Rose-Red Knuckles

ꫂ ၴႅၴ ˎˊ˗

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David walks into the camp looking defeated, cradling a big lump of something his jacket. A tiny outline wriggles inside of the fabric, pushing its way to the top before fumbling back down towards his elbow. He repositioned his grip a little bit to keep them from falling, and for a split second you could see a small kitten mewing at him.

Tiny claws on tinier paws poked their way out of the top near his fingers, trying to pull him towards their mouths. His eyes are tinted slightly red like he was ill, and he’s blinking back tears his body was trying to force from him. He appears to be agitated.

Jed watched the man stumbled into camp carrying an unusual cargo alongside with him. To his surprise, a kitten popped its head out of the bundle. Was this place really that cruel to bring something so small here?

The man himself looked rough. Eyes red, agitated body language, and evidence that he was holding back tears.

Though Jed had no place questioning the man nor did he even know him, he decided to approach. Many of the other survivors had helped him with the transition here and saved his life countless times. So he would try to be of some use

“Fuckin’ allergies, who the fuck came up with that anyway,” he mutters defensively, answering the question he hadn’t been asked, that being; Why are you crying?

He sniffles like a dying elephant as another tiny fur ball starts creeping out of his grasp, threatening to fall out of his arms.

“Where’s the astronaut? The one with the orange cat? That’s a girl cat, right?”

Jed watched as more tiny bundles of fur appeared. His smile stretched across his face as they appeared. He adored felines.

The man had asked about an astronaut? Were there any of those here besides the dead ones where the large black alien lived? "Well I can't say I know of any astronauts besides the bodies of them on the weird planet place. I can help you look if you wish."

Ripley, that’s her name, he recalled under his breath, still thinking to himself.

As tears stream from his eyes, David pats the tree next to him as a guide before sitting down. “Fuckin’ hell, I can’t see anything…”

The adventurous kitten wriggles free from his arm, splatting its tiny body into the grass below with a mewl. King turns his head to the side to find it, but seems unable to identify where it’d gone. He gets close a few times, which only puts into perspective how tiny the fur-balls’ bodies were compared to his large, scarred hand. He could hold three or four of them at once if he so tried.

Jed reached into his pocket and pulled out tissues he had. "Here these may help a little with the the eye watering."

Jed let out a low laugh as the kitten dropped on to the ground with anything but grace of a cat. Bending down, he picked up the small creature. "Hello little one. Wouldn't you like to be with your friends instead of being all alone?" Jed cooed at the small feline.

The kittens were in surprisingly good shape, especially for someplace like the realms. Though their eyes were still firmly shut, they appeared healthy and didn’t seem to have any ulterior motives behind appearing so harmless. It wasn’t uncommon for creatures to suddenly turn about to be a trap for the survivor that dared show them sympathy, but this time seemed different.

“Take ‘em, just… don’t go too far. Don’t wanna forget where they went ‘n then have them turn up dead or something. Today is already fucked up enough.”

David didn’t look like he’d been in trial at all “today” — or maybe he’d died and come back? — whatever happened.

I'll just make a better one next time!

… if not for fun, why'd you do it?

No one will shed a tear for him.

Phew! Finally, some peace and quiet!

Wait, no. Not another battle. Please…

Sorry, just a prank.

What…were you two talking about?

We gotta find a way outta here. Ummm… Where is "here," anyway…?

So what? If the world gets destroyed… It's none of my damn business. Might even be kind of fun, honestly.

Damn, didn't get to impale myself.

If you had just acted nice to it in the first place… We could have avoided that entire battle.

You have failed. They have poisoned you with their sentimentality.

OK, there's nothing wrong with him he's just annoying.

Phew, cleaning sure does work up an appetite!

What's wrong with you!? If you KNOW something, why don't you just TELL US!?

Are… we, uh… interrupting? Something?

That wasn't ENCOURAGEMENT, dumbass!

I think I've, um, perhaps… reached the limits of what I can teach you today.

Yeah I guess that makes sense…

I thought you were running away.

It crushes people to death, I think.

Y-You're the beast that ate my cake!

How's the scheming coming along?

Try convincing someone that can't HEAR YOU!

That's actually… really bad.

… 2 minutes in jail and you've already started eating moss.

If I may ask, how does a donut fit into your plan?

