"When we all fall asleep, Where do we go?"

I love and admire coyotes; their ability to survive, adaptation, and tenacity has been nothing less than inspirational. They've always been here, and will still be here.

PWYW hi-res download here: https://ko-fi.com/s/aebfb2915d

@boundinmybones

“In truth… I don’t know how well I’ll be able to do it either,” she admitted. She wasn’t acting foolishly optimistic, there was an awareness that this was going to be difficult. It didn’t seem to waiver her determination. Perhaps it was some of that indomitable human spirit Midgardians were known for.

“You gonna be alright?” She asked him, mostly referring to the spear being in the same room as them. “It didn’t mess with you did it?” Her eyes rested on his hands, catching the glimmer of that mark on his forearm. Her own hand absentmindedly rubbed along the back of her neck, where her own mark was. Her fingers searching for a way to be able to find it.

@xmultimusesx

Nothing could have been done to prepare for the chaos that morning. One minute the mutant was sharing lunch with a few other squatters hiding in a crevice of the subway station. The next her ears were ringing and she was climbing out from underneath concrete. Dust and smoke made her eyes sting, but she could still see blood strewn about the rubble in the dark. No breathing, no whimpers, all that filled the quiet was groaning metal and crackling wires above.

Overhead an airship, was wedged into the ground, shredded and burning in sporadic areas. The only way out was up and through the vessel. It wasn’t difficult to navigate the torn areas of the hull, plenty of metal for her to springboard off of and hang on to. It was the inner layout that was confusing. It didn’t help how unnerving it all was. The smell of preservative fluids, cleaning supplies, the devices around her. This was a research vehicle, top of the line. Even with it being debris now it was enough to make her skin crawl.

As she attempted to find an exit she was exposed to the menagerie of horror that befell the crew before the ship collided. Whole craters in people’s stomachs, whatever was on this ship was now out, had to keep eyes and ears up. Eyes flickering at the smallest sounds, sparks, she halted hearing footsteps approach from around the corner.

A pair of young men also flinched seeing her, but after a moment one of them spoke up.

“You part of the people that were on this ship?”

With a shake of her head the two approached her with caution.

“She looks hurt,” the other added, “lookit, she’s got blood on her head there.” The taller one came closer. “We got to go find some cargo real quick, but if you come with we can get you some help.”

There was something off about these two. Her senses were humming from the traces of metal around her, and there was a good bit right in front of her. Humans had metal in their bodies but… not that much. “Who are you guys?”

“Oh- I’m Smee, this is Slightly,” he nodded to his friend as she followed them. “What’s your name?”

“Zephine,” she answered, watching Smee look back at her in awe.

“Hm?” Her attention turned to Wendy as she spoke. “Yeah, sounds good. Thanks.” She made a gesture for her to lead the way and trailed behind her. For now, she didn’t feel like there was a need to worry. She was just a guest recovering from an injury while under quarantine. Zephine was aware that someday that would change though.

That day arrived sooner than she had anticipated. She thought Kirsch would have probably wanted to sink most of his time into researching the alien cargo. Guess he worked quick, she had only been there two days until Atom had showed up in her doorway to escort her to Kirsch’s lab.

Stepping into the lab she kept her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. Also to keep them from being visibly twitchy. Her feet felt heavy, her pace cautious and slow. Everything around her was setting off her nerves. The fluorescent lights, the equipment. Rows of skittering and screeching… monsters. Her stomach lurched noticing the way one slithered in its container, a veil of stringy slime trailing along it.

While she wasn’t in a cage like these, there wasn’t much that separated her from them. Especially in the eyes of the kid who ran the whole place.

A LIST OF CASUAL YET INTIMATE INTERACTIONS

@boundinmybones

Remmick leaned over her shoulder, blue eyes on what Zephine had pulled him over to show what she'd been working on - one hand resting against the desk while the other laid against the back of the chair she sat at. He listened fully, even if the vampire moved his head to nuzzling the side of her face and leave a feather like kiss to her cheek before he laid a kiss against her shoulder. His eyes returned to what she was showing him and hummed

Her head rested into his hands as he wiped the dampness away from her face. Between working through the day and the conversation she did feel pretty fatigued. Not sleepy, but not capable of much more for the night. His teasing got a snicker out of her, “that doesn’t sound like a bad idea.”

