#yeah. yeah

Pick me up before you go go || @ghrahm

The thing about...whatever they put inside the two of them is you just can't get away. Even if you manage to physically outrun, shoot down, cut down an angry hivemind, the hivemind finds its way to you. Inside your head. Crawling beneath your skin, aching to claw its way out. Ringing in your ears, tearing away at the very foundation of your mind.

Cloud still has the mental strength to wrest control away from the leader...he thinks.

But physically, he's not in great shape, either. He managed to buy Ashley enough time to get a head start on some villagers, and fought off enough to make his own escape. But by the time he catches back up to her, the wretched thing in his veins makes its presence known again.

One minute, his senses feel like they're all underwater, except for a voice in his head, clear as day and sharp as a knife, telling him to simply embrace serenity, give into the holy union. The next, his vision comes back into focus, he's propping himself up on his hands, and there's blood on the dirt trail in front of him. His blood, he concludes, that he has just hacked up, that drips from his lip in the aftermath of his breakdown.

❝ I'm fine, ❞ he croaks, wiping his bottom lip with the back of his hand. He tries to push himself back up to standing...but his arms shake, and he stumbles.

Any kind person would think to do what Ashley does next: come around to Cloud's side and try to shoulder some of his weight. If he wasn't in such bad shape, the effort might even earn a small grin from him. But right now, all of his focus is solely on helping her help him. Ashley is strong, but she's not lifting Cloud all by herself.

❝ You don't need to — ❞ A pause. A sigh. It's not like he's in much shape to fight her on this. He lifts his head. Squints. He thinks he sees a familiar purple flame in the distance.

Fourth pic in… love the blue shoes 😁🫠