#softdarkness

good morning

there’s a quiet part of me

that wants to be seen

The body becomes landscape, a quiet horizon unfolding in silence.

Light drifts across her like a thought the world forgot to finish— curves rising, falling, a soft geometry carved from breath.

No beginning, no end, just the slow unfolding of something that remembers how to be both fragile and unbreakable.

A troca de olhares — rápida, mas tão intensa — rasgou meu peito em silêncio. Foi como se o tempo parasse por um segundo só nosso, embora o mundo ao redor continuasse girando alheio à dor que me consumia.

Meu coração, tolo e insistente, bateu mais forte… não de esperança, mas de saudade daquilo que nunca foi. Dói. Dói saber que nunca o terei. Que esse sentimento mora só em mim — um grito mudo que ecoa no vazio da impossibilidade.

Meu corpo, cúmplice do desejo, suplica por uma presença que não lhe pertence. E eu sigo aqui, entre o real e o sonho, amando em silêncio quem talvez nunca vai saber.

Hey guys!! Sorry this took me so long to put out, I've still been grinding away with college. But here it is! The series has come to an end. I really enjoyed writing this one even if the ending feels a bit rushed. I hope you guys enjoy!

And stay tuned for the next series..... ;)

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“W-what do y-you mean?” Eric's lip trembled softly as he talked to Dr. Iplier, looking close to crying. He fiddled with his handkerchief, eyebrows furrowed as he tried not to break down into sobs.

Dr. Iplier stammered a bit, looking around nervously. He couldn't say that he was expecting this reaction from the nervous ego, and he was slightly doubting his own words now. Regardless of such doubts, he repeated what he had said steadily. “I don't want you and Dark sparing anymore. It's not safe. He's not safe.” He said again, laying a sympathetic hand on Eric's shoulder. “I know you enjoy it, but I don't think Dark is doing it because he wants to be friends. He's...not a very genuine person.” Dr. Iplier felt bad for upsetting Eric, but he knew that it was for the best. Being around Dark on a good day was pushing it, and for Eric to be actively engaging with him in a violent activity...that wasn't acceptable.

Eric shook his head quickly, almost frantic in his actions. “No, no, it's not like that! He hasn't hurt me or made me do anything that I didn't want to.” Eric tried desperately to explain to the doctor that he wasn't being harmed and that Dark wasn't trying to pressure him into anything, but it came out more like a plea. He really really didn't want to stop training with Dark. Their sessions had become a time for Eric to be able to loosen up a bit and it was helping with his anxiety greatly. The nervous ego had found that in the past few months, being around the others was easier and he wasn't quite as scared of walking alone outside the manner. He was still a cautious person and would probably always be, but learning to fight had made him more assured through daily life.

Though, Eric realized that others might not have noticed a difference. Eric didn't always stick out as a prominent character and sometimes faded into the background when in public. So of course Dr. Iplier didn't fully understand what was going on. He hadn't had the same friendly experiences with Dark that Eric had been having and couldn't be expected to see how safe the sparring sessions were. These thoughts caused Eric to perk up a bit as an idea slowly formulated in his mind. Before he could voice it however, Dr. Iplier sighed softly.

“I know that's how you feel Eric, but Dark is crafty. He may very well be manipulating you without your knowledge.” The doctor ran a hand through his hair as he talked, a nervous habit multiple of the egos had picked up from their creator. He wasn't frustrated with Eric, but rather the situation. He could tell that he was upsetting the new ego, but he only wanted him to be safe. He knew it wasn't fair to tell Eric to stop doing something that he was enjoying, but there were better hobbies for him to pick up. “Isn't there anything else you can do with your free time? Perhaps Google with build something with you or The Host will read with you.” Dr. Iplier voiced the suggestion optimistically, giving Eric a soft smile of encouragement. Eric only blinked at him though, and the doctor sighed again. “Why do you enjoy training with Dark so much Eric?” He asked softly.

Eric stammered a bit, but looked up at Dr. Iplier seriously, hoping to be able to convey how important this was to him. “H-he helps me doctor. I've tried e-everything to control my anxiety and this is the only t-thing that helps.” Eric cleared his throat a bit, his nervous hands rubbing at the yellow cloth between them. “H-he's supportive and he goes s-slowly a-and...and he believes in me.” Eric knew that he was crying at this point, but he ignored the tears. Instead, he grabbed at Dr. Ipliers hand and looked into his eyes. “W-why don't you come w-watch us? Then you can s-see what im talking about…” He made the suggestion shakily, but looked at the other ego with hope.

