Back to Egypt for this chapter...and the next. We'll return to Yugi and Imhotep after that. Trying to stick with semi-chronological timing so chapters will be switching back and forth between two points until everyone is grouped up again.
More sex, but not so focused on the actual sexual details this time. Sorry. I have a smut WiP that I will announce when I get around to posting it for all you dirty minds that are apparently here only for the lemon.
TW: Near death and vampirism-like actions
Marik stood with one arm wrapped around his tiny girlfriend's waist on the elevator ride back to the surface. The larger Ishtar stood with his back towards them, ignoring the couple.
"I'm surprised how modern this place is considering Malik hasn't been around for the past fifteen years," Marik said in observation of the fact that Malik had stated earlier that he created 'everything that is of the earth'.
Malik looked back over his shoulder. "Most of this existed before that. After my return from the Shadows, I set to reinforcing any structural damage and decay that occurred in my absence. Ka-ib asked that I update the more cosmetic aspects while I was at it, so I did," he replied, shrugging at the last part as though the request wasn't that big of a deal.
"That's a lot to do over a weekend."
Malik chuckled loudly. "You think I did this over a weekend? Maybe if I had been at full strength as far as my magae is concerned, but no. More like a couple of weeks."
Marik's eyes widened. "A couple of...weeks!? But you were in the Shadow Rea-"
"I was," Malik interrupted. "How long do you think it's been since I was freed from that place?"
"Oh. I thought Kat freed you not long before you showed up at the park."
Malik raised a brow at the smaller Ishtar. "You think I've only been back four or five days? No. I've been back for nearly three weeks now trying to make things right. You, Katrina, and Bakura are not the only ones I have wronged."
Kat sighed. "I don't see why you're in such a hurry to get it all done so fast. It's not like the Elder gave you a deadline or anything."
Malik turned and fully faced the couple now. "I would rather not go about with it looming over me," he said, scowling.
"I suppose this means I have to put that addition on hold then?" Kat questioned boredly.
Malik sighed, rubbing his temple in slight irritation. "I don't even know where you'll put it? The barrier only goes so far."
The elevator reached the surface and the three exited not far from the Ishtari's chambers. Once the doors closed, a section of the wall re-adjusted and hid the elevator's entrance. Malik opened the door to his small living area, proceeding forth with Kat following. Marik trailed after to see why she had gone with the Ishatri.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
"To Mal's planning room," Kat stated casually.
"His what?"
"Planning room. Mal's our chief architect…at his insistence of course."
"For obvious reasons," Malik added. He went down the hall past his bedroom, opening a door not much farther down at the end of the hall. Inside there was a to-scale model of the palace, along with blueprints scattered across several tables and benches that were lined up along the walls, with more blueprints and their inspirations pinned to the walls themselves. Marik noted that the replica showed that there was a lot more to the palace grounds than he had originally thought. He had believed that everything existed within, and under, the palace walls and its courtyard. However, the model showed what appeared to be stables, a gladiatorial stadium-sized training area, what appeared to be a large oval track, and...wait...was that an airfield?
"I thought this place was supposed to be a scaled down version of the original?" Marik puzzled.
"It is," Malik replied, studying the layout before him.
"So then why is there a tarmac?"
"Everything within the walls, with the exception of the location of the stables, is based on the original palace. The rest is space that is available within the confines of the barrier," Malik stated while still studying the replica. "What calibers does the backing need to stop?" he asked the tiny female that came to stand beside him.
"Depends. What can you guarantee against?" Kat questioned back.
Malik closed his eyes and scratched at the back of his head in thought. "If it's underground, it won't matter. Just have to use something that won't cause a ricochet." His eyes popped open and he brought his fist down into the opposing palm. "Oh, I know! Come check this out!" He walked over to where a tablet was sitting on one of the architect benches and brought up a video. Both elementals watched it intently.
Marik peered between to see they were watching a video where a man was shooting into a pile of what appeared to be some kind of purple colored sand.
"I'll admit, I've been wanting to test this myself. Coating sand in a silicone-based polymer...who would have thought? It basically reduces the impact of whatever hits it. Far more effective than a standard backing," Malik said enthusiastically.
"I like it! Let's do it! You can run the range alongside my area!" Kat replied with just as much enthusiasm.
