The Pain Of Discovery

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

After being rudely dumped into this strange land more than a few feet above the ground, Reaper decided he was less than impressed. At first he thought it was just another location on Earth, but as his nanites glitched and he completely lost his form and had to fight for ten minutes to reform, he realized something was very, very wrong.

Growling angrily, he'd swept toward town, keeping the nanite cloud form until he was nearly to the place the beacons had guided him to. The beacons had pamphlets attached, and after glancing one over he'd been even more angry. It seemed like some sort of sick trick to keep him from his revenge. But as he'd traveled forward, the rippling angry cloud that was Reaper had considered the intel in the leaflet.

The more he mulled it over, the more sense it made. Nothing felt right, and he couldn't see any familiar landmarks. No stars could be seen due to the clouds, which looked grim, but slightly off colored, and the light from beyond the clouds was faint. Bright enough to tell him, after he considered, that it was daylight. Dark enough still, that it felt like the middle of a dark winter storm. He didn't like that. But if the leaflet spoke the truth, there'd not be much sun at all.

His form swirled and rippled as he neared the first of the buildings on the outside of town. And then just as suddenly as his nanites had refused to let him maintain his human form, they forced him into it and delivered enough pain to drive him to his knees. He landed with a grunt, stumbling forward as he tried to catch himself. What the actual fuck? A low, angry growl ripped past his guard and he stalked forward, his eyes narrowed behind the mask. He would get answers.

And then the nanites drove him down again, black smoke swirling around him in agitation. It fucking hurt and it took every ounce of self control and stubbornness to get back to his feet. Hands clenched into fists at his sides as he leaned slightly forward and forced one foot in front of another. He was in control here, not whatever was trying to deny him his form again. \"God damn it,\" he growled through a tightly clenched jaw, eyes scanning the area in front of him to try and find someone to give him answers.

Tag: Open | Reaper is... not happy.

lory

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[Chibi]

Kanan was sleeping. Good. Chibi sighed in relief, brushing his cheek with the back of her knuckles, just needing to feel the warmth of his skin again. He was alive, alive and on his way to recovery. That's what mattered. Tear stains were obvious, and she knew others could tell she'd been crying, but she didn't care. She was emotionally and physically exhausted, but she didn't care. She had Kanan again.

 

Her stomach growled, reminding the woman she hadn't eaten lunch yet, and she pushed out of her chair as quietly as possible. A quick word to her manager, and she was allowed to head out to find some food. So much healing had left her drained and ravenous, and she really needed something to eat. A quick trip to the cafeteria later, and she was sated. She was still mentally groggy, but having cried so much and letting out all those emotions had left her feeling oddly... calm.

 

It also left her with the clearest mind she had in a long time, and she found herself walking around the town to pass the time while she was still on lunch. Her steps slowed, then stopped entirely though, as she watched something come towards town. Her eyes narrowed, squinting to try and make it out better. A cloud of shadow that suddenly took on an all too familiar form as it hit the buildings and she took a half step away from him. Shit.

 

Everything wanted her to run from the threat he represented, cinematics playing through her mind as to how ruthless he could be. But yet... she knew who lurked under that mask. And seeing him, let alone anyone else, in pain, left her soul twisting. Despite all the fighting and war she'd experienced, there were just some parts of her that couldn't seemed to be touched. She hurried toward him, rather then away, and her self preservation finally gave up on trying to convince her otherwise.

 

"Hey... I gotcha..." She wriggled in next to him, wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders to help support him as best she could. She wasn't thinking of how he would react to her, to how he'd basically be seeing a dead woman walking. She just knew she needed to help him. Her empathy picked up on the anger and confusion, etched across his tight shoulders and his posture. Tells that most people didn't think about because it was so second hand, so instinctive. "I gotcha Reaper..."

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

He let out another raspy growl as he staggered again, and almost went down. Then he spotted the figure approaching him, her pace quickening as she neared. When he got a good look at her, his eyes widened under the mask. What the fuck. \"You're dead. You blew up our bathroom and yourself with it years ago.\" Well, there went any chance of hiding who he was. She'd called him Reaper as she'd hauled one of his arms over her shoulders.

Shit. Good job you fucking moron, he thought to himself. Well, there was no going back from it now. She knew who he was under the mask, and he'd just have to deal with it. Not that she'd find any bit of Gabriel Reyes. That man had died when he'd had the whole of headquarters crash down on him. Reaper is what had crawled out and reformed, and Reaper was all there was. A tiny voice in the back of his head protested, tried to claw his way out, but the mercenary stomped on it, then turned his attention back to Chibi.

That goddamn little voice tried to claw his way out again and it took all his focus to slam a mental door in his face before he returned his attention back to the woman helping him. \"If you know me by that name, you know what I've done. Why are you helping me? You should be running.\" There was almost a threat there, his tone menacing, but his stance didn't change, revealing the hollowness of his words.

He wasn't going to do anything to her, at least not for the moment. \"So, you care to tell me what the fuck is going on? The pamphlet gave me some info, but not enough.\" His voice was clipped, short, and raspier than normal, thanks to his distress. At least it just made him sound harsher, he thought, instead of cracking his voice or anything else of that sort.

