The Marksman.

Maybe I should tell Subspace about this.

To deny or ignore the work I am assigned is to go against my boss and faction as a whole.

Maybe I should tell Subspace about this.

I do not want to harm you, and I do not want to cause issue.

But I warn you. You will be caught one day.

Maybe I should tell Subspace about this.

Maybe I should tell Subspace about this.

[ But what is strange that hes alone here for once, now that was something special. He needed a night out after the strange happenings going on with himself recently... ]

[ Perhaps he needs some company to help pass the time... ]

( open interaction... You may write with this silly snow leopard... )

Current location: Layer ? — Inconspicuous Bar

Time: 12:30 AM

Note from Admin: LET ME FEED ALL OF YOU WITH YAOI.

╭────────── 𖥸

The atmosphere tonight was lively.

Even with the unspoken gloom that clung like a second skin to the Mercenary, the bar he frequented goes on like usual:

chatter! -.. chatter? .- chatter

-. chatter... --. chatter . chatter?!

. chatter chatter~ .

chatter - chatter!!

With the thoughts that swirled within his mind, the chatter of the other Inphernals went in one ear and out the other.

The Capital was the centerhub of all four regions however. News of what's going on would reach ears, words exchange, maybe some details lost along the way...

It was an unreliable source. You can never be sure if it's just rumors some bored bloke started, or it had a trinkle of substance.

...

The Bartender has been keeping an eye out, as there was.. alot more chatter going on more than usual.

" At this point, it's hard to tell what's genuine or not.."

The Bartender muttered quietly to themselves, cleaning a empty glass that still had leftover froth from a previous patron. They were situated adjacently to Hyperlaser.

" ... Do you want another one? "

They offered in a mindful volume, with a hint of slight.. nervousness. You can never be too wary afterall, even if its a Inphernal you've seen quite often within your space. Besides, the Inphernal picked up on the 'mood' going for him.. he seemed to be dazing off.

But before he might try to answer—

..

-. chatter.. -. chatter -. chatter

chatter --- chatter. -- chatter ..

chatter!! -. chatter --. chatter

" -and within one night, everything was gone!— "

SKKREE!

A sharp cry rang out, immediately piercing through the chatter. It even caused the Bartender to sit up straighter, and their eyes to widen. Their head swiveled from Hyperlaser to the door.

" Go off now. Be mindful of the corvids. "

—That voice.

a familiar Inphernal has arrived. 20 minutes of solitude had came to an end.

flap! flap!

The chatter has died down just a tadbit from the sudden screech. Sounded like a barn owl.

" -the hell? " ... " WHERE IS IT?! " " HCHCHKS— "

" you okay buddy? " --- " —yeah im fine man! "

" oomf- " --- " my drink... :C " -.

" Oh! your friend's here! "

The Bartender whispered quickly, their temporary fright quickly subsiding when realizing it was just one of their frequent patrons.

They sounded somewhat a tadbit hopeful. As if they hoped he could bring him out of his headspace.

clink...

clink

clink!

" Good evening. "

Katana had finally arrived. As he peers down at Hyperlaser.

He stood next to the seat he was meant to occupy. He did not sat down yet.

[ Hyperlaser stared down at the bottom of his near empty glass, watching the ice swirl around. He lifted his head as he heard the bartender speak as he looked at him opening his mouth to speak before being suddenly interrupted by what sounded like an owls cry. It didn't disturb him like it did the other bar patrons as he knew who it was... Hyperlaser lifted his head and silently ordered another glass under his breath not needing to look back at the door like the others, things like this didnt disturb him. ]

[ The mercenary finally turned his attention to Katana standing next to him by his usual seat, giving a curt nod as a welcome. ]

Hey. Good to see you again.

hyperlaser has stockholm syndrome.

An inphernal raised as a soldier and knowing nothing else, this nature to defend and fight was what he was taught at a very early age with not much other choice. Because when you spawn in Blackrock. Your life is chosen for you, and thats all you ever will be. Although we dont know much about his life before the incident besides that he was and still is a very skilled marksman and used to have friends. We can at least infer from this that Hyper had a different personality, one assumedly sociable and happier. Happy enough to gain friends fond enough to remember and recall.

Those same friends he had to watch die and had to grieve, some of which he may of had to kill himself based on his qna answer. That pain being large enough to make him stop forming attachments and connections entirely. His connections now are very barren, knowing of his employers and Katana. I also cant imagine it being easy to make new friends when all your life you are taught to dehumanize and disconnect from your targets, that sort of teaching and mindset never goes well and can easily blend into and affect your personal perception of others around you. The only inphernal hes allowed close enough to consider a friend and be close enough to drink with is Katana. And thats still a new development in the present day.

His life after the incident became starkly different. His previous skills and abilities now permanently altered and charred, burns so bad he relied on a drip and became bandaged and lost his horns. His body being covered head to toe and completely disfigured being made to wear a helmet and cover his body head to toe with a suit as to not show his imperfections. Blackrock hides what they deem ugly and unsightly, a stain to their pristine egos and reputation. An ego that he does not share with the rest of his faction. There are 2 kinds of blackrockians we've seen excluding biografts. The first and most common: flamboyant and extreme. Inphernals who are prideful and know their worth, those who think they are superior thanks to them spawning in blackrock. And the other. Depressed, exhausted and broken from the work ethic of their home faction. The defects and the retired veterans of the faction. And we already know that inphernals can be broken down into losing their natural resolve to fight and be violent through trauma and stress, see Zuka, and we can see the same happen to hyperlaser.