Malik stopped to think for another moment. "Why not repurpose where the tomb was? It's a long enough stretch, and with the right lighting you can still see in the distance," he suggested instead.
Kat squealed and danced in delight, then squeezed the large Ishtari around his lower ribs as tight as she could. "I knew I could count on you to make it work! So when should it be finished?!" she questioned, her eyes glittering with excitement.
"I suppose if I start on it tomorrow, maybe the next day or so?" Malik replied, sighing.
"Can't start tomorrow. You're coming with us to Italy," Kat stated as though Malik had no say in the decision.
Malik's face fell. "Ka-ib, must I? The Runt enjoys luxury shopping trips. I do not."
Kat released the larger Ishtar, looking up at him with a doe-eyed pout.
Malik took a step away and tried to look anywhere but down towards the pouting flame elemental.
Marik couldn't help but internally chuckle watching as his girlfriend tried to guilt her way into getting what she wanted.
After nearly a full minute, Malik relented with a groan of exasperation. "Fine…."
Kat squealed happily again, gave the larger Ishtar another quick squeeze, then rushed out the door. Marik looked quizzically towards where his girlfriend had vanished.
The flame elemental promptly returned. "Whoops! Forgot someone..." she giggled, mildly embarrassed as she grabbed Marik's hand and began to drag him along behind her. Malik chuckled and shook his head at the sight.
"Sorry, forgot you were there for a second!" Kat said apologetically towards Marik, dragging him towards her room. She paused as she rounded the corner. "Oh gods, are they still at it?" She rolled her eyes and continued towards her destination.
"That...was...kinda disturbing to hear," Marik commented once they had entered the room, referring to the sounds echoing down the hall that the drunk pair were making.
Kat shrugged. "Meh, nothing new."
"Nothing new?" Marik puzzled, mildly shocked.
"My twin, Atem's Vizier and not-so-secret lover, was only a few rooms down in the original palace layout. Take from that what you will."
Marik paled and appeared slightly embarrassed. "That must have been...awkward."
Kat shrugged again. "It was what it was."
Marik couldn't believe how nonchalant Kat was about Atem's infidelity...or his current drunken romp with Bakura. He watched as she crossed the room and walked out onto the patio into Egypt's afternoon sun, and as she casually leaned on the railing to overlook the gardens below.
"Everything okay?" Marik questioned as he approached and leaned down next to her.
Kat continued to look out over the gardens, appearing wistful. "You ever want something for so long, then when you actually get it, it's not at all how you imagined? But for some reason you're okay with it?"
Marik's gaze joined the flame elemental's across the gardens. "Yeah. I know that feeling," he stated, feeling just as wistful. That's how Battle City had been. He had spent years trying to devise a strategy to defeat the Pharaoh, only to end up aiding him in his quest to regain his lost name and memories. Now he was here, caught up in something even crazier than trying to run a criminal organization or defeating the Pharaoh in a legendary duel.
"What about feeling as if you're in a dream, and that at any moment you'll wake up and find out none of it was real?"
Marik's gaze returned to the tiny elemental beside him. He placed an arm around her and pulled her in close. "Yeah, I know that feeling too. As a matter-of-fact, I'm feeling it right at this moment."
Kat snuggled in closer. "Me too. I'm still secretly afraid that you'll wise up and leave. You've only seen a small portion of my world, and what I, personally, am capable of."
Marik trailed a finger under her chin and brought it up so that she was facing him. "Like I said before, I'm not going anywhere. Now if you suddenly start turning into a ten-foot tall cobra, then all bets are off," he joked. A sudden thought crossed his mind. "Wait...you don't turn into any kind of serpent….right?"
Kat giggled. "No. I am strictly feline in nature. No snakes in this household either. The closest you'll come across here are Ka summons."
Marik sighed in relief. "Good to know."
Kat looked back out over the gardens as she leaned the side of her head onto Marik's chest. "Five millennia, and I always thought that I would be standing here looking over a replica of what once was with someone else. I never once in that entire time thought I would be beside another."
"If you had told me when I first came to the surface that I would one day find myself standing where I am now, I would have called you a liar," Marik said with a slight chuckle.
Kat looked up at him. "Lucky for you I'm not fond of lying. I will warp the truth within the confines of technicality, but that's about it," she stated earnestly.
Marik looked at her with a curious expression. "How does 'warping the truth within the confines of technicality' work exactly?"
