening until they were like knives.
Touching his own ears, Darius sighed in relief to find that they were normal.
"Mmm…"
The young woman's eyes cracked open, honey brown meeting his gaze as she gave him a drowsy stare.
"Bwuh?"
Titling his head, he noted the similarities in their situation. They had both been taken, apparently, and both exposed to something which had… well he had no idea what it had done. They were here together for a reason, but what was that reason? Thinking back to his comfort with thinking of himself as a weapon just as much as he thought of himself with his name, he pieced together a reason for their shared situation.
"G'day, glad to see you're up and at 'em. My mind's a bit foggy, but I think I'm your weapon?"
That seemed to wake her a bit, as clarity returned to her eyes alongside a sputtering confusion. "M-My bloody what?"
His eye twitched, and words left his tongue unbidden. "I am a tool to be used and discarded in service to the glory of… to the glory of…"
The hole that was his memory led him to reflect on his words, finding no answer for why they had been spoken. Seeing as he had no idea what he was serving, he decided to take the simplest choice. "In glory of you, I suppose."
She stared at him, blinking as the wheels in her mind turned. "…What. No, uh, that's not really necessary. I mean, no offense of course! Y-You're awfully handsome and- no wait, that's not-"
"We're under attack- shit!"
A new voice entered the fray, revealing another enemy with a straight bow in hand. Pulling a short sword from his waist, the enemy went to attack the two of them. Not that Darius would allow such a thing, as he turned around and threw his axe directly into the opponent's head. The enemy fell to the ground, bleeding on the ground as he knelt by the body and grabbed its weapons.
"I see. If you don't need my service, then I guess I'll just leave you to your own devices then."
Grabbing the belt which held the short sword's sheath, he wrapped it around his waist and sheathed the blade. Picking up the bow, he felt a practiced ease come to him as he handled it. Attaching the quiver to his belt, he checked the boots and scowled. They weren't big enough for his feet, a shame.
"W-Wait a minute!"
Leveling his attention to the pointy eared young woman, he raised an eyebrow as she struggled to get to her feet, before falling to her knees instead. "Yes?"
Giving him a pleading look, she quickly backtracked on her earlier rejection. "I misspoke! You are my weapon, your service is mine. S-So, get me out of here!"
An amused smirk came to his face. She was clearly lying to save her own skin. His service wasn't meant to be in her hands, in spite of their shared circumstances. But… he had no idea who he was supposed to dedicate himself to anyway. Despite the situation, he found himself nodding his head as he held out a hand to the young woman. "Of course, whatever you demand. I'm yours to command, Master. Mistress? Madam?"
He wasn't quite sure what to call her, but thankfully she was quick to inform him. "Emery. Call me Emery."
She grasped his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. "Emery, then. You can call me Darius."
Helping Emery steady herself, he grabbed the axe still embedded in the dead man's skull and pulled it free. Letting it slide down his hand until the steel head touched his finger, he offered the weapon to his charge. "You should arm yourself, just in case. My memory's a bit iffy, so I'm afraid I don't know how capable I am."
He expected her to express some sort of disappointment in his condition, but instead she simply bobbed her head with a knowing expression. "You did bonk your head pretty hard, if that wound I saw meant anything."
Touching the back of his head, he frowned as he felt a bit of dried blood. "That would explain some things."
Shaking that thought aside, he tightened his hold on his new bow and jerked his head to the tent flap leading outside. "Forget that. We better hurry out of here before shit goes cock up."
"Right."
Stepping out of the tent, Darius eyed the grounds quickly. Men and women were rushing back and forth, the sounds of battle loud in the air behind them as they were ignored. Whatever was attacking this group, they were doing a damn good job of it.
"Someone's fighting the Illagers. Are they here to rescue us?"
Emery's hopeful question contrasted his own heavy cynicism, tension building in his shoulders as he nocked an arrow onto his bow and took the lead forward. "Dunno, but better be safe than sorry."
He made his way to the other end of the encampment, pulling the arrow back on the bowstring as several of these so-called Illagers saw them. Knowing what he was going to hit, he released the arrow softly and watched as it shot into one of the Illager's eyes, leaving them dead on impact. The act was first nature to him, no different than breathing. Whatever had taken his memory, it seemed to leave his muscle memory mostly intact.
Good.
The other three Illagers began to cover their face as they rushed forward, leaving their eyes and head guarded. Lowering his aim, he shot two more arrows into the knees of two of the Illagers, forcing them to the ground as he dropped his bow and drew his sword. The last one raised her axe with murderous yet clumsy intent, leaving her midsection completely open.