When her vision was no longer fuzzy from the tears, she took pause seeing the way he looked at her. They weren’t the same as when he first arrived. She could still picture it vividly, treating his bruised cheek on the front porch of the shop. The pair of blues and how they glimmered as he charmed his way into her life with their little deal. They held such tenderness, it was unique, not anything she had seen from others before.

He kissed her back softly before nuzzling Zephine - she was mortal, and he wouldn't blame her if she ever moved on, found someone who could give her a life instead of always being on the move never having a physical home for too long. Remmick moved to get up, pulling Zephine into his arms to carry her towards her room

Shedding the cardigan she wore at her desk she tucked it away in her wardrobe before finding her pajamas. Letting Remmick get cozy while she stepped behind a partition in the corner of her room to change. An heirloom from her circus days from the looks of it. The patterning was not any American style, Moroccan maybe. The edges had little scuffs of love, paint, a little cluster of ribbons pinned to the far left edge.

She didn’t worry about being in the same room as her while she changed. Some months back he couldn’t have been in the room. He was a gentleman she knew by now he could be a tease but he wasn’t crass.

Stepping out from the other side with her night shirt on she laid herself in bed next to the vampire. Just letting them be close in the quiet for a bit. Letting her fingers interlace with his. Her thumb running along the callouses on his. She assumed it was either from his claws or from his music.

He playfully gave a whistle at her appearance before welcoming her to join him, one hand in her own while his arm moved to wrap around Zephine to keep her close. At her question, he tilted his head for a moment

All it took was one time napping together for her to be comfortable. Just one time after a long work shift where they were both too wiped out to care where they landed. The gentle pressure of him resting against her was comforting. Each time she found herself resting with him they’d be pulled into each other a little closer.

Magic still seeped deep in the soil of the land, much to the dismay of the humans who had raised a thriving town on top of it. Despite how much those who presently lived there tried to suffocate it, keeping the outer edge of the forest next to it lined with an array of traps to hunt animals and fae alike. They couldn’t ignore it, not when it was branded on some people’s very skin.

The land use to belong to that of a small community, who cared for the land and those who roamed it with respect. They would find themselves blessed with markings, ones that belonged to the most powerful of them. Gods that roamed the glen that surrounded them. As time passed their lineage migrated, their prayers died, and the few who moved in treated the creatures that laid beyond the woods as pests. The few that remained with marks were labeled heretics, phantoms of an old cult, or in Zephine’s case, witches.

If it weren’t for her knowledge of medicine, she would have been burned like one years ago. Her mark was that of the deity that even most from the village’s roots feared. Her own parents passed away before she took on the role as the village healer in her adulthood. They had different marks, her father of the autumn, her mother that of day. She inherited the wisdom they had of the fae folk. Not to hunt or kill no, but to maintain balance. To avoid their wrath and mischief.

For @xmultimusesx

High Aldera was a kingdom hailed for its prosperity in trade and conquest. Nestled along the western coastline of the continent. Each turning of the season there was a festival. While it was a means to celebrate the gems of each harvest, it had an additional purpose. A grand tournament, one that had challengers from countless lands come to participate. The victor was given a choice. Collect the prize of a gold sum and the title of Champion of the Season, or accept a final challenge. The reward? The hand of the princess.

For the past five years no one had accepted the final trial. The cash prize and title for a year was enough for the winners. While the ruler wouldn’t want his throne to be inherited to someone with monetary goals, he was growing frustrated year after year. There was a whole line of noble and royal suitors that would visit, but it felt like the princess couldn’t care less. Either that or her demeanor would come off as strange enough to drive them away. At this rate he would settle for someone who could simply protect her.

There was gossip about the princess. She wasn’t royal by blood, the King and Queen found her and raised her when she was a baby. Some speculated that she wasn’t human, but something from the fae territories. A changeling, planted to overthrow the human rulers. However, those who met her described her as kind, bright. The king was more cold than her. Some even believed she would be too soft to be a queen.

Little did the king know the princess would deliberately thwart his plans. Sometimes bribing champions to forfeit the grand trial. It didn’t sit well with her, having no real say in who she might be engaged to. She couldn’t ascend to being ruler without it. Not that such a thing was exciting for her either. It was all stuffy, political, she knew she was a bargaining chip for peace treaties and alliances.