Dr. Iplier considered the idea quietly, thinking the proposition over slowly and weighing the pros and cons. After a moment, he glanced back at Eric, smiling slightly. “You know what Eric...that might be a good idea.”

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Eric jumped up the stairs two at a time, almost vibrating with excitement as he skidded to a stop in front of Dark’s door. He rapped on it quickly, all of his normal nerves flushed away by his enthusiasm. He bounced from foot to foot as he waited for Dark to answer and resisted the urge to knock again after only a few seconds. After what felt like an eternity, the door creaked open to reveal a half-alarmed, half-pissed Darkiplier. “What do you- Eric?” He raised an eyebrow at the excited ego, not sure how to react to this new development. “Are you okay?” He asked slowly, feeling slightly concerned.

Eric only grinned and nodded quickly. “We can spare!” He burst out, too eager to waste time with pleasantries. “Dr. Iplier changed his mind and said that I could keep training with you!” He looked at the demon expectantly, purposely leaving out the part of the deal where the Doctor was going to be watching the next session. The two had agreed that Dark shouldn't know. Dr. Iplier had told Eric that he wanted to make sure Dark wasn't putting on an act just because he was there, and Eric agreed to the idea easily. He knew that the Doctor would see how well Dark treated Eric and would give them the go-ahead to keep training in the future.

Darks attitude immediately changed at the news. He smiled gently at Eric, the concerned crease in his eyebrows disappearing as he laid a hand on the other’s shoulder. “That's wonderful Eric! I'm very pleased to hear that. I'll make sure to be ready at our normal time.” He chuckled a bit as Eric grinned and nodded again, bouncing a bit in place. He was happy to see how Eric had changed for the better since they had started training. The doctor had been an idiot to not see it...but at least they still got to train together.

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“That's very good Eric, just like that!” Dark praised the other egos warmly, smiling brightly as he made progress with the new moves. “Remembered to keep your knees slightly bent. Don't lock down.” They had both gotten into the training with a new vigor this session, both of them ecstatic to still be able to spare and train together. Eric smiled back at the demon as he adjusted himself accordingly to any pointers, relieved to still have this opportunity to learn.

She appears twice, as if called by the same whisper of light.

Once — a face opening like a quiet dawn, feathers gathering where words would be. A softness that almost speaks, a trembling held perfectly still.

And then — only the body, unwritten and unguarded, moving through shadow like a thought that refuses to disappear.

Two moments, woven from breath and dusk, tender, untamed, and alive with the echo of something yet unnamed.

Damn...missed Thursday my twenty minutes......

Hey guys!!!! It's finally here! Thank you for being so patient with me :) I hope you guys enjoy this part because I'm very proud of it! Things are getting heated in paradise ;)

As always- enjoy

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Eric took deep and even breaths as he circled his opponent, scanning the others form for unguarded weaknesses. His eyes darted across Dark’s squared body, eyeing at his left side. It was more exposed than the right, betraying that the demon’s center of balance was off. Eric didn't change his rhythm upon the sight, instead waiting for Dark to make the first move. It only took a few more moments for the entity to grow impatient and step forward with his right, extending his arm to strike Eric. Eric ducked and twisted his body, grabbing Dark’s moving arm while shoving against his left side. He stepped back quickly as the demon tumbled over, his balance thrown and his feet scrambling.

Dark hit the mats roughly, a soft groan falling from his mouth as he landed. He blinked at the ceiling with wide eyes, taking a moment to figure out what had just happened. He chuckled slightly when Eric came rushing close to his prone form and kneeled down, frantically muttering apologies.

“I'msososorry! Are you okay?! Did I hurt you? I shouldn't have been so rough...I'm really sorry….” Eric spoke nervously, eyes wide as he assessed his fallen partner. He didn't have his handkerchief to help his sudden spike of anxiety, so he took his nerves out on his hands. He twisted then together anxiously as he looked over Dark for any damage. His intent had been to knock the demon over, but he hadn't thought it would work…

Dark just rolled his eyes, smoothly picking himself back up and extending a hand to Eric’s kneeling form. He was smiling sighly and gave an exasperated and fond sigh as he helped the other up. “Eric, I'm perfectly fine. The point of sparing is to knock each other over, yes? And besides, I've knocked you down hundreds of times since we've started. You should feel proud actually, that was quite impressive.” Dark grinned brightly at the anxious ego, patting his tense shoulder gently.

Eric glanced up at the demon, still slightly nervous . “R-really?” His voice held uncertainty but a smile was beginning up pull at his mouth. Dark was right. Eric had never actually managed to knock the entity down in the months since they had started sparing. A warm pit of pride started to form in Eric's core as he gently separated his anxious hands.