Ducking low, he dashed into her guard and shoved his blade into her stomach, twisting the sword before ripping it out. The gray-skinned woman fell to her knees, hands over her stomach as she attempted to keep her vital organs from falling out of her. Leveling the blade against her neck, he lifted it slightly before bringing it back down, ending her misery.
Picking his bow back up, he approached the other two Illagers and ended them just as quickly, wiping his blade on his shirt to remove the blood and viscera that had gotten stuck on the steel before sheathing it.
"That was… efficient."
Emery's voice was measured, but the slight green in her face was enough to reveal her discomfort with killing. That was fine though. After all, it was his job to kill. "Can't exactly sit on our asses, now, can we? Come on, let's head to the edge of the camp before-"
A wave of malice crashed against him, his body twisting instinctually out of the way just as a massive axe rushed past his head. Nocking another arrow, he scanned the area for whomever could've thrown the axe, feeling the tension in his shoulders grow as the assailant refused to announce themselves.
Another trigger of malice, this time from behind, forced him down to his knees as the axe came flying back over his head and began twisting around the tents, disappearing from view. He locked eyes with Emery, who had been frozen still from shock. "Get to safety, now!"
She didn't say anything, instead nodding her head and running back into the tent they had just gotten out of.
Bow drawn, Darius began slowly stepping away from the tent, hoping to lead whoever was on their trail away from Emery. Pebbles and other small rocks dug into the bottoms of his bare feet, a discomfort but one that he readily ignored as the dull throbbing of malice once more began to trigger on his skin.
He turned to the right, letting the arrow go as he finally found the source of the malice.
It was the hulking form of a man, with pale skin and a long beard. Vambraces covered his arms, the only visible armor on him as a cloak covered his bare, scar riddled upper body. The man's eyes, a hardened amber, were locked onto him as he hefted the massive axe with a single hand, the handle of a short sword revealing itself to be strapped to his thigh, though the blade was hidden from his gaze. In his free hand was the arrow he had shot, having been caught by the man with seemingly little difficulty.
The man then spoke, a deep rumbling sound which was like gravel was stuck in his throat, as he crushed the arrow and dropped it to the ground. "I was too late. No matter, I shall cut you down here and now, murderer."
"The hell do you mean by-"
Danger screamed at him as the man sprinted forward, moving faster than he had any right to be. Letting his bow go, Darius yanked his short sword from its sheath and threw himself to the side. Rolling out of the way, he dug his fingers into the dirt and ran forward to slash at the man's unprotected midsection. He swung, eyes on the man's chest-
Only for his blade to meet empty air.
A boot found its way between his ribs, knocking him back towards the tent. Finding himself only a dozen feet away from the entrance, Darius swore sharply to himself as he lifted himself up from the ground. He needed to lure this guy away from-
Flashing steel caught his attention, his back arching unnaturally as he bent over backwards to avoid instant death. Swinging his blade, he managed to catch the cloaked man's side with his sword before he was once more knocked away, this time by the pommel of the man's axe.
Stars burst into color within his eyes, his head throbbing as he lost the ability to discern malice from the pain of sudden head trauma. Lifting his sword clumsily, he managed to catch the axe with the flat of his blade, the steel holding for a brief moment before bending inwards as the force of the attack pushed him back into a tree.
The impact knocked something in his brain back into place, his vision clearing as he looked up to see the man stalking towards him, axe raised high. Darius reached for his sword, only to swear once he realized he must've dropped it. All he could find was a rather thick branch, and he doubted that it would do anything to stop that beast of an axe.
"DARIUS!"
Emery's voice rang out just as several tree roots burst up from the ground, wrapping around the shocked behemoth. The roots kept the man in place as Emery rushed forward and leaned down next to him, naked concern in her eyes. Foolish, he should be the one worried about her. It was his purpose, probably.
"Are you okay? No, stupid question. Let's just get out of here before-"
The sound of wood cracking roused both of their attentions, their attacker somehow managing to break through the roots holding him in place. Understanding leveled itself in Darius' mind, as he quickly pushed Emery out of the way and grabbed the heavy branch.
"Run, I'll delay him!"
Standing on shaky feet, he hefted the tree branch with an uneasy sway. He had hoped he'd be able to actually live for a while, but it seemed that was not to be. His hand tightened around the branch as he felt Emery attempt to grab at his arm, but he shook her off and continued to shamble forward towards the nearly free giant. It didn't matter if he died, not really. The only thing he was certain about himself was that he was supposed to be used and discarded, like any other tool. This was natural for him. This was his purpose.