Tag: Chibi | He's ... really not sure what to make of her.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

The bathroom comment cemented with Chibi who he was for sure. He was from later on in her adventures, a later version of Gabriel Reyes who'd fallen into darkness. She helped him along, though, despite his words. She was tired, but she had an idea of what was happening with the man next to her. It'd happened to her, when her body had hurt and she'd wanted to gouge her eyes out because her head had hurt so badly that the light had been painful. "... Is that what you guys think happened?"

 

She shook her head with a short laugh, leading him to where he could at least lean against a wall for support. She watched him, concern in her hazel eyes as she looked him over for any other injuries, that amused smile still on her face, despite the tear stains that still marked her face. Of course they'd be there. She'd been crying earlier that morning and she hadn't cleaned her face yet. "No, I didn't die. That device I had was plugged in and when I went to the bathroom I accidentally hit the button... it took everything with it connected to that same circuitry."

 

Chibi stopped as she looked him over again, wondering why exactly she was helping the world renowned terrorist. She rubbed the back of her neck as she thought it over, and she finally shrugged. "I... I don't know really. I saw you were struggling and thought you could use the help."

 

It was the truth of the matter, really. She'd been raised to help others, though her self preservation wanted her to run the other way. With him struggling like this, though, she found herself wanting to help the man buried underneath all the shadow and darkness. She shifted uncomfortably at the thought of him not wanting her to help him at all, and she shrugged again. "You got pulled through a portal to a place called Nevermore. Yosemite blew up a while back, casting earth into a volcanic winter basically. Things changed a lot, and humans, being idiots, built a ship to escape earth, and only took those they considered worthy. The ship tore holes in the fabric of space and time, and that's been bringing people from other worlds here."

 

That was the extent of her knowledge of what had happened and she crossed her arms loosely over her belly as she waited for his response. It was a lot to take in, she knew, but he was intelligent, so it shouldn't be too hard for him to wrap his head around it.

 

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

As she continued to help him, his mind began to race with thoughts, most of them a confused muddled mess. His entire form hurt like hell, moreso than usual, and he kept getting this sensation that was almost vertigo, but not quite. He forced himself to keep moving, and fixed his entire focus on her words to try and ground himself. That laugh - that was so familiar to him, even though it had been so many years before. An ache settled in his chest despite his best efforts to push away the past, to bury it alongside the bit of him that was still Gabriel.

His vision flickered, but then steadied again, and he picked up on her tear stains. For some reason, the sight bothered him, made him angry. Not at her, but at whoever caused her to cry. He leaned back against the wall, groaning softly as pain lanced through him, starting in his skull and shooting down his spine. It caused him to thud against the wall with a spasm, earning a curse. \"Fuck!\"

The smile she'd given him was amused, and he fought to focus on that and her laugh as she looked him over. He picked up on what she was doing - assessing him for injuries - but focused instead on her words. \"Scared the shit out of us.\" His voice was a bit gruff, the pain making the rasp more prominent. \"Glad to know you just accidentally took our bathroom with you, rather than what I thought happened.\"

Her answer to why she was helping him got a furrowed brow under the mask, though he knew she'd not be able to read any expression because of it. He didn't remove the mask unless he had no other choice. Not anymore. Not when he looked like he did. \"The help-\" He cut off momentarily as his body seized from pain, snarling a curse as soon as he was able to speak again. \"-is appreciated. That explanation is confusing as fuck, but considering the shit from home, not entirely unheard of.\"

Reaper wished that some of those who'd caused the rifts were here though, as he'd sink his claws into them and feed, letting them know just what he thought of being trapped here. He'd been so close to finally finishing Jack off. Unexpectedly, the thought of Jack dying, even at his own hands, brought a wave of emotion, and not the rage or satisfaction he thought. It was... sadness? Panic? He wasn't sure, but it wasn't what he expected to feel.

The fuck is wrong with me lately? He focused his eyes on Chibi again, grumbling. \"Too bad I can't give them a piece of my mind about this utter bullshit. Sounds like a hell of a lot went wrong, all at once.\" He paused, his mind racing again. \"You said humans, almost as if there are other species here too. Care to explain?\" She still wasn't leaving. That little spark clawed its way out and before he could stop himself there was a smile in his voice and he was joking, \"If you tell me elves, orcs, or vampires I think I might need to pinch myself to make sure I'm awake.\"

He froze, struggling with himself for a long moment, his breathing becoming hitched as he fought to shove Gabriel down. Finally, Reaper felt back in control, those damn emotions and everything else that was Gabe shut away. For how long, he couldn't say. He realized he'd been growling, very very quietly, but still there, and cut the noise off. Hopefully she'd not noticed or realized what was happening.

Tag: Chibi | Hi Gabe. <<

lory

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[Chibi]

When the embodiment of death spasmed and hit the wall, she surged forward, her hand going to his chest and a trickle of magick flowing through him. It wasn't much - she'd not given herself enough time to rest - but she hoped it'd be enough to take the edge off of whatever it was that was causing pain in the man. His angry curse made her flinch though, ducking her head down in submission. "Easy Gabe... easy..."