Hyperlaser has no wants nor goals. He works and lives soully to feed his cat, he admits it himself. He has no reasons to do anything. He life is eat, sleep, cat, work, repeat. Hyperlaser does not need Blackrock and would be better off somewhere else. Anywhere else. But he has no resolve to, no reason or want to. Not because he likes it here or even wants to stay here. But because he has given up, and had done a very long time ago. When you lose everything you cared about and were raised to be one thing and one thing only you will break and lose your wants to do anything else or go anywhere else. Hyperlaser came to terms with his neutrality a long time ago. That he is a Blackrockian soldier made to work until he drops, he is not anything more. He is not anything less. He is one of the few inphernal soldiers left. He is good at his job, he wasn't shown worth or humanization. These feelings and experiences are foreign to him. Hyperlaser has no idea what more he could be, only less. And I dont think he'd ever want to know what more he could be.

Because hes needed here, not wanted.

And this fact will never. Ever. Change.

(( @jellyphashofficial ))

Oh.

Her hands fiddled with the strap of her satchel.

A gift from him.

"... what... happened with you and...?"

The sentence trailed off at the name she never said.

My boss? Thats.. A very long story. I'm not sure I can get into it.

What she couldn't accept was his distant behaviour. The way he shrugged and stared off to the side instead of looking her directly in the eyes bothered her. That apologetic nature she once saw had now been masked by a chilling front.

That same front he wore when she told him she couldn't bear to see him suffer.

It was the same front he wore when she told him she couldn’t bear to see him suffer—when she told him she still loved him despite everything.

She shifted her posture in her heels and exhaled sharply.

[ Hyperlaser had too many problems recently. His new strange thoughts, a deity on his back, a warden taken interest in him.... He didn't need his ex to be another issue on his list. So he might as well talk about it now rather than later, or never again for that matter. ]

I'm sorry it's been... Awhile. I'm not exactly permitted to be around nor talk to defects, you know this.

You're.. Technically an enemy of mine as it stands.

[ He hated saying that, but had to get it out. He needed her to understand the risks happening.. His reasons for being so shameful and distant. Anything to validate himself. Hyperlaser shifted and held his arms, tail swaying nervously behind him. ]

Enemies. Had it really come to this?

She had always hoped it wouldn’t, but reality had a cruel way of shaping paths. He was right; as a defect, she couldn’t afford to be near him.

The weight of their fractured bond hung heavy in the air, a painful reminder of everything that had changed.

"I forgive you. All your transgressions, all your faults, I still love you, moonlight."

With her ears pinned back and her stunning blue eyes glistening with unspilled tears, her voice quivered with every word she spoke, each syllable carrying a weight of emotion that pulled at the heartstrings.

I'm not a..

[ He stifled a little, cutting himself off to think about his words. This wasn't the first time someone hinted to him being defective. And it certainly wouldn't be the last time. Being offered care and a place to stay, a silent offer of a back door. A place to seek refuge when things got too hard. ]

[ It scared him. ]

... I know the rumours, but I can assure you. I am not a defect. Things are simply just difficult right now. And that's all.

I'll sort it out, and then everything will go back to normal.

[ Hyperlaser seemed to say these things more for himself than her. Almost as if trying to convince himself that everything going on recently was a fluke, him just being difficult again. But deep down... He knew something was wrong. ]

I cannot go with you, I'm sorry.

Her voice faltered, the words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. 

Once again, his stubbornness reared its head, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to reassure her.

The truth, however, stung just as much. 

[ He knew that she wasnt implying that, but he still felt the need to say it. To try and convince himself of something... Anything to make himself seem like a good person. Someone that wasn't broken. Hyperlaser faced her again doing his best to try and straighten himself up, trying to seem as calm as possible even if it was difficult. ]

I understand. If it helps I'm.. Glad that you're doing better for yourself now. You seem quite happy in your work, happier than you were in Blackrock anyways.

I honestly envy it a little...

[ Hyperlaser wasn't supposed to let these thoughts slip... He wasn't supposed to let them get out. But he did. He shouldn't of spoken or said anything but he did. If Subspace or hell even Biograft heard him say such a thing then... ]

（( Hyperlaser.. )）

...

（( How have you been? )）

（( It's been quite awhile since either of us had time to meet up once more. )）

☕︎ ──────────╯

Katana, it is nice to hear from you.

（( I see. Do not worry, I understand. We all lead our individual lives. )）

...

（( Only if you have enough time to. If you are still swamped with situations to be dealt with, do not force yourself to show up for my sake. )）

（( I am not busy. I've been trying to take care of myself while having the days off. )）

（( ... )）

（( If you insist. )）

...

（( Are we meeting at our usual? )）

（( Alright. )）

...

（( I'll be there in.. 20 more minutes. The bathtub is quite comfortable at the moment to get out of so soon. )）

（( Hyperlaser.. )）

...

（( How have you been? )）

（( It's been quite awhile since either of us had time to meet up once more. )）

☕︎ ──────────╯

Katana, it is nice to hear from you.

（( I see. Do not worry, I understand. We all lead our individual lives. )）

...

（( Only if you have enough time to. If you are still swamped with situations to be dealt with, do not force yourself to show up for my sake. )）

（( I am not busy. I've been trying to take care of myself while having the days off. )）

（( ... )）

（( If you insist. )）

...

（( Are we meeting at our usual? )）