Kat gave him a sly grin. "Ask me something. Anything."
Marik thought for a second. "Okay, exactly how old are you?"
"Sixteen," she replied with a straight face.
Marik was confused. "But you've been alive for the past-" Suddenly it dawned on him what she meant. "Ohhhh….that's pretty sneaky," he chuckled. "Seriously though, how old?"
Kat waved a chastising finger in front of his face. "Now, now, didn't your sister ever tell you it's rude to ask a lady her real age?" she taunted with a smirk.
"She might have mentioned it," he replied jokingly, grabbing the hand that was in his face and pulling the body that it was attached to upwards so that her face was near his. He placed a light kiss on her lips. Kat responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him back passionately. Marik wrapped his hands around her hips and bottom to help lift her upwards, her legs wrapping around his waist to help keep her there.
"Maybe this time we won't get interrupted," he commented with a flirtatious smile, referring to what had happened in the moments just before Atem's premature resurrection. He glanced in the room towards the ancient bed that had been intended for another. "Should we go somewhere else?"
Kat shook her head. "Only if it bothers you. Personally, I have not laid in that bed since ancient times, but it seems a shame to have preserved something only for it to continue to go unused."
Marik looked back at the bed. It wasn't made much differently from the one he used to sleep on back in the caves, it was just larger as it was meant for both the Pharaoh and his Queen. Having sat on it, he knew it to be a bit more comfortable and luxurious than the one from his childhood. He played back and forth with the idea of using the Pharaoh's own bed to have sex with his former wife. "Fuck it…" he said, caving. He walked over with his lover wrapped tightly about him, sitting on the edge so that she could straddle him like she had earlier. He ran his hands along her back, placing them between her shoulders and pressing her in close so they could share another intimate kiss. As their lips parted yet again, Kat removed the golden band beneath her breasts and tossed it aside. She did the same with the thin golden belt at her waist. She then removed herself momentarily from Marik's lap to allow the linen dress to fall from her shoulders to the floor. At the same time, Marik removed the silver belt and deep red schenti that he was wearing, tossing them aside and out of the way as well. Once he had sat back on the edge of the bed, Kat placed herself back on his lap, bringing herself slowly down onto his erection. He placed his hands on her hips and aided in her paced motions, bringing his mouth back to hers.
This wasn't like their first sexual encounter. That time had been filled with near insatiable hunger and lust. This time felt different, more about each other than the act itself. Everything was steady and paced, and filled with emotion. They repeatedly kissed and ghosted their lips along each other's flesh.
Kat heard something calling out to her, almost like a song. It was quiet at first, barely audible over the sound of her own pulse. She felt a sensuous shiver throughout her body, and the song increased in volume. Each time she felt the shiver, the song would grow louder and louder, until she could take no more. She obeyed its command and tasted the sweetness of what the song had begged for, filling her body with a state of ecstasy she hadn't thought possible. She wanted more.
Marik had felt his lover's fangs pierce through near where she had been nuzzling his neck. Like when her claws had extended into his back, the slight pain had only increased his sexual desire. His body shivered in ecstasy, and the longer she held her grip, the more his body cried out for orgasmic release, causing him to finish far sooner than he had intended. He panted as the last few waves of his orgasm pulsed out of him, suddenly feeling very lightheaded. Kat hadn't released her hold on him, and dark clouds blurred his vision as his body fell limp.
Kat heard a voice from somewhere far away in the distance.
"Ka-ib! Let go! You're killing him!"
She reluctantly pulled herself away from the source of sweet nectar. When she opened her eyes she found the world distant and out of focus. Her ears were filled with a pulsing that was growing faint. She felt herself being pulled back and away from the nectar source, and she reached out begging to keep hold of it. Something gold and red flashed before her, leaning over and reciting something by where she sensed her nectar was.
"I think he'll be okay now, but he'll need rest. What the hell were you thinking?!"
Kat continued to try to bring the world into focus, but the song was displeased with having its sweet meal taken from it. It cried out, throwing a tantrum. Give it back! GIVE IT BACK! It is OURS!
A strong grip on her shoulders and a couple of forceful shakes helped snap Kat out of her stupor. She blinked a few times, trying to figure out what happened. Last thing she remembered was having sex with Marik, but for some reason it was Malik that was standing before her with his hands tightly gripping her shoulders and a look of extreme concern on his face.