ꫂ ၴႅၴ ˎˊ˗

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David walks into the camp looking defeated, cradling a big lump of something his jacket. A tiny outline wriggles inside of the fabric, pushing its way to the top before fumbling back down towards his elbow. He repositioned his grip a little bit to keep them from falling, and for a split second you could see a small kitten mewing at him.

Tiny claws on tinier paws poked their way out of the top near his fingers, trying to pull him towards their mouths. His eyes are tinted slightly red like he was ill, and he’s blinking back tears his body was trying to force from him. He appears to be agitated.

Jed watched the man stumbled into camp carrying an unusual cargo alongside with him. To his surprise, a kitten popped its head out of the bundle. Was this place really that cruel to bring something so small here?

The man himself looked rough. Eyes red, agitated body language, and evidence that he was holding back tears.

Though Jed had no place questioning the man nor did he even know him, he decided to approach. Many of the other survivors had helped him with the transition here and saved his life countless times. So he would try to be of some use

“Fuckin’ allergies, who the fuck came up with that anyway,” he mutters defensively, answering the question he hadn’t been asked, that being; Why are you crying?

He sniffles like a dying elephant as another tiny fur ball starts creeping out of his grasp, threatening to fall out of his arms.

“Where’s the astronaut? The one with the orange cat? That’s a girl cat, right?”

Jed watched as more tiny bundles of fur appeared. His smile stretched across his face as they appeared. He adored felines.

The man had asked about an astronaut? Were there any of those here besides the dead ones where the large black alien lived? "Well I can't say I know of any astronauts besides the bodies of them on the weird planet place. I can help you look if you wish."

Ripley, that’s her name, he recalled under his breath, still thinking to himself.

As tears stream from his eyes, David pats the tree next to him as a guide before sitting down. “Fuckin’ hell, I can’t see anything…”

The adventurous kitten wriggles free from his arm, splatting its tiny body into the grass below with a mewl. King turns his head to the side to find it, but seems unable to identify where it’d gone. He gets close a few times, which only puts into perspective how tiny the fur-balls’ bodies were compared to his large, scarred hand. He could hold three or four of them at once if he so tried.

Does your muse drink alcohol? If so, how well do they handle it?

Does your muse believe in ghosts?

How high of an education does your muse have?

Would your muse sacrifice their life for a loved ones?

What's a song that you feel fits your muse?

Can your use play any instruments?

Can your muse be bribed?

Does your muse want children?

Can your muse cook?

What's your muses biggest regret?

Does your muse believe in aliens?

How flexible is your muse?

Is your muse a good swimmer?

How does your muse feel about lying?

Are there any circumstances under which your muse would chose to betray someone?

What's your muses favorite ice cream flavor?

How many toddlers could your muse take in a fight?

Does your muse believe in aliens?

Does your muse fear death?

Does your muse fall in love easily?

When something goes wrong, is your muse more likely to blame themselves or others?

Is your muse easily tricked?

Is your muse allergic to anything?

Does your muse have any pets?

What's your muses love language?

"I must admit I'm still curious, so if it's ok with you, I would like to ask another question. What is your favourite time of day and why?"

David’s eyes follow the sparks upwards as a flake of ash dances past his face.

“Mmmm… late night. Ten o’clock or so. The good fights start around that time, if you find the right places. Used to be fun to just walk into pubs and wait for someone to throw a fist at somethin’ stupid. Sometimes it’d be me.”

David smirks a bit, rubbing a deep scar on his knuckle.

Even with the dirt and oil of the Trials almost permanently ground into his skin, his hands were soft. They were suited to a drafting table and pencils. He had only ever gotten involved in schoolyard scraps as a boy. The only morning afters that had plagued him were from too many drinks, another habit he had tried to kick right before he was taken into the Realm.

King thinks of the alternative from when he was a boy, of going home after school instead of sticking around to wrestle with the others. He did that once, big mistake. His father had still been awake, and he’d earned himself a big bruise anyway. Something about walking in when his mum had dropped a plate. Another outburst.

His back stings just thinking about it.

He appraised David with a somewhat nervous expression. "Perhaps you would be willing to teach me a few things about fighting at some point? I often feel...out of my element...in this Realm."

“Well, you’re not gonna do much fighting against these twats. Might be good to just work on resistance ‘n some stamina. Maybe something you can do with your tools. How far can you throw?”

“So you’re askin’ me how to fight, just so you don’t have to fight them.”

Before Felix can say anything, David elbows him to make it obvious he was only teasing.