Something tickled in his core as he felt a sudden surge of adrenaline strengthen his limbs, an inner peace which seemed to trickle through his arm and out into the branch. Snaking tendrils of navy slithered their way up the branch, the wood twisting and reshaping itself as his purpose manifested itself into reality. Gone was the old branch, in its place now rested a thick wooden hammer with veins of navy pulsing with energy.
Perfect.
He swung the hammer at the still restrained enemy, slamming it against his hand and knocking the axe loose. Following through with the previous attack's momentum, he smashed the heavy wood into the man's face and prepared for yet another strike.
It was then that the roots finally broke, and a hand grabbed his neck.
"You are… different."
The sound of a sword being unsheathed met his ear before a cold pain familiarized itself with his thigh. He grunted, unwilling to give his foe the satisfaction of hearing his discomfort. He glanced down, eyes locking onto a pale blue curved sword which was currently lodged within his thigh, frost spreading from the wound.
"Let him go!"
Emery came around, her fists thumping against the stranger's arm as she attempted to help free him. It was inane and defeated the entire point of him staying behind in the first place. He tried to tell her this, to tell her to run away, but the hold on his throat allowed only for choked breath to escape his lips.
"…You are not him, are you?"
It wasn't a question he could answer, but the glare he shot the man was enough for the hand wrapped around his neck to release him. He fell to the ground, coughing as placed his hands on the sword stuck in his thigh. It hurt like a bitch but taking it out would be stupid. He'd need to stop the bleeding before anything else.
"The frost should stem the bleeding. You can remove the falchion."
Darius eyed the giant warily but did as he said. The blade came out with little difficulty, the ice around the wound keeping the blood from flowing. "The hell is going on?"
Taking the falchion back, the stranger grunted out a reply. "Mistaken identity. You are not the man I thought, and I am grateful."
Emery dropped to her knees by his side once again, anxiously hovering her hands over his wound with uncertainty plain in her eyes. It was… nice. Nice, but unnecessary.
"You are injured, and it is my fault. Allow me the effort to remedy that."
His first instinct was to say no, to deny this former enemy the chance to see him even more vulnerable than he already was. However, he was not the first to answer. It was Emery, voice firmer than he had yet to hear, who answered for him. "Yes, of course. Please, do whatever you can."
"That's not-"
She shot him a glare, a surprising thing to see from someone he had written off as being meek. "Don't you argue with me on this, you stupid sod. What even was that nonsense? What kind of person just rushes to their death to protect someone they just met?!"
His brow furrowed, unsure of her complaint. "I thought I told you? I am a tool to be used and discarded in service to the glory of- no, for the safety of your person. That is the purpose given to me, I believe."
The purpose he asserted to be his own was still a bit hazy in his mind, but it was enough for him to feel certain about why he lived. Perhaps the one he was giving his service to was a false master, but it didn't really matter. Whoever he was supposed to serve was either dead or just gone, and in their place was someone who had needed assistance. So, she had his loyalty. It was as simple as that.
"Y-You daft bastard."
In spite of her words, there was a tender pinkness to her cheeks which seemed to betray the anger she had been cultivating. She was probably flattered, though there was no need. Things were as they were, no need to think too much about them.
"If you wish for it- for him to heal, then quit your flirtations. Night will fall soon, and this forest will become too dangerous to travel."
"Right, sorry."
Emery extracted herself from his side, helping him to his feet as they followed after their newfound ally. Much to his displeasure.
I'm gonna stab that cunt in the thigh one of these days.
… … …
"That is the purpose given to me, I believe."
Emery reflected on those words, clutching the cloak that Mason (as the man had briefly introduced earlier) had lent her so that she could cover herself. In the heat of the moment, she hadn't recognized it, but her dress had been torn to something fierce throughout her kidnapping. What was left barely constituted as clothes, leaving only strips of cloth covering her essential bits. It had been an embarrassing moment, even more so when she realized that Darius had only seen her like that.
Did he like it though?
Red hot roses bloomed beneath her feet as that shameful thought fluttered through her mind, and she scowled at her own indecency. Her mind had been running wild ever since the injection that had been forced onto her, leaving her with a strange tingling in her body and an even stranger set of ears. That energy within her, whatever it was, had somehow connected her to the world around her.
The trees almost seemed to speak to her, whispering in the wind and accepting her as one of their own. Flowers reacted to her emotions, springing up in different colors with each new feeling. It was a new sensation, feeling so… not-alone. As if there was now always someone willing to listen to her fears and worries. Someone willing to always care for her and allow her to care for them. Someone… special.
The roses below her doubled as her mind returned to thoughts of her new… partner.
He didn't feel real. Not that he wasn't, but there was something about him that was off. Maybe it was the somewhat empty gaze of his, bereft of anything but color. Of course, there was also the way he was so willing to simply die for her, because of his "purpose" or some bullocks like that. What a husk of a person he must be, to have no desire of his own. To be so…
Lifeless.
