#1apple-fox1

"Hunter!" Luz cried out as she pushed another tree branch out of the way. Se was making her way deeper into the forest but with each step she took, the darkness felt more palpable. It threatened to consume her and she felt the sting of tears threatening to unleash their way from her eyes.

It was her fault they were in this mess to begin with.

If she hadn't been so impulsive and rushed into the situation head first like she always did then Hunter might still...

Suddenly the ground gave way as she tripped and fell from stepping on a mossy rock. She fell out her arms in an attempt to catch herself but it didn't work as she went tumbling down the steep hill.

Bruised and battered, she shook the dizziness away and tried to stand. In a feeble attempt, she righted herself but found she had injured her leg. It was certainly going to be a nasty bruise in the morning but luckily, she didn't seem to have any major wounds.

Taking her attention off herself, she looked ahead and saw much further in the distance what appeared to be a familiar glint of gold that shone in the moonlight. The figure appeared to be huddled inward; holding their legs to their chest and burying their head downward.

She knew who it was insantly.

"Hunter!"

The figure jumped at the sound of her voice and huddled further inward; trying to become as small as possible. Almost as if they wanted to disappear. But she wasn't going to lose him again.

Not this time.

"Hunter," Luz whispered and put a hand on his back. "I don't know what happened back there but I-"

Suddenly her hand was slapped away.

"That's exactly it!" Hunter stared up at her and for the first time, she saw tears in his eyes. "You don't know what happened! Leave me alone!"

"But I can help. We can help. Maybe Eda can-"

"The Owl Lady? Ha! Like she is good for anything except causing problems... and I have enough of those."

Hunter shook his head.

"I have nothing left for me."

"You're wrong, Hunter!" She shook his huddling form, making his armor shake. "Everyone has a reason for being alive and I don't know what a 'Grim walker' is but I know that you're a person just like and you can-"

"I can't!" She jumped up out of her grasp and took out his artificial staff. "I can't go back. I can't go anywhere. I don't belong anywhere."

His staff began to glow red; his anger manifesting in the power of the staff. Luz shook her head. "Hunter, don't leave things like this. You always have a choice. Please don't-"

"I never had a choice! And now my time has run out."

The staff hit the ground and a red circle appeared.

"Hunter! Don't!" Luz held out her hand, trying to grab his own hand. Seeing this, Hunter's anger disappeared for a moment as a sense of calm shown on his face. He looked upon Luz with a sense of longing. His hand began to raise to reach towards her hand but at the last minute, he lowered it.

"Goodbye Luz. I'm going somewhere far away... Don't come looking for me."

He flashed her a smile and in a blink, he was gone as the red light ingulfed them both.

Luz was left with her hand outstretched but with no one to grab onto.

She took back her hand and held it close.

commission for @1apple-fox1 - a scene of yuya turning into a demon/dragpn in their au.

I had a ton of fun working on this and I loved capturing a moment of this cruel transformation! huge works like this are always insane and a blast. :)

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kiss meme open!

35. An awkward kiss given after a first date.

Were his palms sweaty?  He definitely felt like they were sweaty.  Yuzu wasn’t letting go, though, so that was a good sign?  Geez!  This shouldn’t be this hard!

They reached the mouth of the road, leading down to their houses.  In a moment, Yuya would have to let go of her hand.  In just a moment, they’d break apart, they’d smile awkwardly at each other, and they’d go back to their own houses, and probably lay awake on their beds thinking about how the other was just next door and probably also thinking the same things.

Yuya swallowed as he hesitated at the start of the lane, hand squeezing Yuzu’s perhaps a little more tightly than he needed to.  Her own fingers dug into the back of his palm, and he wondered if she was as nervous as he was.  This was silly, right?  They’d known each other for so long...they’d always held hands.  Hell, they’d even kissed when they were six.

They’d...kissed.

They stood in the middle of the sidewalk as the sunset fell behind them, lengthening their shadows until they seemed to be the same shadow.  Yuya wasn’t sure he could look at Yuzu — it was hard, suddenly.  As though he didn’t know what he was going to see, even though he knew.  Why did it feel so different all of a sudden?

Yuzu shifted, her sandals squeaking slightly, but she didn’t let go of him.  He heard her swallow.  Then she turned towards him, still clasping his hand, and he turned towards her.  She clutched the stuffed rabbit they’d won at the carnival under her other arm, trying to hold onto her purse at the same time.  He looked there instead of at her eyes, nervous in spite of it all — but eventually, his eyes rose to hers.

It took her a second to meet his gaze, as though she, too, had felt too awkward to look straight at him.  A faint smile parted her lips, the orange of the sunset making it hard to tell if that was a blush dusting her cheeks or just the light.

“Well,” she said, “that was a really fun day.”

“Yeah,” Yuya said, rubbing the back of his neck.  “Thanks for coming with me.”

“Thanks for inviting me.”

They stood there, staring at each other, hands still clasped, and the sunlight sending their faces into relief.  Yuya swallowed.  He had a feeling he knew what was next, and somehow, it was almost a little scary.  As though this — not him asking her out, officially, not the date, not the holding hands — would make it all real.  And for a moment he wasn’t sure what that would mean.  If it would change everything forever.

Yuzu’s eyes half closed.  He swallowed again.  Nervously, he leaned forward, and she stepped towards him, still clutching his hand.

It definitely wasn’t the same as the kiss they’d had years ago as children, the one they’d tried just to see what it was like.  This was a little more...awkward.  Not the awkward lip bump of childhood, but the fumbling uncertainty of adolescence, when things like kisses meant something different.  He wondered if he was bad at this.  Yuzu seemed to know what she was doing, or maybe he just thought that because he didn’t. 

She was blushing when they broke apart, and he knew he was too.

“Did that suck?” Yuya blurted.

Yuzu coughed — a poor way to try to hide her sudden burst of laughter.

“No!” she said.  “No, it didn’t suck.  Did I suck?”

“No way!”

nah man- he lizard brain man now

But will they be my friend