Dark nodded, smiling gently at the other. “Absolutely. I didn't expect you to be able to win a match against me until much later. You've definitely exceeded my expectations today.” He released the other egos shoulder slowly, giving it one last good natured pat before backing up a bit. “Do you want to continue? We can stop for today if you'd rather.” He extended the offer neutrally, not sure how Eric was feeling after his rush of anxiety.

But Eric shook his head, smiling as he squared his body into a mastered stance once again. “No, I can keep going.” He seemed more confident in his stance, and his voice stayed steady this time as he spoke. There was a light dusting of a blush on his face, but Dark didn't comment on it as he dropped into his own form. The pair circled again, quickly settling back into a relaxed rhythm of their own.

The spared on, ignorant to the two concerned eyes that appeared at the gym entrance and started to watch fifteen minutes later.

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Dark glanced at his watch as he stood by the stove and waited for the tea kettle to boil. It was a quarter past two (2:30), and Dark huffed slightly. He was eagerly waiting for the hour to turn so that he could head to the gym and start his session with Eric. Time always seemed to move slower on their training days and it was getting on the demons nerves.

He sighed to himself as he tended to the whistling kettle, pouring a cup of tea. He wasn't sure how Eric had managed to worm himself into his heart, but Dark found himself struggling to stop thinking about the anxious ego. He was charming in his own ways. Fiercely capable but still gentle and innocent. He was also very determined to succeed and it was very pleasing to see how he was getting progressively better as time went on.

But while their sessions were definitely the highlight of Dark’s life at the moment, the entity couldn't afford to get too distracted. He still had work to do after all, and the paperwork on his desk was starting to pile up due to his negligence. The demon hummed to himself gently as he turned to go to his office, his cup of tea in hand as he started to leave the kitchen. He was stopped however by a voice calling his name.

“Dark! There you are. I need to talk to you for a moment.” Dr.Iplier walked quickly, moving to face Dark and block him from leave for the time being. The doctors tone held an element of ice that made Dark’s eyebrows quirk upwards. This was odd. The entity was annoyed at being bothered, but he was also curious, and decided to let Dr. Iplier speak.

“Of course Doctor. How may I help you?” Dark’s voice was sickly sweet and clearly fake, but the other ego ignored it. He had an angry and determined air about him and seemed upset about something. The doctor pursed his lips for a moment as he thought about how to phrase what he said next. Unlike most of the others, Dr.Iplier wasn't scared of Dark. He was considered bold in the eyes of the others and would often challenge the demon on certain topics. However, he didn't have to fear the entity to understand that he was dangerous. It was always smart to tread carefully when talking to him.

Deciding to be blunt, the doctor took a breath and spoke sharply. “I know what your doing with Eric.” His voice held anger and contempt as he spoke, eyeing the demon carefully.

Dark simply raised a confused eyebrow, not sure how to respond to such a comment. “Pardon? I'm not sure I understand what you are so riled up about my dear doctor.” Dark briefly searched his mind for anything he could have done to Eric that would have pissed the doctor off, but he came up short.

Dr. Iplier huffed angrily, hands landing on his hips. “Don't play dumb. I watched you two fight a few days ago. Do you know how delicate he is? And what are you doing this for? We both know full well you don't have good intentions.” The doctor’s voice slowly rose in volume as he spoke, gesturing with his arms in wide sweeping motions.

Dark just watched, facial expressions shifting from confused, annoyed, to insulted. “Pardon me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember when I started having to check with you about what I do on my free time.” The demons voice was low and icy, holding a much quieter anger than the doctor's. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the others accusations, knowing them to be untrue. “And for your information, Eric came to me to learn how to fight, not the other way around. He's enjoying himself and frankly so am I.” The entity attempted to side step the other and walk past, but was blocked once again.

“It doesn't matter! He’s too new to understand how dangerous and manipulative you are. He probably regrets ever asking you to teach him anything. I don't want you to be around him!” Dr. Iplier yelled aggressively, stepping slightly closer into the others space. I'm the back of his mind, he recognized that this was probably a terrible mistake. One didn't simply yell at the Darkiplier and get away with it, but at the moment he was too angry to think correctly.

But instead of crushing the doctor for his insolence, Dark laughed roughly. He shook his head with a sharp smirk, looking at Dr. Iplier with amusement. “Very well doctor. You go tell Eric that we are done training together and watch as he hugs you and celebrates being free from my evil reign.” His voice held dangerous sarcasm as he walked off, head high with a knowing that he was victorious.