Can you see what I've become?

            I’m in your nightmares

                                  and there’s nowhere to run

      Got you seeing double vision lately,

                                                 can you see what I’ve become?

Reverb stares at the knife, inhaling softly. As much as he desperately did not want to back down from any challenge, he can’t help but to remember the last time he got stabbed. And how his personal nurse was too strong headed to listen to reason. And the other one…

"Also you give more cockroach vibes than hot."

“I’m still hot inside of my host. You know that, right? You’re can’t be that stupid, what do you think, that when I’m possessing a host I just— look like my host? Eugh!”

Vivzy wasn't unfamiliar with caves, and certainly not this one either. Ever since her boys were attacked and there lives were changed for the worst, she'd been suspicious of whatever cave she come across. Most she explored were empty, lacking, and she gathered as much supplies as she could from each. This one though? This one held promise.

Eyes snapping in the direction of the creature, Vivi hums. "There you are. I was wondering when you'd make your appearance." She doesn't shine the flash light just yet, not wanting to scare away her new prey friend.

“Oh? It’s not often I’m sought after.” A deep chuckle resonates and those eyes move, footsteps moving behind her. Vivzy can feel as a hand touches one of her braids, let’s it trail along his palm as he moves to her other side— still outside of that light. “Especially not by the likes of a Yukino. Most stay so ignorant...”

Salena couldn’t help but let her gaze fall to the side. His words ate at her, though she didn’t allow that feeling to translate to her face. Her ears fell slightly, looking only out of the corner of her eyes as she wrote, ‘I would disagree. I terrified you. I made you faint. I tried to make up for it. I try to help, but it doesn’t always… work…’

Right… She should have expected a reaction like that one. Not strong enough… yes ‘Reverb’ had said as much himself… but everyone has a weakness, or something that can be exploited. It was a matter of finding this one, even if that might be a challenge. He has tried, but it hasn’t been enough…

She paused for a moment when her hand reached out to take his own. It was hesitant… as if she almost felt she didn’t deserve to do such a gesture. She broke through the mental barrier, letting her fingers curl around his as she wiped out the words to write, ‘You’re not alone anymore. You have Arthur, and you have me should you want it. We both know I can keep his attention on me and away from you with how angry he gets.’

‘And one thing I have always learned is that anger will lead to reckless decisions. He will slip. Just need to be patient.’

Arthur tilts his head at her words, eyebrows furrowing lightly. He doesn’t know what she’s talking about, can’t remember. And Reverb hadn’t shown him. ‘I don’t remember it. I was really out of it, I think I was dying. Reverb didn’t show me what happened, either.’ But that made sense, considering how sensitive the demon had been about the whole thing. Still, whatever happened, he didn’t blame Sal for it.

He’s getting caught up in his own head, thoughts of his own failings returning to him all at once. It’s suffocating, consuming— she takes his hand? It breaks through his mind like a spotlight in the darkness, clearing those horrible thoughts out of the way to place a new one. She... wanted to be his friend? Or at least, to be there for him, if he wanted it. And he did, of course he did, the loneliness was one of the worst parts of his whole situation. It could never beat out the horrible things he’s been forced to do, but loneliness was up there too. Maybe that’s selfish, but, it’s hard to care right now.

She scoffs, “If there’s one thing living in a war-torn world like mine has taught me, it’s that hope is one of the strongest things a person can have. As moronic as it makes people, it keeps them fighting to the bitter end.” She does raise an eyebrow though, “Loss of a friend? Wasn’t aware he had lost one. Someone I don’t know about?”

“Pretty sure if I can’t even do it myself, some force is keeping me around. Besides, my husband’s the only one that’s got a claim on my life.”

Reverb offers a dreamy sigh at what she says, his gaze briefly getting distant and longing. “Ahh war... so much chaos, destruction, and bloodshed, it really is a fun time.” He closes his eyes for a moment and hums, before allowing that dreamy expression to fade back away into his usual look of aggravation. “I’m talking about you. Hopefully you’ll die on your own soon but if not, well, it’s not like I have plans to keep being around you anyway. Consider this an unfortunate accident.”

Dios, the click of Reverb’s teeth as even his spit shrivels up is music to his ears. Hearing him talk, one thing is obvious: Reverb is unable to leave and it, most likely, isn’t Arthur’s fault. The easy way would be to kill him right here and then, trapped in a smashed body, buried under the rubble of this cave…

’Lewis, I’m sor…’ saliva drips from the open mouth as Frenzy’s hand closes around the neck. The sound is deep and surprisingly soft as the bones break with a sob of the small man…

Frenzy feels ill. The easy way is a nono.

Frenzy grabs Reverb’s hand. His grip is tight and painful with the last echoes of the memory. And his voice is thick with pain. “Deal.”

Magic courses through Reverb’s arm as a deep, female voice laughs in his head. Golden eyes, having seen ages past understanding, past sentience and life itself, stare down on him in amusement. Small and weak, he is under her eyes. Mouth and fangs ready to…

Gone. The deal is sealed and left a burning rose blossom on the hand. The aftermath of gold is blinked away in Frenzy’s eyes as he bends down to Reverb.

“Hete is short for heterosexual.” He could explain more about cooties and stuff like that. But Reverb deserves the barest of minimum.

Confusion bubbles when Reverb hears the way that Frenzy sounds, suddenly upset by whatever thoughts must’ve been rolling around in that big dumb skull of his. His grip reflects it too but Reverb doesn’t let it show, the pain doesn’t bother him and while he is curious, he also doesn’t particularly care about whatever ails the other.

What does catch his attention is the sealing of the deal. Magic coursing through the arm was familiar enough for deals, a binding agent, but what he isn’t used to is the laughter in his head, those eyes staring down at him. In fact, he doesn’t know what that is at all. And it shakes him in a way he wasn’t expecting, fear spiking directly through his being. Arthur had been scared already, but feeling how scared it made Reverb, too? Terror was putting it lightly.