 

She was slipping into healing mode, wanting to care for him. The fact he could harm her in an instant hadn't escaped her, but she couldn't stop herself right now. He was an ally that needed her help. Especially since he was acting more like Gabe then the fierce, deadly Reaper. Her smile had faded when she'd come closer to him, and she hugged him before she could stop herself when he'd told her she'd scared them. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you guys... I just never got a chance to go back and let you guys know I was safe."

 

"I know, right? I'd like to give them a good throttling, myself." Chibi pulled back quickly, though, as his body seized again, her eyes wide with worry that she'd done something wrong. She pulled the magick back to her as her eyes started to feel heavy again, and she leaned against him again. She really wanted a nap. She smiled, though, as she heard his question, and then a very Gabe like comment following it. It almost sounded like he regretted it though as soon as he spoke and the smile faded again. She took a step back and lowered her head, not wanting his anger directed at her. "Um yeah, they do exist. A lot of different races came out of the woodwork when things went to shit after the explosion. A lot of people weren't happy with them for some reason."

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

He couldn't understand why she had continued to stay by him, healing him, even as he growled and spasmed. Most people were afraid of him, even when he wasn't well, and was technically vulnerable to attacks. Something about his swirling smoke and hostile attitude kept people away. Not her though - she'd come in, given him a hug, and helped him.

Even after he'd tensed because of the hug and then spasmed again - thanks to whatever was causing his nanites to go totally out of whack - she lingered nearby. He was finding it increasingly difficult to stay prickly with her, though the name - that name, when he finally registered it, caused a flinch and distress, his smoke flaring up and swirling around him.

His chest heaved as he tried to push past the pain to focus on her. She had withdrawn from him, not even leaning against him and there was a sudden ache of loss. The fuck was wrong with him? Why was he acting this way? And then the answer showed up - the part that was Gabe wasn't about to be silenced so easily this time and forced his way to the forefront again.

He was struggling a great deal, the need to compartmentalize and protect himself from the pain of everything pushing him to try to shove Gabe back in his box so that Reaper was all that was left. Gabe wasn't having any of that though, and the conflict was apparent in the way his smoke swirled and flared, pulled back to him, and then flared again.

The mask was all that was hiding him from her, but even Gabe wasn't willing to take it off. He was a freak - a monster who shouldn't exist. What had been done to him, that had forced him back to life after his number was up had given him back the shape of the man he'd been, but it was almost a cruel mockery of that man as well - skin the wrong shade, mottled and splotched, and when he wasn't topped up on energy from living beings, he thought he smelled and looked like a slightly decaying corpse that was being rebuilt over and over and over again. Not quite true, but hard to convince yourself of that when self-image issues reared their ugly heads.

As she moved away though, he couldn't help but reach out, though Reaper regained enough control to force the hand down again. Her behavior was different now. She was afraid of him. For some reason that hurt. It never hurt before when people were afraid - he used it to his advantage. Why did it hurt now? He knew the answer - this was someone he cared about and who'd reached out to him when no one else had, or would. Who would want to?

\"That's stupid as shit - it wasn't the other races' fault. Natural disasters happen all the time.\" His voice was still a growl, but there wasn't anger anymore. His shoulders slumped slightly as he focused on the previous bits of their conversation. \"Liz - call me Reaper. Gabriel died. I - don't really respond well to that name.\"

Even saying it himself caused a strain in his voice. \"Do you have somewhere we can go? I don't like the look of some of those clouds.\" He pointed at some dark, low hanging clouds. Almost as if to punctuate his words, a low rumble of thunder rolled through the air.

Tag: Chibi | He's struggling.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

The smoke that surrounded him flared and withdrew repeatedly, and she eyed them warily. She couldn't read his face, couldn't read what was going through his mind, and so she was limited in what she could make out. What had she done wrong? Or, as the logical part of her mind pointed out, it was whatever was causing him pain that was the problem, not her. A bad habit she'd slowly been working her way out of, but it was still a long way to go.

 

Her mind raced and connected dots with his behavior. Years of exposure to animals provided the subconscious knowledge she needed and the young woman watched as the man in front of her acted like a cornered, scared and lonely animal. An animal that had once been loved, then abandoned to the streets and forced to fend for himself for far too long. And her heart hurt from it. No one, animal or human, should have to deal with that loneliness.

 

And then his arm came up slightly, and dropped again uncertainly. It was a quick motion, one just caught in her periphery, but her head came up again. It clicked. He wasn't mad at her, and she shoved back the submission, and it left her shoulders strained with the conflict. He wasn't angry with her, and she hurried back to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He'd wanted her touch, at least, she hoped so. She wanted his, at the very least.

 

"Yeah, but you know the human race. Look at the Omnic Crisis and how people reacted to Omnics just wanting basic rights." The growl of his voice sent a shiver through her, but she pushed that part of her to the back as she often did. Now wasn't the time to fantasize about that growl in her ear and what it would mean. A pang of hurt grazed her heart at him of all people calling her by her actual name. "I'm not calling you Reaper. You're not Reaper. Reaper is scary, dangerous and wouldn't be letting me hug him like this."