Moving back to his armor to sit down and resume cleaning it, he chuckled a bit at her next words when referring to him handling those who might try something against her or the royal family "Oh, I'll be the perfect gentleman lass....just not to folks that will speak ill of my lady wife to be" As he spoke, finally remmick managed to get the bit that had been stubborn to clean, off his helmet before finishing

She gave a little bow of her head before making her way to the door. However, the way his words echoed in her mind she slowed to a stop.

"I've fought for rulers who paid fine, got free meals from it on the battlefield, seen kingdoms fall and rise.... depends on what stories yous asking about lass" He spoke putting his change of clothes aside before pulling off his shirt and tossing it on the chair. That shoulder he had dislocated the start of the events looked like it had never been injured in the first place, especially given how he moved it without issues from feeding the night before.

The following morning Zephine woke up, in a daze. The trials were so surreal this year, here she truly thought she might go one more fall. Now she was betrothed to one of the most interesting bachelors in the land.

“Watch your footing,” Ebony coached her, sword giving a light tap to the princess’ boot. “Your spacial awareness is still rough. You’re fast but if you’re not paying attention your opponent could slice your arm off.” The sun was low in the sky. The princess had practically spent the whole day in her head about all these changes.

“Do you really think I might have any opponents moving forward?” Zephine asked her.

“You might, stupid ones, reaaaally stupid ones but you might.” Ebony leaned herself against the post, gesturing for her to rest too. “Considering the Prince consort n all.”

“So you approve of him?”

“Oh fuck yes,” she chuckled, but lifted her hand before Zephine could rebuttal. “The man has a history of following coin but he also appears to be a man of his word. Not even a minute into your acceptance he was challenging his majesty’s perspective in your name. If you ask me, that’s as good as you’ll get coming out from that arena.”

“Then why don’t you marry him?” Zephine teased, half amused with how she was hyping the man up.

“I don’t think I’m his type,” Ebony snickered, clapping back. “Besides he seems more into the pretty, meek, bookish fai-,”

The mutant exploring the space nearly jumped out of her skin hearing a voice yell in the dark of the abandoned space. Her flashlight clattered to the ground and she shakily grabbed it and searched around. “Who’s there?!” Her flashlight landed on a body quaking in the corner of a room attached to the one she was standing in. What was initially just supposed to be a supplies and shelter search had turned into some sort of rescue mission. She had sensed bodies down here, and found a few Hydra agents had used cyanide but she had no clue anyone was living. Let alone whom.

“Here,” she gently guided his hand underneath the water drizzling from the shower head. Being mindful if she felt he wished to pull his hand away. She even set her other hand under the water next to his, to assure him it was safe.

@boundinmybones

As he continued to speak she felt a buzzing behind her eyes. Mortal empathy, you’ll give up, nothing but a puny mortal. If he was paying attention he could feel the metal frame of his cot tremble and rattle before settling back into stillness. His words had gotten under her skin a bit.

She sucked in a breath through her nose, sighing it out to try and compose herself. “I better put on a hell of a show for ya then huh?” Maybe there was a spark of spite in her, a desire to prove him wrong. She stood herself up hearing the door on the far side of the hall open. The Captain standing there with a case in his hand. No doubt holding the scepter.

Once Loki saw the scepter, his eyes went wide for a split second before he composed himself and took a step back. Why had they brought that thing here, to him of all people, surely The Other and Thanos couldn’t still control him with it, it had been too long and they were too far but that didn’t mean he was willingly going to take the chance to be near that thing. It made him sick to even see really, what were they playing at? He looked between the two of them suspiciously, narrowing his green eyes as he tried to figure it out

“We should keep it in a secure location in the meantime,” Zeph answered.

“I plan to, figured you might want to get a closer look, you said that-“

“Hold it,” the mutant cut off his sentence seeing him take a few paces towards them. He was still about a few yards away in the hall. “I’ll look into it later. Not here. I know we’re on a clock but if we rush too much we might run into bigger problems.” She had caught on that Loki wasn’t okay being in proximity with the spear. He helped her with Pierce and her anxiety, she could advocate for him here.

Steve gave a nod, turning back, “I’ll come and grab you later then.”

