ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤslavering maw, dripping with pink - tinted ㅤㅤㅤㅤspit. the last batch felt as if it had come along ㅤㅤㅤㅤso LONG AGO ... feasting on rotting remains ㅤㅤㅤㅤcould only satiate it so much ...

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' h-h-h-here come the planes ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤa low, tittering giggle ; pointed ears ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤflick. they're fortunate, for now, that ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit's not in the mood to move. a crumpled ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤheap at the floor, that lets out a chilling ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤsigh. soon. soon.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤa pitched sound of frustration ; words would fail, ㅤㅤㅤㅤthis it knew. there was no point, truly, in an attempt ㅤㅤㅤㅤto vocalize. they assure it, best they can - these ㅤㅤㅤㅤwounds and lascerations would heal in time. but ㅤㅤㅤㅤit cannot help but think of its' child. the instances -

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤpupils slit, narrow, aggressive. it did not ㅤㅤㅤㅤspeak of death so casually, not against ㅤㅤㅤㅤthose that it cared for. it'd grip them, ㅤㅤㅤㅤshake them, if it could - but it's mindful. ㅤㅤㅤㅤas mindful as it could be, for what it was.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤa sneer, low clicking in its' chest. for all ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit respected lyric ; fine. but, were the chance ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤpresented - it would surely strip the wings ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤof a dragon, and wear them as a cloak. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit nods - of course it was worried. it spared ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤshinji out of that concern.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' t-t-t-taken. ' ㅤ ㅤㅤit wasn't stupid ; foolish. it knew what kidnapping ㅤㅤwas. pale brow furrows, and its' maw parts, near ㅤㅤfamiliar sound playing. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' a-a-and i will strike down upon thee ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤwith great vengeance, -

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit's gentle, careful, setting them down. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit squats, eye level with them. lower pair ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤinvestigates wounds, fingers oddly gentle ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤas they skim over scaled skin. hurt. they're ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤhurt. ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' why. '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit lifts @lunarscaled.bsky.social 'neath their ㅤㅤㅤㅤarms, ears moving upward, downward for ㅤㅤㅤㅤa moment. joy is temporary. too temporary. ㅤㅤㅤㅤit leans over them, shadow cast. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' missing - missing - missing - WHERE. '

He escapes through the tv static

Behind the lake house

ㅤ ㅤㅤwhat a pain ; what agony. to be misunderstood. ㅤㅤbut, shinji seems to, at last, understand. isaak, with ㅤㅤsome measure of enthusiasm, nods, before entirely ㅤㅤdropping the other without much of a second thought. ㅤㅤwaiting was not ... ideal, but it's what was offered to ㅤㅤthem.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤif only it were articulate. if only it knew what ㅤㅤㅤㅤto say, how to say it. YES, lyric was missing, ㅤㅤㅤㅤbut shinji could not hope to understand the ㅤㅤㅤㅤgravity of that word. hands reach, snatch out, ㅤㅤㅤㅤgripping him hard as thumbs press into ㅤㅤㅤㅤshinigami's chest.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit lets something akin to a death - rattle loose, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤa groaning, low - whine that's almost as gutteral ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤas a beasts' roar. it'd checked everywhere. it's ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤchecked the listless, endless rooms of its' home, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit'd checked the shadows of their guild.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit knows enough. it knows enough that ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤan espada, and his partner, were on the ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤway. knew enough, too, that they likely ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤwould not come back. isaak detested ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthat dragon, loathsome creature. it snarls, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤpupils shrinking as eyes dart to shinji.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' l - lost ... things ... ' were not to be found. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤwhere ever lyric was taken, was too far for it ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤto detect. too far for it to skitter to. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit groans, as body topples into a heap of tangled ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤlips and mussed mane.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' h-h-hello ? ' it recites, teeth parting. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' this is your mother ; are you there ? ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤare you coming h-h-h-home ? ' ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤit worries to a degree that can be seen ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤas only childish. fretting, with claws, ears ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤlow. it's lost too much, already. not again. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤnever again.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' danger. ' ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤthey have an idea. that which was massive ㅤㅤㅤㅤin comparison, he who was WOEFULLY angry. ㅤㅤㅤㅤinsecure. grip relents, and isaak parts, if only ㅤㅤㅤㅤto face shinji. lower eyes blink. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' c-c-c-c-coming home ? '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤclaws are gentle, tittering laugher ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤoddly distant. grip comes 'round ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤforearms but voice does carry ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤsome sense of ... worry. of dread. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' missing - missing - missing -missing -'