 

"You're more like... well..." She trailed off, not wanting to upset him more. It was hard to miss the strain in his voice though as he even struggled with the word. There was pain there, and at the same time, the distress made her heart ache more. She nodded at his question, though as the thunder rolled by, her shoulders tensed up and primal fear crossed her features. She shoved the reaction down and instead backed away. It was silly, irrational, to be scared of thunder, but there she was, wanting to get away from it. "Come on. My place isn't too far, and I need to get my raincoat anyways before I gotta get back to the hospital."

 

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

He wasn't trembling, he wasn't. The pain he felt all the time was something he was used to, but this - this was far worse than the worst days of that. There was a constant sharp, needle like pain to every cell in his body. Even as much agony as he was in, when she returned to his side and hugged him, he responded. Wrapping his arms around her, he was careful not to catch his claws on anything of hers.

She had a point - the shit that had gone on back home had been a prime example of the sheer stupidity the human race was capable of. Her stubbornness on not calling him by what he now went by earned a rough sigh, though he still didn't let go of her. And yet again, she had a point. If he'd been full blown 'Reaper mode' as he referred to it when out on missions or dealing with most people, she'd not have been allowed anywhere near. He most certainly wouldn't have been all but clinging to her in return, like she was a lifeline.

He wondered what she'd been wanting to say when she trailed off, but didn't push it. Not then. The thunder rumbled again as she backed away, and he was grateful for the mask. The amount of pain when she let go of him would show clearly in his eyes and expression. She was a breath of fresh air, a saving grace for him when no one else would reach out. He could see the fear the thunder caused though, and nodded when she invited him back to her place.

\"Why am I not surprised you work at the hospital?\" He assumed that was where her job was, at any rate. He took another deep breath, his back spasming for a moment, his entire form rippling as the nanites almost lost their grip on his solid form. Fuck this world. He glared up at the sky as lightning flashed and was followed by a crash of thunder, then hurried after her.

He hoped the weather wasn't always like this - grim as it was and as much as he normally enjoyed such things - right now he wanted nothing to do with it. \"Is there anyone else here that I would know? Anyone I should look out for?\" Gabe and Reaper continued to struggle for control, but Gabriel was winning out - at least for now. It was safe, even if letting his emotions out would eventually cause him pain. There would be memories and longing - things he'd already been struggling with back home. But right now, he desperately wanted to connect with someone who saw him as human, as alive, and not as a monster.

The assassin had nothing but fond memories of her, though the last ones had been sadness due to the apparent loss. Knowing she was all right, that she'd not died helped, and now the whole series of memories involving her had no sadness attached. Gabriel Reyes took a deep breath, the first he alone had taken in many years. He knew that Reaper would surge back into control the moment the situation changed, the compartmentalization to protect him from the pain he couldn't quite cope with doing what it - he - had been created to do.

\"Uh - it occurs to me that I have nowhere to stay and nothing to do. Can I crash on your couch?\" A particularly loud crash of thunder had even the former Blackwatch commander jumping, and a bit of Reaper forced his way back out of the box Gabe was normally shoved in, his voice, bearing, and speech patterns changing just slightly. \"If you aren't able to, I will find a place to set up temporarily.\" The unspoken or if you don't want to hung in the air between them.

Tag: Chibi | Gabe won out, for now.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

The pain was subtle, but there, and she mentally groaned. This wasn't a normal storm. It was a storm she really didn't want to go to work during. It left her hurting and unable to really properly function. Still, she had to get Gabe out of it, at least. Had to take care of him. It wasn't too far away, just a few buildings down and up a flight of stairs that clung to the side of the building. She moved quickly, not wanting to be out in the storm, though her movements slowly turned stiff. Key hit the lock and the door opened, her heart jumping with each peal of thunder.

 

She laughed some, shaking her head at his guess to her job. She held the door open for the taller man, before closing it behind him. It was a simple place, with an overstuffed armchair by the window overlooking the edge of town and a couch in the living room, with a cabinet covered in books opposite the couch. A kitchen sat off to the side, with three closed doors. "Yeah, it takes advantage of my healing abilities and allows me to help people."

 

Chibi looked around the apartment, crinkling her nose at the clutter. Absently, she began picking up the scattered clothes and throwing them into one of the rooms - her bedroom, which seemed to only be a dresser and a bed on the floor from this angle. She forced a smile, the pain starting to become obvious on her face in the strained lines. "Sorry for the mess. Make yourself at home."

 

Who would he know? Hm. She stopped for a second, leaning against the back of the couch heavily. She just wanted to not move, to curl up in the dark and not move. She ran a hand through her short hair, pausing as her hand met air at the end. "But um, I think McCree's here, but I'm not sure. Heard there's a really skilled gunslinger, but beyond that I don't think so..."

 

She glanced over to the man, lifting an eyebrow at him. He was a friend; of course he'd be welcome here in her home. She gestured to the couch and then to the bedroom she'd hidden her dirty clothes in. She had no idea why he'd think otherwise, really, but she couldn't blame him for what hung in the air between them. "You can sleep in my bed or on the couch. I'll take the other, or just cuddle against you, if that's alright. Now... sorry, but I need to get a painkiller real quick."

