— INDETERMINATE HIATUS.

pretty important stuff underneath, but essentially, i’m going on an indeterminate hiatus.

EXHAUSTION  WAS  settling  in.  seeping  deep into  his  bones  -  he could  even  feel  it  in  his  marrow.  long,  dark  ridges  sat  beneath  his  eyes,  made  all  the  more  prominent  by  his  constant  sour  expression.  he  tried  to  trace  back  his  memories,  diving  into  to  find  the  last  time  he  had  properly  slept.  he  was  usually  so  METICULOUS  -  organized ;  always  careful  to  keep  track  of  the  way  he  slotted  his  hours.

it  was  a  long  case,  he  could  feel  it.  one  of  those  frustrating  cases  already  covered  with  a  layer  of frost  :  it  would  be  easy  to  go  with  the evidence  already  stacked  on  the  poor  man  they  had  in  custody,  but reyes  could  feel  a disconnect.  there  was  something  too perfect.  too cleanly  cut.  it  sat  leaden  in  his stomach.  dead  weight  scratching  grooves  into  his  peace  of  mind.

reyes  waited  for  the  coffee  machine  to  finish.  the  sound  of  it churning  out  shit  was  a  familiar  comfort.  no  one  could  die  while  he  was  listening  to  this  sound.  just  like  no  one  died  when  he  was  filling  out  paperwork.

          ❛   not  in  the  mood,  mccree,   ❜    he  growled,  rocks  of  his  patience  crumbling  the  longer  he  went  without  sleep.  all  he  wanted  was  his  morning  (  was  it  even  fucking  morning ?  )  coffee.

NIGHTMARE IN THE EVENING.     a palette of cool tones amongst the ever-dark shadow,   shoulder bearing the weight of her favored weapon    (    the widow’s kiss             precise, deadly   ;   adaptable     ).    composure remains deceptively relaxed,  with reflexes primed to spring at any given moment.   such is the nature of thorough conditioning, skills that are carved onto bone.

❝                      they would not be so quick believe such things as don’t fear the reaper,  if they found themselves staring down the barrel of your shotguns,  no   ?    such naive sentimentalities they conjure.    ❞     starter call    //   @deathrife

COALESCENT  OF  hellfire  --  lazarus’  incarnate  breathing  soundly  with  rotted  lungs.  soft.  even.  almost  alive  in  its  imitation  of  life  &  activity.  he  lifted  his  head,  watching  her  almost  curiously.  blank-faced.  bleach-bone  expression  neutral  &  lax.

     HARMONY. ❝time always was a funny thing. it changes people unlike anything else can.❞

DEBATE / not accepting.@oberarzt

WELL , IT wasn’t as if reyes could exactly deny that . he sighed , arms crossing as he stared at his charge , face a mix of pride & of exasperation . mccree had a mind on him . clever , but in a different way . gifted with a wide creativity that put most to shame.

DEBATE / not accepting.@desertbred​

OPINIONS / not accepting.

LUCK.

and he DOES bite, he DOES snap and raise his hackles when it came down to it, a child who has known nothing else– he can be as cruel as he wants, but nothing compares with what he’s done already, what crimes barely wrinkled hands have committed. reyes is just another mountain to overcome.

mccree will scar his hands scrambling over the top.

    “ then maybe you shoulda left me at the tracks — ”

regret fills his lungs, pleads his tongue be still – freckle faced, hackles raised, the young mccree fights. seventeen, seventeen. twenty years his senior. david and goliath, except this time the sling won’t work, the boy falls.

    “ —- since you ain’t givin’ me a goddamn chance, maybe i’m better off livin’ off scrap. maybe, you shoulda shot me dead in the first place ”

REYES WAS showing him kindness . mercy was another thing altogether . with dogs , you played a dog’s game & spoke in a dog’s tongue . he’d bite . he’d fight . he’d be every callous & scar & DELIBERATE challenge set in mccree’s path.

goliath stood his ground , eyes narrowed . hard & crystalline obsidian , but not unkind . never unkind . because despite everything , reyes still believed in mccree . still invested in him , heart still recklessly sentimental as the first time he saw the kid holding a gun with eyes sunken in too deep & murder in his heart.

❛  I DID NOT DIE ONLY TO BECOME YOUR VILLAIN : I AM MY OWN EVIL , MY OWN ANGER , MY OWN RUINOUS DESTRUCTION. YOU WILL NOT DEFINE WHO I AM.  ❜   ━  private  &  selective  gabriel reyes  /  reaper  from  overwatch  .  as understood by coslyn