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit's ears pull down, back. it was rather good, ㅤㅤㅤㅤat detecting live bodies around ; but it could ㅤㅤㅤㅤnot find lyric, no matter how it tried. it's eyes ㅤㅤㅤㅤdart away, but it nods. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit'd try. that's all it could do, was try.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit does not pick him up. not this time. ㅤㅤㅤㅤit merely bends down, vertebre crackling ㅤㅤㅤㅤas it moves lower, lower. ㅤㅤㅤㅤ@goreverruga.bsky.social ; it was worried. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' missing - missing - missing - miss -'

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' ... ' he's an intelligent man. isaak knows ㅤㅤㅤㅤas much, it moves, away from him slow, ㅤㅤㅤㅤpairs of eyes blinking slowly ; almost catlike. ㅤㅤㅤㅤthough, not out of affection, but thought. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' v-v-v-very ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤit chitters, a swarm of insects bottled in its' chest. the ㅤㅤway in which shinigami spoke had struck its' ire, isaak ㅤㅤmoving close. it looms over him, all eyes snapping to ㅤㅤmeet the warmth of aizen's own. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' d-don't ( 𝐃𝐎𝐍❜𝐓 ) ... be rude ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤhead cants, ears wiggling as the corners of eyes ㅤㅤcrinkle. good, good ... wonderful, that he was so ㅤㅤwell off. claw pushes against its' lip, and it shrugs. ㅤㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' s-s-shinji ... fun ... ' how well it recalled, the ㅤㅤㅤㅤentire ordeal. however ... ' s-s-still hungry ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤ' s-s-soon ... ' it repeats, as sing-song as it can be. ㅤㅤit sooner parts from him, tittering to itself in joy. ㅤㅤbegging would do nothing ; for those it wanted, ㅤㅤwould not be spared. perhaps, in a way, it'd be even ㅤㅤbetter to see shinji on his knees, over the corpses of ㅤㅤhis loved ones. ~