 

The woman pushed off the couch, wincing as the pain hit her stronger now with each movement as the storm rolled in. This was going to knock her on the ass, but she needed to get back to work. She grabbed the pills from where they sat on the kitchen counter, a glass nearby. She filled the glass, then shook out one of the ibuprofen and popped it, chasing it down with the water. "These storms suck."

 

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

He staggered several times as they made their way to the building, but forced himself forward. When they reached the second floor though, his form wavered and dropped briefly, evoking a tired and grumpy sigh from the nanite cloud, before it swirled and managed to reform. \"I've had about enough of that.\" Chibi's own movements were stiff, though she'd laughed at his comment about her job and her answer didn't surprise him at all.

\"You do seem to like helping people.\" He shook his head at her, staggering again as he crossed the threshold. His pain increased again, every cell screaming and he cursed under his breath in Spanish, narrowing his eyes as he tried to push past it. He'd not had this much pain since - he shuddered at the memory - since the explosion that had taken his life the first time. His breath turned ragged, and he had to wrestle with memories that threatened to well up and overwhelm him, reminding him that he'd been abandoned, left to die in agony and alone.

Her apology took him a moment to respond to. \"Don't worry about it. I've seen worse.\" Much worse. Some of the younger recruits in Overwatch had been slobs until Gabriel scared it out of them - not an inch of the floor in their barracks had been visible the first time he'd come for an inspection. He'd made them clean the whole area by hand, scrubbing the floor with the smallest scrub brush he could find - barely larger than a toothbrush. It hadn't been nice, but they'd never done it again.

Goddamn memories! He shoved them away, though it was still very much Gabriel in control. News that McCree was there lit his eyes up, though she'd not be able to see it behind the mask. He hoped it was true. He would like to see the man again. But then it occurred to him that the gunslinger would probably not want to see him. He knew Gabe, not Reaper - and had likely heard of Reaper's actions against former Overwatch. Without context... He sighed.

\"Will keep an eye out for him. Don't think there will be a happy reunion there, unfortunately.\" He was glad she was fine with him staying with her, though her friendliness still surprised - stunned was a better word if he was being honest - him. As she moved off the couch herself, he moved toward it, but dropped in his tracks when a particularly painful spasm paralyzed him. After a moment he dragged himself onto the couch and groaned. \"I'll take the couch, so you don't have to give your bed up to me. I wouldn't mind sharing the bed, but... you might not be so happy sharing it with me.\"

He was afraid of being rejected, he admitted to himself. She'd been so open and welcoming so far but what if she saw him without his mask, when he wasn't fully 'topped off' on energy from souls? His voice was muffled when he spoke again. \"You have to go back to work in this storm? I'd think they could do without you for a bit. And how come it's affecting you so badly?\" He really didn't want to be alone, not after the confusion of back home and then here, but if she did have to work, he'd deal with it.

Managing to flop over slightly, he stared out into the room, his mask dislodged slightly until he corrected. Another spasm caused him to seize up, and a long string of expletives in Spanish followed as soon as he was able to breathe and move again.

Tag: Chibi | He's struggling.

lory

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[Chibi]

When he'd collapsed into a nanite cloud, the woman had covered her mouth and giggled, especially after he sighed and reformed. She giggled even harder, though she tried to suppress it, when he commented about having just about enough of that. She couldn't blame him. She winced though, as her own giggling caused a spike of pain in her temple and the sound stopped. She watched as he staggered, willing to step in if he fell over, but at the same time, she knew pride was a powerful thing in some people. His cursing worried her, as did his ragged breathing, but with his mask in place, she couldn't place if it was pain, or something else that garnered those reactions.

 

"Sadly, I don't think so. I don't know what happened between you two, but Reaper's reputation is gonna leave a sour taste in his mouth, most likely." She gave her own sigh, leaning back against the counter with her hands resting against the surface, ready to push off at a moment's notice. The worry and concern was clear on her face as he stopped and spasmed, before he collapsed on the couch.

 

"And nonsense -" She'd almost called him Gabe, and her brain frantically scrambled for something else to call him that wasn't Gabe, Gabriel, or Reaper. The weirdest connection clicked in place in her mind and she ran with it, "Tyto alba. I enjoyed cuddling with you guys way back when. You're older now, but I'm still a cuddle slut."

 

"Trust me, it isn't safe to go out in this storm, so they'll have to deal anyways." She didn't like the idea of being struck by lightning thank you very much, and the pain she was in made it difficult to move. She finally pushed off the counter in the small kitchen and went over to where he lay, a smile on her face as she saw the dislodged mask. She couldn't see under it, and he quickly fixed it, but it still amused her. Slowly, feeling so much older then she actually was, she lowered herself to the ground, her back to the couch for the support to her back. "My nanites, I think. I'm not sure, but it's the only thing I can think of. They give me rapid healing, but the nature of these storms makes them throw an absolute shit fit for some reason. Probably the same reason you're doing so bad."