"What...why are you here? Where is Marik?" she asked in dazed confusion.
Malik appeared to be shocked. "Do you have no idea what just happened? What would have happened if I hadn't intervened just now?"
Kat's confusion intensified. "What are you-" The scent of blood filled her nose. Her confusion was quickly replaced by horror as she dipped out of Malik's grip and rushed past him. She brought her hands up to her face, not wanting to believe the sight before her. "I didn't...no...NO!" Kat sat beside Marik, cradling his head in her arms as tears began to stream down her face.
"He's not dead. I stopped you in time. He just needs rest," Malik stated in reassurance.
"That's not the point!" she screamed angrily. "It shouldn't have happened…" Kat brought her forehead down to Marik's unconscious one, her tears falling onto his face. "Why…? Why do things like this always happen? Why do the people I care for always end up hurt?"
Malik didn't have an answer to that question. After a few minutes Kat re-positioned Marik on the bed so that he was laying on it as if sleeping, pulling the linen sheets over him to protect from the cooler evening temperatures that would soon be approaching.
"Keep watch over him. I'm getting a shower," she ordered, trying her best to bury the pain she felt.
Malik nodded, transfiguring into a black lion with a pale-gold mane and coming to rest at the foot of the bed.
Bakura's head was throbbing. He felt like he was both dead and alive at the same time. '...ugh...worst part of getting drunk…'He gingerly peeked an eye open and glanced about the darkened room. '...looks like the party's been over for a while now…'Something warm snuggled into his chest. His head felt too heavy to lift up and see what it was. He struggled with an equally weighted limb, finally succeeding and bringing his hand up to his chest where if found another hand. This prompted him to fight and lift up his head. His eyes weren't too focused, but he could make out the darker flesh against his own paleness. 'Kat?' It had never been uncommon throughout the millennia to find her mysteriously curled up next to either Malik or himself. She hated sleeping alone. Bakura found himself smiling, and lacing his fingers with the ones on his chest. He struggled to wrap his other arm around the body next to him, but as with his other limb, he eventually succeeded and pulled the body in closer. The body shifted, pulling itself closer still. Bakura took a deep breath in….then paused. Something wasn't right. That scent...it didn't belong to the flame elemental. He tried to place it, but the underlying stench of death kept throwing him off. Where had he encountered this scent before? His eyes popped open as sudden realization permeated his entire being. He dared to actually lookat the figure laying beside him.
"WHAT THE FUCK!"
Bakura's voice screeched throughout the palace and echoed through the halls.
"Sounds like Kura is up," Kat said quietly. After her shower she had taken to lying next to Marik again, wanting to make sure he was okay. She gently made her way off the bed, being careful not to disturb her boyfriend, and crossed the room, stopping only to grab a short silk kimono-style robe. She made her way down the hall to where a very agitated and confused Bakura was standing naked in the darkness. His pale form made him appear like the spirit he had been less than a week prior.
Bakura stood shaking, pointing a finger at the oblivious form that had been cuddled up next to him. "What...the actual...HELL…." he seethed, his voice just as shaky as the rest of him.
Kat walked past, not stopping to glance towards Bakura or Atem as she made her way to where the hidden entrance to the kitchen was located.
"STOP! You explain to me right this instant why the-...hey! Don't you ignore me!" Bakura shouted towards the disinterested elemental. Kat continued to ignore him anyway as she vanished into the kitchen. Bakura marched his way over, slamming the door aside as he entered. "You better fucking talk to me!" he demanded. "Why the hell did you let that happen!?"
Kat continued to ignore Bakura, climbing on one of the kitchen counters so she could find the coffee cup she wanted. Once she had found one that resembled a small bowl with a handle, she climbed back down and set the cup on the counter and made her way towards another (lower) set of cupboards. She pulled out a bag of coffee beans, opened the top and took in a deep breath of their bitter aroma, looked towards where the stove was, sighed, then closed the bag and returned it to where she had retrieved it from.
Being continuously ignored by Kat was making Bakura more and more pissed off by the second. "Fucking. Talk. To. Me." he growled.
Kat once again ignored him. She walked towards a drawer and opened it, then began picking up and reading the labels of various coffee pods. She tried to examine their scent through the casing, but the smell of plastic and foil kept getting in the way. She eventually settled on one, and made her way over towards the Keurig machine on the counter.