ㅤ ㅤㅤa low hiss, as it's body snaps quickly around, head ㅤㅤ'pon severely twisted, swiveled neck. voice changes, ㅤㅤas it laughs once more. how bold ; to try and give it ㅤㅤorders. when, nearly, it has crushed him to meat. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' n-n-no can do ... soon ... s-s-soon... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤa low laugh, hand coming to pet through soft, ㅤㅤㅤblond locks. good, to conceed. to accept. it was ㅤㅤㅤeasier, like that. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' u-u-until ... the end ... of y-y-your ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤdays ... a-a-ahaa .. '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤsqueal is a dread, dour thing. he looked far ㅤㅤㅤbetter, freed from that wretched stone thing. ㅤㅤㅤtoo, was it nice, to have something so fearless. ㅤㅤㅤso willing. had isaak a tail, it'd surely be wagging. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' b-b-better, now ..? '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit chitters excitedly, seeing @surpass.bsky.social ! ㅤㅤㅤears wiggle and twitch, as it lowers itself down to ㅤㅤㅤhis height - almost ... purring.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' l-l-let ... LIVE ... not ... go ... ' ㅤ ㅤㅤthe two were drastically different things, in its' mind. ㅤㅤshinji was permitted to leave its' domain, ONCE ... and ㅤㅤonly once. but, he had found himself a friend, onto his ㅤㅤdying days, poor thing.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit permits him to move, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘴 space to be ㅤㅤㅤmade from itself, and him. figure hunches over, ㅤㅤㅤglint of animalistic eyes near making them glow. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' y-y-you'll be here ... 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑. ' ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤin its' sight. in its' grasp. in its' thoughts, forever.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit's hardly offened, given their past. given how close ㅤㅤㅤshinji was, to being reduced to bones, hair and the ㅤㅤㅤclothes on his back. refusal to look at it only earns ㅤㅤㅤa squint, before hand drops, a coddling, crooning ㅤㅤㅤsound emitting from it's chest. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' p-p-poor thing ... aha ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤa terror of laughter, too many voices sounding ㅤㅤㅤat once, as isaak circles the poor captain. quick, ㅤㅤㅤdoes arm move, shinji siezed by his cheeks in ㅤㅤㅤthin fingers. four eyes bore into shinji's lonely ㅤㅤㅤtwo. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' n-n-n-never ... you ... will n-never ... ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤbe rid ... of m...m... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤvoice that comes, does not belong to it. ㅤㅤㅤtoo whole, too smooth, with a depth it ㅤㅤㅤdoes not possess. ㅤ ㅤ' what's wrong, captain. don't you want me here ? '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit bends down, snort low, soft. ㅤㅤㅤㅤit chitters out something akin to a child's ㅤㅤㅤㅤgiggle, distorted by static/ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' m-m-missed you, shinji ... ㅤㅤㅤㅤalways k-k-know ... connect-t-ted ... ' ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤdigit gestures, between two bodies, before ㅤㅤㅤㅤhand settles at the others' shoulder.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit stands just behind @5akanade.bsky.social, lower ㅤㅤㅤset of eyes boring into the back of his skull. it's head ㅤㅤㅤcants, neck creaking against the motion. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' s-s-see ..? m-m-m-missing you-u-u~.'

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤit hears its' name. ears wiggle as it laughs, ㅤㅤㅤㅤteeth parting. poor shinji, poor shinji ..! but, ㅤㅤㅤㅤworse, poor isaak. g̷i̷v̷i̷n̷g̷ a̷w̷a̷y̷ a̷ m̷e̷a̷l̷.̷

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤgood. better, that tesla understood ; but good. ㅤㅤㅤa tittering laugh, corners of every eye crinkling. ㅤㅤㅤarms wrap around tesla, delivering a light squeeze. ㅤㅤㅤit knew not, what would afflict poor man ... but it ㅤㅤㅤwould try, in any case. that's all it COULD do.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit wonders what 'season' is. did he mean christmas ? ㅤㅤㅤit seemed like autumn and winter always brought the ㅤㅤㅤworst out of some people. he remembers laurel, being ㅤㅤㅤthe same way, before she was sent off. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' help. let ... h-h-h-help. '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤthere wasn't much of a solution, to ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤsomething like this. company was ... ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤfine, yes, but not 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙. a croon, of a ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤbeastial whine, and it chitters out a sigh, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤsetting it's cheek upon his head with some ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤeffort. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' s-sorry ... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' r-r-r-relax ... ' it's trying to encourage. ㅤㅤㅤㅤtrying. tesla seems ... sad ; it knows that. ㅤㅤㅤㅤbut it does not know what to do, that may ㅤㅤㅤㅤbe of any use. ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' ... h-h-h-help ..? '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤtaking its' seat next to him. ears wiggle, ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤand flick. this was fun, too ; but it sensed ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤsomething was amiss. no picking up - just ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤgentle petting, atop the others' head, this ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤtime.

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' the c-c-cocaine is not ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤgood for you-u-u-u.... '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤit's spent its' day happily ; no cake or gifts - but, ㅤㅤㅤit wouldn't know what to do with those things, ㅤㅤㅤanyway. its' greatest joy, was overseeing trick ㅤㅤㅤor treating children ; and ensuring bullies got ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤwhat they deserved.

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' t-t-t-today .... birthday ... ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤh-h-happy birthday ... ' 🎶

ㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤ' D-D-DON'T FORGET CAN-N-NDY ! '

ㅤ ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ' h-h-h-happy ... hallowe-e-en ... '