 

She looked over to him, worry in her eyes again. "Want me to get you anything? Painkillers? Water?" She really wanted to help him, and she felt so useless seeing him like this. Instead, she gingerly reached out and cupped his cheek, unable to think of what to do otherwise to comfort him. "I really wish I could take this pain from you... But I'm exhausted and hurting right now... Used too much energy healing someone earlier."

 

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

Inside and on the couch, Gabriel had time to contemplate the giggle he'd gotten outside, when his form couldn't hold itself together. He also had time to process that Jesse would likely not welcome him with open arms - the part that was Reaper didn't care, but Gabriel hurt, thinking of the younger man not accepting him. After a long moment he registered the name she'd called him and shifted to look at her. \"Tyto alba?\" It took another moment to register what else she'd said and he blinked at her.

He was having trouble focusing past the pain but her words - she would still touch him, still cuddle with him? \"A cuddle slut, huh? Well, I might have to take you up on that, if you think you can stand-\" He cut off as another spasm had his back seizing. His cursing was much stronger this time, and he hurled a few insults at the sky outside for what it was doing to him - and to Liz. She moved in a way he'd never seen from her - as if she were much older than she actually was - his age.

And then he registered that she'd said her nanites. A wave of jealousy hit him, and it took a moment to fight it off. It wasn't her fault that his had turned him into a freakish monster. His breathing got ragged again, a mix of his pain and the struggle to keep his emotions under control. He grunted after a moment, his eyes fixed on her hand on his cheek - or the mask's cheek anyway. \"Painkillers have no effect on me anymore. The thought is appreciated.\"

Talking with her distracted him from the pain, though he wasn't sure how long it would be effective. The more pain he felt, the harder it was to keep Reaper in the box he was normally shoved in. \"I'm not even sure how much your healing can do for me.\" He hissed in pain, but kept his eyes focused on her. \"What happened earlier that you had to expend so much energy?\"

Tag: Chibi | He's having trouble focusing.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

Of course he caught the name, even through her pain, and her cheeks turned pink in embarrassment. She cleared her throat and looked away for a long moment, biting her lower lip. "The... the scientific name for a barn owl is Tyto alba and it was the first thing that came to mind instead of your actual name or... well, Reaper."

 

Chibi slowly looked back to him as she spoke, going quiet and her eyes lighting up with panic as he spasmed and cursed. A quiet, pained whine came from her in worry and she slowly pushed herself up onto the edge of the couch, wanting to touch him, to comfort him, even if she had no idea what to do to help. At the very least, she could keep him from thrashing himself off the couch. Everything hurt, and she didn't want to talk. She wanted to close her eyes, to block out the all too bright light that was around them. "Of course I wanna be near you, hun."

 

She had no idea what he looked like under the mask, though plenty of theories abounded back home over it. None of them had really scared her. Spooked her, yes, but primal fear? No. Then again, she'd not ever thought she'd come face to face with the man who now lay on her couch, twitching and cursing at the storm. Every peal of thunder that rolled by had her shoulders tensing, a new rush of adrenaline, but that didn't help the blanket of dull pain that covered her. She swallowed, keeping her hand on the cheek of his mask - she'd only removed it long enough to get on the couch and it'd gone right back after she'd settled in.

 

Kanan and how much he'd been hurt flashed in her mind and her throat tightened considerably. She didn't want to think, didn't want to remember, but she couldn't not answer, either. "A... good friend came through. Kanan Jarrus. Not sure if you know him, but he was badly hurt and I... well, I kinda overdid it on the healing trying to get the pain to go away. I need a recharge before I'm of any use again."

 

The woman wished she'd had the entirety of her abilities back, but it was going to take time for the pool to fill up entirely again - especially if she was going to be emptying it so often. She hated being useless, hated how worthless she felt. She mentally glared at the demons that threatened to wake up at that train of thought, but the feeling itself wasn't something so easily shaken.

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

He could sort of see her face - just enough to see she'd flushed, but then she looked away while speaking. Then his damnable body had spasmed and he'd had to weather through another agonizing moment. Even through his pain, he could see how much she was struggling too. He was curious about why she had nanites, but his ability to focus wasn't such that he could really ask. Hard enough to hold what conversation they were having.

Once his spasms subsided and he could do more than curse at the storm outside, he took a deep breath. She'd given him a lot of info, from his new nickname to the fact that she still wanted to be near him, and then the fact that she'd healed someone to the point of exhausting herself. A large part of him, everything that was Gabriel, wanted to pull her onto him to hold her close while they were both in so much pain. But that part was also afraid of being rejected despite her words, or of hurting her with his claws or the thrashing he was struggling to control.