At that moment Bakura wasn't sure what vexed him more: Kat continuously ignoring him, or the horrific sacrilege she was about to make by drinking (what he deemed) the world's shittiest coffee. He growled and sighed simultaneously. "Stop! Just...fucking stop." He jerked the coffee pod from her hand and threw it in the garbage. "Go find me something to wear so I'm not standing around the damn kitchen with my junk hanging out," he ordered. Kat nodded and vanished into her element. Bakura shook his head then made his way to the sink, scrubbing his hands and trying his best to not imagine where they might have been. Kat returned with a pair of his old drawstring shorts just as he finished drying his hands. She stepped aside and allowed him full reign of the kitchen, keeping herself near where she had placed her cup and smirking slyly as she watched Bakura set a pot of water to boil, dig out the french-press coffee maker, and grind the beans she had chosen earlier.
"I'm still pissed," Bakura stated, keeping his focus on the water he was boiling. "Why didn't you stop us?"
"I found it amusing," she shrugged boredly.
"I bet you did," he grumbled. He grabbed another cup from the cupboard as he waited for the water.
"If it makes you feel any better, we both did stupid shit after the gathering ended," Kat said after a few minutes of silence.
Bakura poured the boiling water over the coffee grounds and stirred slowly, making sure the grounds weren't floating in the press pitcher, then placed the lid on. "Oh, and what could you have done that was comparably just as stupid?" he grumbled.
Kat hung her head. "I drank from Marik and most likely would have drained him if Mal hadn't stepped in," she said quietly. "I've lost control before...but this time was...different. Normally a small amount is all it takes to come back. This time I wasn't snapping out of it. Mal had to shake me to my senses."
Bakura glanced towards her with mild concern. "You mean it's getting worse?"
Kat nodded. "I don't know what I'm going to do. Sekhmet has already done all she can for me."
"Do you think it's because of the resurrection? Not only did you use an immense amount of magae, you also took a part of yourself and infused it into another. That's an ability that is usually limited to only the gods themselves. Add to that the fact that you partook of your sire not long after. One can hardly blame you for losing control."
"I restored Mal too," Kat stated, adding to the list of things she had recently done.
Bakura raised a curious brow in her direction. "You what? Why the hell would you do that? After what he did, I would have left him with his dwindling magae supply."
"That's you, not me."
Bakura shook his head in disbelief as he began the final step of the coffee making process. Once he had the grounds plunged to the bottom he poured the coffee into both the cups that had been set aside then handed the larger cup to Kat. She dug out the sugar bowl and added a few spoonfuls until the coffee was at the desired sweetness. Bakura took a drink without adding anything, scrunching his nose up at the intense flavor. "Damn, apparently I've inherited Ryou's taste-buds as well. Pass me the sugar."
Kat chuckled and slid the bowl over to him, chuckling some more as she watched him add a spoonful, taste, add more sugar, taste, then repeat until he was satisfied with the flavor.
"Shut up. It's not my fault the kid likes sweet shit. He has his mother to thank for that," Bakura grumbled.
"Ah yes, the reincarnated White Lady. I knew you were planning something devious when you converted her," Kat stated, smirking slyly.
Bakura rolled his eyes. "That's not-….you know what, nevermind. I couldn't convince you before, and I'm in no mood to try convincing you now."
"Come now Kura, you know I only tease."
"I don't care. I'm still pissed off. You let that fucking prick…." he growled loudly, shaking in mild rage. He took several steadying breaths in an attempt to calm himself. "If it had been my original body, I probably wouldn't be nearly as pissed, but I still think of this as Ryou's body. That means I have a bit more sentimentality towards what happens to it...and for that asshole to have..."Bakura closed his eyes and clenched his jaw tightly. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he felt like Ryou's purity had been tainted.
Kat sipped at the cup in her hands for a few moments, allowing the silence between them to linger. "I'm sorry. I hadn't thought of it like that," she said quietly.
Bakura leaned his head back, rubbing his fingers through his hair and sighing in exasperation. "Why the fuck are we like this?"
"I ask myself that same question daily."
"Do you really think things might have been different if I had spoken up?" Bakura questioned, referring to the small exchange from the night he had been restored. "Mal wouldn't have convinced you to return to Amarna. You wouldn't have married the royal prick. And us...maybe we could have lived a normal life and died like normal people. Maybe we would have found the place Ama-shae used to tell us about. We could have had a small vegetable garden and raised some animals or some stupid shit like that."