Unbidden, Emery rose from her position on a wooden log beside a fire that Mason had started for her, and stepped towards the tent that had been given to Darius so that he could rest. She reached a hand out, tracing the line of the tent flap before holding the edge of it and pulling it to the side just enough for her to peek into the tent.
She could see his shoulders, broad and tensing as he rolled them around and stretched. Her eyes then strayed down to his back, following the line left by his muscles as she stifled her own gasp at a rather shameful discovery.
He had yet to put his clothes on yet.
Looking away, she resisted the urge to stomp on the pink carnations which began to sprout beneath her. She was no pervert, no matter what the flowers beneath her said. She was a respectful young woman, and would never ever even think of peeking back in and-
Oh, she already had.
Emery watched him move and stretch, angry at herself but unwilling to look away. He was just so… different compared to what she was used to. Dark Forest Villagers were all rather feminine, the men and women differing only in "equipment" and boobs. The reason why that was eluded her, but regardless the concept of masculinity was as foreign to her as love was.
Blue cornflowers bloomed beside her at the saddening thought.
Her eyes remained glued to his waist as he turned to the side to grab a pair of pants, hands gripping the edge of the tent as she absorbed all she could of his "weapon".
It was big, just like he was.
Closing the tent again, she felt her ears burn with humiliation at her actions. She was never like this, never. But the energy gifted to her by the injection as well as Darius' admittedly very exotic appearance was doing things in her stomach which she refused to acknowledge any further. He was just so… interesting. His shape was broad, his skin not the pale whiteness she always saw but instead closer to a tanned brown. The roughness of his features was new to her eyes, having always seen softer looks and faces.
He was a new experience, one that left her feeling oddly excited.
Pulling the curtain back again, she went to peek at her partner once again, only to freeze as she came eye to eye with navy.
"Emery, what are you doing out there? Did the fire die?"
Her mouth didn't quite work, caused both by the mortifying shiver that went through her and the shock of him meeting her gaze so brazenly while he was still naked.
"P-Put some pants on!"
Carnations tickled at her ankles as she glared at him, pointedly ignoring her decision to continue looking at his form. Thankfully, he didn't seem to care all that much, raising an eyebrow as he turned around to step into the pants he had grabbed earlier, giving her another wonderful view.
"There, you happy?"
Opening the tent back up (an action she was getting used to), she let out a sigh of relief at the sight of pants. Entering the tent proper, she hugged the cloak tighter around her as she explored the small area. It wasn't much of anything, just one of the tents that had been in the Illager camp repurposed for his needs. There was a bedroll, a chair, and some clothes, but other than that, nothing else.
Sitting on the chair, she tilted her head and examined her partner once again, this time without the same interest she had before. Despite his exotic appearance (at least to her), it was his eyes which were the most captivating. They were a deep navy blue, which seemed to shift and change shades with every minute movement his head made. It was an unnatural color, but one which she couldn't help but lean closer to as he approached her.
"You good, mate? You look a bit out of it."
She blinked, shaking her head free of whatever thoughts previously occupied it. "I'm fine, thanks to you. I… I actually wanted to thank you. You risked your own life to keep mine safe, and no matter what your motivations were, I will never forget it."
As she had expected, Darius simply shrugged as if it were no big deal. "That is my purpose."
The thought was souring to her, but she wasn't sure if she should bother arguing with him about it. Instead, she chose a different approach. "Why me though? I'm just some random woman, I'm no one special."
"Why not you?"
Her self-doubt took a pause as she attempted to process his answer, if one could even call it that. It did as much to answer her question as it did to solve world hunger, but she found herself unable to argue against it. After all, any debate she could muster would likely be tossed aside by the same exact question.
Why not me?
Giving him a frustrated pout, she let the matter fall to the wayside. "…You are a vexing man, Darius."
"And you are a perverse woman, Emery."
The ground within the tent became a garden of pink and red as she began to curse him out.
… … …
If you're reading this on FF, please know that I accidentally uploaded the chapter without an AN. So, whoops. To be honest, it really isn't that important but I'm still a bit annoyed by it. How unprofessional of me.
Anyway, I've decided to reimagine the OG ACH (if you even know what that is). Because I can. Also because Uni is coming up and I don't know how much free time I'm gonna have, so I figured I may as well do this while I can. Plus, the original was written 3 and a half fucking years ago and I think I can do a better job of it now than I did back then, which is actually when I first really started writing. I've nothing else to say, fuck you.
This has been A Decent Hoonter, and I continue to be an EMIYA Stan.