When the door closed behind him Zephine rested her back against the cell glass and sighed. Running a hand along her face her eyes glanced over at Loki, “no.. no you didn’t say anything wrong.” She answered the question he had prior. It might not have been nice, but it wasn’t wrong. For a god of lies he had yet to really be dishonest with her. “Just… realizing trying to prove it wrong is going to be a tall order.”

man mogging and next thing he goofy

@boundinmybones

As he continued to speak she felt a buzzing behind her eyes. Mortal empathy, you’ll give up, nothing but a puny mortal. If he was paying attention he could feel the metal frame of his cot tremble and rattle before settling back into stillness. His words had gotten under her skin a bit.

She sucked in a breath through her nose, sighing it out to try and compose herself. “I better put on a hell of a show for ya then huh?” Maybe there was a spark of spite in her, a desire to prove him wrong. She stood herself up hearing the door on the far side of the hall open. The Captain standing there with a case in his hand. No doubt holding the scepter.

For @xmultimusesx

High Aldera was a kingdom hailed for its prosperity in trade and conquest. Nestled along the western coastline of the continent. Each turning of the season there was a festival. While it was a means to celebrate the gems of each harvest, it had an additional purpose. A grand tournament, one that had challengers from countless lands come to participate. The victor was given a choice. Collect the prize of a gold sum and the title of Champion of the Season, or accept a final challenge. The reward? The hand of the princess.

For the past five years no one had accepted the final trial. The cash prize and title for a year was enough for the winners. While the ruler wouldn’t want his throne to be inherited to someone with monetary goals, he was growing frustrated year after year. There was a whole line of noble and royal suitors that would visit, but it felt like the princess couldn’t care less. Either that or her demeanor would come off as strange enough to drive them away. At this rate he would settle for someone who could simply protect her.

There was gossip about the princess. She wasn’t royal by blood, the King and Queen found her and raised her when she was a baby. Some speculated that she wasn’t human, but something from the fae territories. A changeling, planted to overthrow the human rulers. However, those who met her described her as kind, bright. The king was more cold than her. Some even believed she would be too soft to be a queen.

Little did the king know the princess would deliberately thwart his plans. Sometimes bribing champions to forfeit the grand trial. It didn’t sit well with her, having no real say in who she might be engaged to. She couldn’t ascend to being ruler without it. Not that such a thing was exciting for her either. It was all stuffy, political, she knew she was a bargaining chip for peace treaties and alliances.

Moving back to his armor to sit down and resume cleaning it, he chuckled a bit at her next words when referring to him handling those who might try something against her or the royal family "Oh, I'll be the perfect gentleman lass....just not to folks that will speak ill of my lady wife to be" As he spoke, finally remmick managed to get the bit that had been stubborn to clean, off his helmet before finishing

She gave a little bow of her head before making her way to the door. However, the way his words echoed in her mind she slowed to a stop.

The mutant exploring the space nearly jumped out of her skin hearing a voice yell in the dark of the abandoned space. Her flashlight clattered to the ground and she shakily grabbed it and searched around. “Who’s there?!” Her flashlight landed on a body quaking in the corner of a room attached to the one she was standing in. What was initially just supposed to be a supplies and shelter search had turned into some sort of rescue mission. She had sensed bodies down here, and found a few Hydra agents had used cyanide but she had no clue anyone was living. Let alone whom.

Loki seemed content with the cart apart from the occasional bumps that had him grunting. He looked around the room once they entered it, he had never been in here.

They had thought this place was too good for him and would just hose him down with cold water in his cell. They thought he was beneath them, a god taken down by mere humans twice. “Okay.” He said and blinked as he watched her.

He wondered how they were gonna do this but didn’t think too much on it, thinking is what he got him into trouble most of the time. He took the bottles and managed to get them open once his dexterity decided to function after a few minutes,.

The trickster sniffed at bottle and while they were heavily fragranted; he figured it had to better than what he smelled like now. “I-I-It’s…alright, Loki stink.” He mumbled and put them down in his lap

It was a little embarrassing as he had always preferred to clean himself up rather than have maids or servants do it once he was older. It was a bit of privacy that he could get that would be undisturbed but he hadn’t had that in so long, privacy was a forgotten privilege. “Yeeeeeessssss” There wasn’t much he could do until he was able to get his strength and stability back and despite the humiliation, he needed the help.

Turning the faucet the pipes groaned and water eventually sputtered out. Setting the bottles of watered down soap on the ground she hummed as she let her hand rest under the running water. Testing for its warmth before letting Loki get situated. Didn’t want the poor man to freeze.

For: @xmultimusesx

“How we holding up?”

“Getting warmer,”

“Are they from your hive?”

