ナンバーズ９６

Another finger wrapped around, another pressure to neck. Like sand down an hourglass, time and him slowly drained. Every squeeze was dark relief. Tighter, tighter still. Just a little more. Soon, soon. Just take me.

Most of the pitch copy’s words did not penetrate, merely background taunts to see him through to the true end.

Except for one.

 Puppet.

A spark went off in the hollow of Mist’s chest. 

Like some match flicking, a flash. Short-lived and too weak to produce anything beyond a moment of remembrance to heat and light that just made the dark and cold so much wider when it was gone. 

It was him, his anger and the fight. Burning to get out, saying it was not the end. But it was useless on its own. A spark did not become flame by strike alone. 

It needed something else. 

It needed －

And then the world stopped.

Fuel.

When the match struck again, Mist opened his eyes and the world awakened with him to see that flame burn a new hell.

Wrath broke out wild and alive and triumphant. Visceral as the tentacles of darkness he once called from his form, and with a reach just as far. One half sought down into the depths, where the voice had come, soul tossing like a saving line to pull. (hear you hear you need you Come To Me-)

Every other part of him set crosshairs on the leech. “I.. will.. show you darkness!” Mist unleashed his own absorption.

@malicedarkened​​ //〚 Leech 〛:

Visions flashed before the parasites eyes– of loses suffered in the past. Being violently thrown from victory, when it had been grazing the edge of his fingertips. Failure after failure. Death and Nothingness. Not again. No. NEVER again.

With his fiercest snarl, his entire body, he pushed back.

   “I have Numbers now!” He shouted back.   “I have Shine! You… You won’t take this away from me!”

By his will, The Numbers abided by his wish to push back. Each a pair of hands, appendages, minds that through him, desired to live on. The desperate dark absorbed with insatiable hunger– fighting to keep himself in tact and take on more of Mist.

   “You LOST the privilege to be here– when you GAVE UP.” He grinned with gritted teeth. As he continued to strangle harder, he felt his borrowed power swelling.   “We don’t NEED you! So get out of our WAY! You’ll ruin EVERYTHING!”

( –… )

   “Everything you touch! Like you always do! You have no idea–”

( …break– )

   “What’s goin on, do you!?”

 (  –him. . !)

   “You don’t even know– what will happen if–!”

"You will never have Shine." The words tear ribbons out of his throat to be spoken. "Or Astral, or anyone. They are MINE!"

Not in possession. But in feeling. Friends, family, love. The people who you make a home. He had learned. Mist understood now. He understood.

Once more, with all might and power and sense he had left, Mist pulled. Hell intent to take everything, undo, make right.

"What will happen..." The taunt turned into a question and then an echo as it fully left him. What will happen if he does this. If he wins and the fallout crashes over.

No.96 Black Mist sank his claws and teeth. And night exploded.

Read “A Blighted Deal” Here!

Huge special thanks to @Cozymochi for rolling with this comm idea! :3 You made Jey and Mist look badass and amazing! <3

The world within the key and cards was meant to be silent. Desolate, made for nothing except entrapment and long thinking.

But here, now, within the quiet - something enough to prickle his skin became stirred.

A visceral sixth sense that had not lessened, even in his time away.

'Baby. Danger.'

"Dark." Mist hissed to himself, and hurried beyond the veils of the numeral pillars.

Calling his child's name out before his mouth had properly re-formed.

Uh oh. Dark knew that he was gonna be in trouble if Mist caught on to what he was doing. It was probably a dumb thing to do, sure, but he just had to know! Thinking quickly, the weapon of choice was flung across the room. Surely if it was down there, he'd never make the connection. Nope, never. Ever. Dark took a more casual position, flipping onto his back to stare at the ceiling as the other fully came into being. This is a totally normal position, yeah, completely. Hundred percent. He'll never know.

Upon seeing Dark was not writhing on the floor or half-melted, Mist was able to settle into a relieved calm.

A calm that was interrupted by a glint sparking past the corner of his eye.

"Dark," Mist began, pausing his previous intentions to gather his son up, now that he'd noticed something suspicious. "What, exactly, are you lounged like that on the ground for?"

He glanced the fork only once. The inky darkness around his shoulders rippled down his back as he did so, his tentacles moving beneath the surface and trying to form. Mist's expression remained his usual unconvinced smirk, but the rest of him were already prepping for the need to 'hold' the boy.

(or 'leash'.)

The world within the key and cards was meant to be silent. Desolate, made for nothing except entrapment and long thinking.

But here, now, within the quiet - something enough to prickle his skin became stirred.

A visceral sixth sense that had not lessened, even in his time away.

'Baby. Danger.'

"Dark." Mist hissed to himself, and hurried beyond the veils of the numeral pillars.

Calling his child's name out before his mouth had properly re-formed.

@malicedarkened asked:

They were beyond the point in their relationship where excuses were needed (at least on Mist's side). So there was little apology to Mist's rapid approach.

Dramatics, though? Fanfare? Of course.

"Oh where, where is my baby~?"

Oh, they had long gone past the point where excuses were needed. He'd accepted his fate. And by absolutely no means was he complaining about it.

Mist's voice immediately grabbed his attention. And judging by how quickly it was growing in volume, it wasn't going to be long before the inevitable. Might as well be prepared for it.

"Well that cannot be true," Was the responding drawl, thick with amusement.

The little one being lifted from under the shoulders and propped snuggly into a warm parental hold.

@malicedarkened asked:

Ohhh, an upset boy! What a luck to have been nearby when this went down and to have heard it all.