Kat nearly choked on the sip of coffee she had taken. "You...working a farm?" She laughed loudly at the idea.
"Hey, I know a thing or two about raising livestock and planting crops," Bakura stated, looking very offended.
Kat scoffed and smiled. "I'm sorry, but it's just hard to picture you getting your hands dirty with hard labor. All the times we've had to slough through mud you always threw a tantrum because of how messy it was!"
"Maybe if it was just mud we were sloughing through, I wouldn't have had a problem."
"And you think the mud on a farm would be any different?"
Bakura scowled. "Point taken. Still, I think we could have made something of ourselves."
"No. We were directed down this path for a reason," Kat stated in earnest. She hung her head forward again and sighed sadly. "I just wish I knew that reason. I still don't know how I'm going to face Marik after what I did. He keeps saying he's not going to leave me, and even if he somehow miraculously stays with me, I just know if I keep losing control..." Her eyes began to mist over at the idea of hurting her boyfriend again.
Bakura looked curiously over towards the other elemental. "You care deeply for the Tomb Keeper." It was both an observation on his part and a statement.
Kat nodded. "I don't get it. I only took him with me the other day because I needed the distraction. Then we got to talking, and I found myself instantly drawn to him." She shook her head slightly in contemplation. "It was the same as the first time I met Atem. The only difference is I wanted to cuff him upside the head. Gods, he always had a knack for doing things that pissed me off," Kat stated in mild annoyance.
"I'm guessing it's just in his nature, because he always pissed me off too," Bakura stated with a small smirk.
"Kura, everyone pisses you off," Kat commented dryly.
Bakura thought for a moment. "Huh. I guess you're right about that. Meh. Better to be pissed off than pissed on," he said with a shrug.
Kat rolled her eyes and chugged the rest of her coffee.
"How the hell can you drink that much that fast? Doesn't it-….nevermind." He had momentarily forgotten about her resistance to burning temperatures.
Kat placed the large cup in the sink, then came to stand directly beside Bakura. She wormed her way under one of his arms and embraced him tightly. "Once again, I'm sorry I didn't interfere when Atem made a move on you. I have to admit I was beyond puzzled at first, but I shouldn't have been malicious and allowed it to continue. Forgive me?" She stared up at Bakura, her eyes begging for him to accept her apology.
He sighed, then took a hand and ruffled the hair on the top of her head. "You're lucky that as irritating as I find you, for some reason I have the hardest time staying mad at you."
This caused Kat to perk up as she squeezed Bakura happily. He returned the gesture by lowering his hand from her head and wrapping it about her tiny frame, lifting her up slightly off the floor as he did so. He then leaned down and placed a friendly peck on her forehead, taking in her scent as he did. Almost immediately he pulled away and looked down at the tiny elemental in his arm, his brow furled in slight confusion.
"Your scent is different."
Kat looked up at him, slightly offended. "It is not! Maybe you're just smelling the blood I've taken in."
Bakura shook his head. "No, your scent has never changed when you've fed. I feel like I should recognize it though. Like it's your scent, but there's more," he stated, feeling perplexed. He shook his head again, this time in dismissal. "Maybe it's just this new body. I'm still adjusting. I keep coming across things that are very much his and not mine. Like the taste thing. How the hell did that kid stay so fucking thin when all he ever did was consume sugar?"
Kat chuckled. "Maybe because you had him literally running along rooftops and down alleyways all the time!"
Bakura's face fell, appearing slightly annoyed. "Gee, thanks for that reminder…"
My husband watches TONS of shooting videos on YouTube. One of his favorite YouTube channels is called Demolition Ranch. The part where Malik and Kat are watching a video is based on one of their videos where they shoot a .50 cal into Kinetic Sand. I realize in this day and age there are some people that don't like gun talk. I come from an area where hunting and having gun safety ingrained from an early age are 'normal', so I often forget about the discomfort some people feel about the topic until someone does stupid shit and it ends up all over the news. I apologize for the discomfort/dislike it may bring about, but I won't refrain from talking about it. My OC and her immortal companions have lived through several wars and are warriors/soldiers in their own right. Guns are simply tools that they have used, just like spears and khopeshes.