ꫂ ၴႅၴ ˎˊ˗

————————

David walks into the camp looking defeated, cradling a big lump of something his jacket. A tiny outline wriggles inside of the fabric, pushing its way to the top before fumbling back down towards his elbow. He repositioned his grip a little bit to keep them from falling, and for a split second you could see a small kitten mewing at him.

Tiny claws on tinier paws poked their way out of the top near his fingers, trying to pull him towards their mouths. His eyes are tinted slightly red like he was ill, and he’s blinking back tears his body was trying to force from him. He appears to be agitated.

Jed watched the man stumbled into camp carrying an unusual cargo alongside with him. To his surprise, a kitten popped its head out of the bundle. Was this place really that cruel to bring something so small here?

The man himself looked rough. Eyes red, agitated body language, and evidence that he was holding back tears.

Though Jed had no place questioning the man nor did he even know him, he decided to approach. Many of the other survivors had helped him with the transition here and saved his life countless times. So he would try to be of some use

“Fuckin’ allergies, who the fuck came up with that anyway,” he mutters defensively, answering the question he hadn’t been asked, that being; Why are you crying?

He sniffles like a dying elephant as another tiny fur ball starts creeping out of his grasp, threatening to fall out of his arms.

“Where’s the astronaut? The one with the orange cat? That’s a girl cat, right?”

ꫂ ၴႅၴ ˎˊ˗

David swings a key around his finger with intense focus. He flicks his wrist, launching the key into the air before trying to catch it on his index finger. Instead, it lands on his knuckle and tumbles back into the grass.

“Fuck,” he murmurs, sifting it from the ground before attempting the trick again.

The key sparkled with a brilliant, almost crystalline finish in the moonlight. Initials had been carved into the shaft, and a lot of craftsmanship had gone into swirly design of the key-head.

While it had initially caught King’s eye as something valuable, right now his boredom had tainted his perception of it into little more than a fidget. He tosses it off of his finger again.

This time though, it flings itself forward and smashes into the heavily bandaged thigh he’d been attempting to nurse.

Bandages heavily patterned the survivor’s thigh, something hard to overlook combined with the pained frustration laid across David’s face. Despite the injury, Wraith assumed it’d be senseless to offer any assistance given the two beings’ roles within this realm. Instead, Wraith remained hidden in his shimmer, only observing now from the dark.

His eyes glanced at the key that was now lying on the soil below the survivor, tracing every intricate detail he could observe from the distance. The designs were nothing he recognized, but the specifics of the handiwork left him believing it’d been worth something unimaginable. At least, something valuable outside of this hell… here it was just a key, nothing more.

“Don’t matter,” he murmurs to himself, entertaining the idea of conversation to drive away the eerie and lonely feeling of the woods. “Did it, it’s done, don’t matter anymore…”

David stuffs the key into his pocket and gradually lowers his back onto the grass. He rolls his head to the side, debating if he should attempt sleep, before his eyes snag themselves on an odd outline surrounding the forest.

It reminded him of looking through wobbled glass, or rippling water. Instinctively, his heart tenses up.

At least, outside of a trial.

Philip wouldn't wish an injured soul to rot, at least not the ones of the survivors trapped in the Nightmare. The Realm always hungers for suffering, to feed on terror within the trials, but this time was on their terms now. He didn’t have to leave David deeply wounded while the two of them were there together.

His mind was screaming at him to leave it be, that this was pointless for him to intervene. Ignoring his thoughts, his body crept forward and slowly closed the distance between him and the survivor. Wraith dared not get too close however, not wanting to cause panic and further David's injury.

Despite his caution, Wraith forgot one of the most important parts of his ability; he could still affect the physical world around him.

He’d seen this before. He’d died like this before.

However, instead of wielding Azarov's skull in hand, attempting to pose with peace, he secured the weapon around his waist before quickly darting in front of the survivor.

It was awkward at first, freezing up for merely a second before he waved his hands, palms facing outward, to signal David to stop, head shaking negatively.

He needed the survivor to stop, for his own health and so the Wraith could figure out... Something to aid him with. His eyes darted around, observing nothing but rocks and forrest surrounding the two.

A light went off in his head as he opened his smaller waist pouch, digging through the trinkets he'd stashed away before-hand. After a short moment he produced a, somewhat, clean piece of cloth and meager amount of rope.