\"How long do these damn things usually last?\" He managed to grate out, hissing in pain at a few twinges down his back. He fixed glowing red eyes on her, wondering how comfortable her perch was if she was in pain as well. And then the name she'd said registered. Wait. Kanan Jarrus? \"Star Wars Kanan Jarrus?\" He was in too much pain to be nervous about revealing his 'nerdy' knowledge. \"I used to pull up old episodes of that classic tv show and watch it when I had time.\"

He wondered if Kanan had been pulled from his death or somewhere else - if the pamphlet was right, you could be pulled from any point in your timeline. Whatever the case, he'd been hurt bad enough she'd had to expend a hell of a lot of energy. \"Also, I'm guessing that nickname's because of this?\" He tapped the mask with one claw, amazed that she was still touching him. He hesitated for a long moment, then spoke again. \"If... you would be more comfortable, you can climb up here with me. I know closeness can sometimes help when in pain. I don't want to hurt you with my talons accidentally, but if we mind them, it might help? That fucking storm sounds like it's just getting started. The thunder's louder now.\"

Reaper wasn't thrilled with Gabe for the continued attempts at contact and relating to someone - it was better to keep everyone at arm's length or further, and to be brittle and unpleasant so they didn't want to be near. And yet Gabriel was stubbornly pushing forward and throwing all caution to the wind, effectively giving the part of him that was Reaper the middle finger.

Tag: Chibi | He's not sure if this is a good idea, but he's going for it.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

More thunder rolled through and she flinched, hugging herself tightly. Hazel eyes went to the window across the room, studying and roving over the clouds that scuttled across the sky. If it wasn't for the pain she felt, she'd have enjoyed watching it. Watching the clouds race across, lightning arcing between them as ions tried to equalize themselves. Nature was fascinating like that. Unfortunately, all the electricity and energy in the air made her nanites go crazy, leaving her in a less than pleasant mood. She ran her hands up and down her face in a scrubbing motion, the distraction welcome. "They last as long as they last... Storms tend to vary, ya know? Could be just a couple minutes, could be an hour... I just don't know."

 

She didn't know, and she hated not knowing, not being able to give someone the knowledge they wanted. Chibi prided herself on knowing things, but storms were so variable here, she had no clue. She smiled faintly, though, as he recognized who she'd been talking about. A small giggle, though she was still tense and hurting. It was a nice distraction, just talking to him. It beat curling up on the couch alone. Though it took a lot to not comment on how him referring to it as a classic made her feel old. It had just wrapped up back home. "The very same. He... well, he was an idiot and sacrificed himself... so he's recovering from a lot of burns right now."

 

"And yeah... it's based off a barn owl, right?" Her cheeks went red though, as he called her logic. One thing she was often teased for was her knowledge of animals, and she worried how the other man would react to her even knowing what his mask was probably inspired by. He paused for a long moment, then when he offered her a spot on the couch, she sprawled out next to him, pressing as close as she could. Comfort. She wanted comfort. It hurt too much otherwise. Chibi snuggled in close, tucking her head under his chin, her back to his chest so she could have him wrapped around her and still breathe. "Snuggles, yay."

 

It was an exhausted cheer, and it took her a moment longer to get settled, but she was happy to have someone to hold her again. It'd been more then a month since the last time someone held her like this. They'd been so busy with the rebellion that she'd just slept whenever she could get a wink, often curling up on a crate or whatever space looked comfiest at the time. And then she'd ended up here, alone, and the bed had seemed just too big, even if it was just a twin. This... this was nice.

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

The news on how long storms here lasted wasn't good. He hoped this was a short one, because the longer it went on, the more agony he felt. Gabriel knew exactly what Kanan had done - he remembered watching the show repeatedly back home, along with the others. While he'd understood why Kanan had to die from a story standpoint, it'd still been a crushing blow to the team, to Hera, and as a fan - he'd been super upset.

He could only imagine how it would be if you actually knew the person, and were from - or could visit - a world where they were real, not just fictional stories. He didn't know much about Chibs, though he'd picked up on the fact that she knew people from various worlds just from the little bit of talking to her here, and it wasn't just from reading or watching things, by the way she spoke about it. He'd have to ask her details later.

Gabe chuckled, though the mask remained in place for the time being. He nodded, exaggerating the movement a bit since his position and the garb he wore made subtle movements harder to see. Add in the fact that both of them were in pain because of the fucking storm and he wanted to make sure she saw the movement. It did send his head spinning a bit though, which was aggravating. \"Yeah, it is.\"

Having her curled up with him further woke a deep ache in him, one that Jack and Ana had sparked to life back home when he'd run into them, and then tangled with Jack several more times. Thinking of their interactions, what he'd done the first and then the last time they encountered each other, had him confused. The last time especially. Best to not think on that right now though. Not while he had Chibs with him and she was hurting.

It was hard for him to understand how she could want to be around him, but he wasn't going to reject such a welcome gift from her, even if he didn't understand. He was careful to watch his claws, though after a moment's hesitation he willed the gauntlets to dissolve. He wasn't well and his hands were talons by themselves, and he worried how she'd react to seeing the non-human hand as he shifted it to curl around her more.

\"I... need to take my mask off, but you gotta promise me you won't look. I-\" He cut off, his breath coming harshly as a particularly bad roll of thunder and lightning hit outside. It hurt worse than normal, and he couldn't quite stop the soft cry of pain as his entire body protested. He didn't dissolve into a cloud, but he didn't spasm either. It just felt like every single cell was on fire.