"That's right. You are." Mist chuckled, pushing a kiss into the back of Dark's head. "You tell them~"

(From above his son's head, where he could not see, the father's eyes were a'gleam with danger towards the masked voices who still plagued around his child. Message clear. )

"My baby."

Yeah he is! If only Mist could see Dark’s smug little face… and if Dark could see his own smug little face.

He certainly heard the smugness in Dark's voice, and it earned him another kiss and nuzzle.

Their position switched to one they both knew well, Mist gathering his son up, holding him securely to chest and sighing out the tenseness that had been there. Replaced by the cozy of his baby.

At the question, he gave an pursed lip. Exaggerating his thinking face.

@malicedarkened asked:

"Son… what's happened." Arose the tired but still worry-typical voice of Dark's father.

“My mouth burns!” Came the panicked reply, trying desperately to fan it with his hands. It’s a complete inferno in there!! “Why is it so hot?!” Who made this and why!?!

Stars of- "What did you put in your mouth now?"

Mist picked up his son and tried to think of what to do. He recalled a time when the human brat had once said there was a relatively simple cure for when 'food makes your tongue hot'.

@malicedarkened asked:

"GET THAT AWAY FROM YOUR MOUTH RIGHT NOW-"

The very second he heard that loud demand, he dropped it like a bad habit.

Mist did not come to a complete stop before the baby was smushed into his chest. A tentacle moving out of his back to stab the pod into a 'pop'ing mess. His eyes were still rather blown and wild, energy flared from the trip over.

Honestly, was looking somewhat feral.

(Dramatic? Yes. A bit overly.. everything? Undeniably! But the poor number's had a bad month in terms of his baby jaunting himself right into danger. And this was like the fourth instance of this specific issue.)

(He is very tired. He deserves some forgiveness. He can be made fun of for it later.)

@malicedarkened asked:

Mist truly hated that this was becoming a near daily occurance. Loving any excuse to go to his baby came with its limits, and that limit was his child being harassed. Had a sensing for it by this point. He appeared swiftly. Moving to gather him up. “Is everything okay?”

He didn't say anything at first. Put his arms around his father unusually tight, face buried in his chest. Heavy silence befell him before he uttered the dreaded question:

That earnest question was an immediate smash to the heart.

Setting aside (for now) the rising fire over who could have dared instill such doubts into his one and only baby, Mist wrapped Dark in a closer embrace. A hand resting on the back of his head to smooth through the tufts there.

Though less swooping than his own's likeness now, Dark's hair was softer than duckling fuzz - it was hard for Mist bemoan the trade off whilst combing his fingers down the little silk strands.

"Dark," His father whispered seriously, "I love you. There is nothing that you, or I, or anyone could ever do to change that."

@malicedarkened asked:

A snickering and cooing comes nuzzling with soft kisses into the back of Dark's scalp. "Oho~ My very scary and fierce boy~"

"You're damn right I am." Dark huffed, notably doing very little to get himself out of this 'precarious' position. "I was blowing up worlds too, you know!" And don't you forget it!!

"Hmm~" Mist hummed.

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Wait. It’s tar?

Dark pulled his head back from his father’s grip just to be able to respond.

“Tar?” He echoed, now sounding a little alarmed at the newfound discovery. “But it was a little pink rectangle! And it was easy to chew and felt slick but it wasn’t dissolving like other foods do!” As much as he loved Mist, he’s not sure if either of them are on the same page. Dark is fairly certain it isn’t tar, but admittedly he has no idea what it was that he ate.

"That was gum, baby boy. A way humans make their mouths seem more clean without making them clean. You are not meant to swallow it."

A tilt of the head as Dark wiggled out of his hand. Another sigh, giving his son a hard look (or attempt at one). This child had Mist's entire heart, but by the stars was this little gremlin all too cavalier with it. He can only stave off so many near-heart attacks!

"The little pink rectangle? It sticks to your teeth? Kinda rubbery? Has a sweet scent?" It wasn't the best way to describe it but he didn't even know what it was! Which in hindsight made this situation a lot worse. Took something that he couldn't identify and just put it in his mouth. But hey: it smelled edible! Food smells good! So things that smell good are food!

An exasperated snarling noise left him, and he lifted Dark's chin. Trying to lightly pinch the curve of his jaw and teeth apart to peer inside, it like the thing would still be in his mouth.

"Dark," Mist started, unsure where to even take it as he regarded his with a worn expression that only sank further deadpan in the silence.

Oh they were so getting that highchair with the tray.

@malicedarkened asked:

Dark knew the drill. Strange or upsetting questions? Baby was pressed to his dad's growling chest seconds later.

Oh he definitely knew the drill by now. He gets strange questions, his father gathers him up in his arms. Lather, rinse, repeat. He knew to get comfortable the second he found himself with his face pressed into his father's chest, turning it to the side to he can see things that aren't green markings. Yeah, try something now!

Oh, speaking of, he needed to ask him a question while he was here. About that strange food item from last night. Nearly choked on the damn thing trying to swallow it! But, well, if there's anyone around he knows he can ask about food, it's his dad!

Chin dropped in the space between the curving 'heart' red tattoos of Dark's face. Rumbling little purrs arising to ask if his baby was okay.

The relax didn't maintain long as he'd hoped.

"What?"

His face when his father revealed that they were for infants must have been priceless.

Not a word left those lips as he just stared into the distance, realization hitting him full-on. He thought it meant throne this entire time. And he just looked his own father dead in the eyes and said that it was an undisputable fact that he deserved one.

This was way worse than saying Milked Way.

"No, no~"