“No, I don’t think so,”a child’s voice spoke up, peering over her brother’s shoulder. A much older man, an adult. Dark black hair framed his face as he marched through the woods in the cover of night. The younger voice being that of the girl that was being carried on his back. “Are you sure this will work? I thought you told me vampires could be territorial.”

“They can, not all are.” There was a touch of fatigue in the man’s voice. He was still struggling with the series of events the past couple weeks. Hunting down a vampire that was haunting a small town. Getting ambushed by a whole hive. For the first and last time his sister had been targeted at his work. The shrieks of his sister echoing in his mind from that night. Everything was blurry then, he just remembered blinking, and watching a small handful of shadows flee out into the night as he held his sister’s hand tightly.

“Do you think they might know about your old job?” The child asked. “You know? Get mad?”

“Well what do you think?” Daniel asked, keeping her mood lifted “I put the silver in my pouch for now. Do I smell of anything?”

“Your coat still reeks of vervain,” she answered, “but it doesn’t burn to the touch, so that’s all it is. A smell. Wait- stop.” Marissa gave his chest a pat to get his attention. “In there,” she pointed, “they’re in there.”

“Shit-,” Daniel hissed between his teeth. If a vampire had managed to get invited in there was a shot that he was walking into someone’s dinner plate. Plus Marissa was hungry too, he had no clue how she would react if blood spilled around her now. That was the whole reason he had been following her navigation. With Marissa being freshly turned she was able to help him find one. Not for a job, but for help.

"Hunting humans ain't gonna be easy given you was turn as a child....better you stick with someone who can catch your meal for you - not that you won't be able to but having help won't hurt just in case" She knew a couple who might benefit from having a child in their lives maybe - wouldn't replace the one they lost, but it might heal that just a bit maybe? Or maybe she could watch after them till the girl got a hang on things

“I just told her what I could observe at the time,” Daniel sighed softly, “I didn’t have hope anybody made it out of that even on a surface level.” Lisa was a smart and tough gal, but she didn’t need gruesome details. It was a lot for her to learn her parents were gone as is. “She had an aunt that was able to come and take her in.” If they were talking about the same family, hopefully that would be a relief for Pearline to hear as well.

“Thank you, for- all of this,” his attention shifted back to his sister seeing her shudder a bit after nearly finishing off the blood offered to her. “Hey,” his hand gently came over her arm, “it’s okay kiddo you’re safe. We got you.”

Seeing people and places she never knew was jarring to the girl. By some sheer luck she didn’t see a vision of anything gruesome. Rather something softer, a hazy memory of settling into the very home they were in. A moment where Pearline had been singing while carrying along with another task.

The blood that Pearline had given the child was clearly working fast. Once it was gulped down the marks that remained on her arm and legs began healing before their eyes.

Daniel ran his hands through his hair while she drank, his body letting go of some of the tension it had. He was usually five steps ahead, thinking about what to be prepared for next. But this….this was wild and new in the most harrowing of ways. He had never really felt this way before. Powerless. Going from killing beings like this, to being in a position where that was the last thing he wanted to do. “Feeling better?” He asked his sister tenderly. “What do we say?”

Marissa gave a nod, wiping the blood that had remained around her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater. Like it had just been a glass of chocolate milk she drank. “Thank you Miss Pearline,” the girl smiled to her.

@broken-ice-puppets

Margot had a knack for keeping interesting and exotic people on her payroll. Locals paid good money to spend a few hours with someone who wasn’t hip deep in the usual miseries Zaun was infected with. It was additionally a great means of gathering information. Crazy how loose lips become around pretty faces. She had just recently hired a new one too.

The chembaron had seen the lady’s face before, going toe to toe with some enforcers a few months back. Those fuckers had scorched a library, her library. Small little thing many scoffed at. While few locals took it seriously, they certainly had a problem with the enforcers choosing to target it. It sent a message that topside doesn’t want them getting wise. So for her to come to the Vyx for work it was shocking. It was enough to tug at her bleeding black heart.

Desperation didn’t do well in intimate settings. Margot was half worried the girl would get glossy eyed if she had to lay on her back. All this to try and get things up and running again? She didn’t look much like a meek bookish damsel though, there was something else. Her eyes, the smell of sandalwood and sea salt. There was definitely more there, grit, spite even. Fortunately she had other values, connections to Bilgewater rum imports.