But then, the heavens seemed to open up and let loose a deluge of rain. The thunder sounded more distant, and the odd tingling and pain seemed to stop as suddenly as it had started. He let out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes and pulling her closer. \"Those are fucking awful. I hope they don't happen often.\"

Tag: Chibi | He's hurting, relieved the worst seems to be over, and happy to have Chibi's attention.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

She'd gotten it right! Chibi had no idea why that pleased her so much, but getting a guess right always made her happy. Made her feel good about her esoteric knowledge, honestly. His nod though, made her worry, since it'd been so exaggerated. At least he'd made sure she could make out his expression though, at any rate. Maybe that'd been the point of it? "Sweet."

 

The woman curled up slightly, pushing her back more against him for the contact. He was cold to the touch it felt like, but a part of her just yearned to be held. She'd tolerate the cold if it meant he was touching her. Even still, she felt his grip on her change and she glanced down. The claws weren't what she expected and her legs shifted as her brain went to somewhere he probably wouldn't appreciate. Without thinking, Chibi moved her hand, curling it over top of his. Yeah, definitely cold, but she didn't pull away. "... You're cold."

 

Chibi had started to turn to give him a skeptical look as he tried to make her promise not to look, and then another peal of thunder rolled through, bringing with it another wave of fresh pain through her body. She curled up with a quiet cry, it giving way to a whimper. Behind her, she could hear Tyto breathing harshly, and she squeezed his hand tightly, both from pain and from trying to keep herself calm. And then... the worse of the pain subsided with the coming of the rain.

 

When had she closed her eyes? Probably when she curled up to fight off the pain. Slowly, she pulled them open, remembering that breathing was a thing. She took a deep breath, then let it out. And repeat. He sighed behind her, then pulled her closer. Again, she squeezed his hand, slightly breathless, "... Yeah. Not often. But enough that it sucks. Ow."

 

[Reaper]

[dohtml]

From the ashes of hate

It's a cruel demon's fate. On the wings of darkness he's returned to stay. There will be no escape 'cause he's fallen far from grace. When the shadows remain in the light of day, on the wings of darkness he'll retaliate. He'll be falling from grace till the end of all his days.

II

She'd seemed pleased with guessing right, but the pain after distracted him from answering or anything else until the rain started. Once it was pouring, and the electrical storm had died off, he took several deep breaths, pulled her closer, and then answered everything from before.

\"I run colder than normal at the best of times, let alone times like this.\" He'd not wanted to wait any longer to take the mask off, so it faded from his face, dispersing the same way his gloves had. He knew that he didn't look right currently - his eyes would be pitch black with red iris that glowed slightly, there'd be smoke drifting from his mouth and his form would be rather smoky too - with portions of his skin inky black.

He hated it. But he wasn't going to dwell on it right now. He remembered that she had tensed up alongside him when things had gotten particularly bad and was grateful it was over now, for both their sake. He was also glad that she seemed to have missed his cry of pain from before. \"Glad they're not often, because that was awful. Ow is right.\" He hoped they didn't cripple him this badly every time.

Keeping his eyes closed, he leaned his head back, pulled her closer, and took slow, calming breaths, glad for her presence with him. It was soothing, having someone close like this. He'd not had this in so long, and there was a deep ache of loneliness, of remembering what he'd once been, what he'd had - both with the woman he now held, and another. Blond hair turned silvery white and blue eyes flashed in his mind's eye before he pushed the memory aside. He needed to focus on now with Chibi. \"Guess you're not going back to work any time soon. That is torrential out there. It'd wash you away.\"

Tag: Chibi | He's a bit jumpy with his mask off, but at the same time, having her there is easing a lot of his demons.

lory

[/dohtml]

[Chibi]

She wanted to look at him while she talked, but he wanted her not to look at him, even if she hadn't agreed to the promise. It felt wrong not to turn her head towards him, to show she was listening, but she forced herself to stare at a point on the wall opposite the room from them. She couldn't help but giggle, her eyes flitting towards him without her head turning. "Useful for summertime, I bet. Don't have to worry about overheating."

 

Leave it to her to find some amount of a silver lining to the situation. Still, she kept her eyes on the wall, looking at the cobwebs that had gathered in the corner of the room. She'd have to take care of that later. Right now, with her head hurting and her body aching, she didn't want to do anything. The storm had taken too much energy out of her, leaving her with little in the way of spoons to want to do anything else.

 

So she stayed where she was, enjoying the contact. She'd enjoy the warmth, but he wasn't really warm, now was he? She steadied her own breathing, wincing as she shifted the slightest amount. Her nerves were settling, though slowly. It'd be some time before she was back to full normality, but hopefully the pain killer kicked in soon. Blargh.

 

"It's been lonely without someone to talk to." She murmured quietly, more an observation of her emotions than anything else. Her hand shifted, gripping tightly at the hand he had wrapped around her. It was comforting, and she let her eyes close. Even if he was different now, he was still Gabe - she felt a level of safe with him. At his quip about the rain, she cracked an eye open, looking toward the window. "Yeah... I'm smol. You'd have to pull me out of a puddle, most likely."