It wasn't much, but considering the state David had found himself in, it'd at least help, if the giant could convince him to at least take it.

His wide eyes scrunch into a confused, overwhelmed mess. It took him a moment to break the frozen fear that had overcome him, but when he finally did he snatched the goodies and scooted backward to give himself more space.

He waited.

Nothing.

His heart steadies a bit.

David slowly unravels off the bandages on his thigh and starts using the new ones to redress it. He pauses every now and again, waiting for a strike.

He expected a lunge, or some sort of double attack from another nearby killer. The fact there wasn’t one only added to his confusion, though the absence of immediate violence let him rebalance his emotions just enough to speak.

This encounter was almost unheard of, let alone the actions The Wraith was partaking in daringly. Surely the Entity wouldn't have any of this madness, at least not lightly.

Growing calmness of the other stubborn being distracted Philip's mind from the punishment pondering. Lanky legs slowly delivered the unusually tall killer to the ground as he sat himself down completely.

His legs crossed over one another, hands holding themselves neatly in his lap to wave any perceived threat. Or at least, what he could shave off anyway.

Philip gazed at David's hands as they worked, keeping a close eye on his handiwork with the wound. It wasn't judgmental, moreso weary from the state of the gash.

Alas, Philip stopped looking for merely a moment, hands releasing themselves as they began their Sign symphony.

LEG-HURT-YOU!

Wraith transcribed, continuing his message in the next chorus.

TRIAL-THIS

Still, the prey in this moment was undoubtably David.

He finishes re-dressing his wound with a sharp and swift movement. It still bled beneath the bandages, despite how long he’d been nursing it. He wasn’t sure if this was normal or some sort of realm-logic, but he did know that it was gonna stop him from running back to the campfire if the monster were to turn around.

The thought of the campfire brought him a memory, a memory of Claudette describing what he dismissed as a fog-delusion where she claimed to see a killer slow down to help someone.

He feels a bit guilty for ignoring her now that he was living in a similar story.

He wasn’t sure why he believed the Wraith, but it’s not like he had any other choice.

Feel free to change pronouns as necessary, and remember to specify muse for multimuse blogs.

CW: Cheating, Divorce, Relationship Tests, Aromanticism

—

Would your muse cheat on their partner?

How does your muse feel about Valentine's Day?

What is one thing your muse would give up for their significant other?

Is your muse the type of person to test their partner's loyalty?

Is your muse romance positive or romance negative?

What is your muse's ideal first date?

Do you have a favorite ship for your muse?

Does your muse believe in divorce?

Does your muse celebrate relationship milestones?

Would your muse go all out for special events for their significant other?

Does your muse play pranks on their partner?

Does your muse fall in love easily?

What is your favorite shipping dynamic for your muse?

What is your muse's romantic orientation?

Gush about one of your ships with your muse!

Does your muse remember anniversaries?

How does your muse handle long-distance relationships?

Is marriage something your muse is interested in? Would they be interested in renewing their vows?

Does your muse have a healthy attachment style?

Curious Sentences, Vol. 6

(Sentences from various sources for muses that are curious about each other. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"I don't mean to pry, but what exactly is it you do?"

"How is it that you're always three steps ahead of everybody everywhere you go?"

"I'm still not clear on what exactly it is you do?"

"Don't you like it here?"

"Do you have an issue with me?"

"Why are you different?"

"Don't you have any friends?"

"Is there something you want to tell me, or is it better I don't know?"

"So, this is how you like to have fun?"

"Have you never been wrong?"

"Do you know how to ride a horse?"

"What were you like as a kid, growing up around these parts?"

"What do you get out of this?"

"Do you remember everything you see?"

"Are you lovers?"

"Do you think you're a good man?"

"What's that you're writing?"

"I've got a funny feeling that you've got quite the story to tell."

"How many scars do you have?"

"Do you like me?"

"Do you ever get tired of this?"

"Can you sing?"

"Do I need to know what that is?"

"Yesterday you didn't believe me. What changed?"

"How long have you lived here?"

"Does it bother you? The morality of what we do?"

"Is there anything you ever wanted to do but you didn't do because everybody would watch you and question you?"

"Ever had a girl look at you and your whole world just stops?"

"What do you believe in?"

"Do you believe in things we can't explain?"

"How many languages do you speak?"

"Why are you helping him?"

"You don't celebrate your birthday?"

"Why do you stay here?"

"How do you know all this stuff?"