#bines

Bines sucks in a few pained breaths as he finally pins Zenni, she kicks and thrashes against him as that damned coral controls her. He didn't know how he was alive, half his body was coated in that strange black ink she had. It was more acidic than normal ink and hurt like shell.

Ignoring the pain he looked down at his corrupted friend. Despite almost killing him, every part of him ached to just give her a hug. He and Solace had been chased by her for an hour, he'd given Solace a chance to run off and get help while he stalled her but it had been to much for him, even if he was twice her size.

"Z-Zenni...." He groaned in-between his panting. "Please... I-I know you're in there. Please.... I can't lose another sister..." he hadn't expected it to work but to his surprise Zenni slowly stopped fighting him.

"B-Bines..?" She mumbled, her voice sounded distorted and grainy. Every fiber of his being didn't like the sudden shift but his relief outweighed his gut feeling.

"Bines... I hurt you didn't I? I.. I am sorry..." it didn't sound natrual as the words passed her lips. However, Bines was just hoping to not fight his friend anymore.

"It's.. okay. It's over now..." Without thinking he pulled her into a hug, one he had needed badly. Feeling one of his closest friends who had been fighting him finally turn back to herself, eased him for the first time in a while. Maybe, for once, everything would turn out okay-

Bine's yelped, briefly tightening his grip on Zenni before his fleeting strength made his arms fall to his side. Feeling a sharp pain in his back he turned his attention towards the pained area. Just in time to see a blade with the arbor's logo, that have previously dangled on Zenni's hip, being pulled from his back.

Looking back at Zenni, the wicked looked retuned in her eyes and grin as she fiddled the ink covered knife between her fingers. He realized that he'd been played.

"Zenni... t-this isn't you.." Bines coughed out, falling onto on arm and looking up at Zenni. Pretty ironic considering she'd spend almost all their interactions looking up at him.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't... and maybe if you all had treated me better this wouldn't have happened. It was no wonder I couldn't resist their offer for a way to show you all up." A twisted grin overtook her as she mocked him. Seeming to relish in the guilt that overtook his face. "But oh well, to late now. You behave while I go take care of the others, K? Try not to have to much fun~" a sickening laughter rung out from her, before she calmly walked off. Leaving Bines as his ink began to flood from the open wound plaguing the octolings back.

"Zenni.... I'm sorry I couldn't save you.." He mumbled, feeling his conciseness slipping. Even knowing Zenni had quite literally stabbed him in that back, all's he felt was guilt for failing to protect his closest friend. A stream of tears left him as he fell unconscious.

a lustful infant [above] sticker graffiti street art [by @bines_1 &c] found 2017 in NYC that depicts a takeout container of Chinese food, a mobile child, and these decipherable alphanumerics: Bines; cromo