Attack On Mindcrack ~Part 4~
Saturday, September 20th, 2014 11:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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mindcrackloveEtho didn’t have long to gape at the sight in front of him. Nebris screamed again as the titan raised him even higher into the air, a smile forming on its face. Without warning, Etho jumped into action. He leapt off his feet, springing at the humanoid creature and leaving Pyro behind him, still stunned. The titan ignored the movement below it as it slowly spread its mouth, revealing a set of large, strangely uniform teeth as it held Nebris above his mouth.
With his blades already drawn, Etho slashed at the back of the titan’s lower legs, steam pouring from the deep cut. Soundlessly, the titan fell to the ground, its hand releasing Nebris as it fell to the ground with a loud thud. He glanced at the falling man, and then back at the deformed human, which was struggling to regain its feet. Nebris was already preparing himself to land, so Etho returned his attention to the titan, which was starting to lash out at the ground in frustration, its pointed red tongue hanging out.
Etho quickly maneuvered around the flailing creature, positioning himself on the base of its neck. He noticed the titan’s legs already healing themselves. He needed to be quick. Turning back to face the distorted creature’s head, he raised his blades with both arms, bringing them down forcefully, making sure to pierce the titan’s neck.
Its body went limp and it stopped thrashing, steam erupting from its neck.
Etho heard a groan from behind him, and he hopped off the titan, sheathing his blades once more as he faced the noise. Nebris stood, his weight on only his left leg, Pyro supporting his right side. Etho rushed to help, allowing the leader to wrap his other arm around Etho. Nebris whistled, and all three horses came trotting up, gently pulling to a stop in front of them. The two men helped Nebris onto his horse before mounting their own.
The three set off at a gallop, Etho firing a blue flare, indicating a break in the formation. (A/N: Yeah, it ain’t canon with the anime and what not, but meh, it makes sense in my mind :/) More of the deep blue shot into the sky as the trio continued galloping towards the front of the group, where the commander was located. It was a long ride, and Nebris’s horse slowed slightly, matching pace with Etho’s.
“You saved my life.” He said, almost in a surreal tone, as if he felt he was merely dreaming, that he was in some type of fantasy land. Etho looked over, finding the injured man staring at him, almost in awe.
“Yeah, I guess.” He said, not used to anything but harshness and criticism from his superior.
They continued riding at a fast pace, and soon found the group of four, the commander leading the pack. Nebris called out to him, and the commander turned. He turned his horse, slowing as the trio caught up with him. Nebris signaled for Etho and Pyro to stay back as the two talked, Avidya looking at Nebris’s leg. He dismissed him with a nod, returning to his original spot. Nebris returned to Pyro and Etho.
“We’re returning to the city, the expedition’s going on without us.” He said. The two soldiers nodded, and they headed back at a fast gallop.
A few hours later, once they had neared the gate, they were stopped by a member of the Garrison.
“Who goes?” the man asked, his voice deep.
“Members of the Scouting Regiment, we have returned with an injured soldier.” Nebris shouted up at the man. He walked back, his head vanishing behind the wall. Seconds later, the large gate slowly opened, and the three men entered the city, the gate coming to a close behind them. They set off at a gallop, speeding through the streets, their horses’ hooves clattering over the paved stones.
===============
After they arrived at the complex, Nebris headed to the medical lab, Pyro assisting him, leaving Etho alone. He wandered around, having little to do. He decided that since he was missing the expedition, while nothing could replace the valuable field time, he could at least go train. He made his way to the training arena, which was a large gym filled with everything from punching bags to flying simulators. He lined himself up with a punching bag, which was hanging from a thick steel chain.
Throughout the entirety of his training, all he could think about was Nebris. And, strangely enough, his face wasn’t on the back. His face wasn’t the one receiving punch after punch from Etho. Nebris wasn’t the one Etho repeatedly kicked, for once. It confused him. After all, Nebris hadn’t been kind to him, to put it simply. He had given Etho reason to do nothing but despise, to hate every bone in the man’s body. What confused Etho even more was when he found himself walking outside of the gym.
Etho’s legs seemed to move of their own accord, beginning to walk in the direction of the infirmary. He was stopped by a soft, scratchy voice from behind him.
“Etho.” He turned, finding the purple-eyed man leaning against the wall a few feet from Etho, his weight off his injured leg. It was wrapped in a thick dressing, and he straightened up and moved towards the ninja.
“Nebris, what are you doing?” He said, slightly surprised at the unexpected visit.
“They let me out, and I came by the gym, and you happened to be there, so I just watched you train.” He replied coolly. What he didn’t mention was that the man had been the only thing on his mind for the past several hours, that he had gone to look for Etho the second he got out, and this was the first place he checked. Etho didn’t answer, just turned his head away from the other man, pretending to be distracted by something on the other side of a window. Nebris decided that now was his chance, and he moved towards Etho again, closing the remaining foot between them.
Etho felt something latch onto his wrist, and he sharply turned, staring up into the eyes of the injured man. Nebris froze, and they just stared at each other for a few moments. Then, Nebris made a quick move, pinning Etho against the wall, just a few inches and a mask between their faces. Nebris reached up and pulled the mask from Etho’s face in one smooth motion, casting it aside, landing on the tiled floor. Etho shivered as the cold air beat against his warm face, but did nothing to stop Nebris, still in somewhat of a daze.
His daze was broken as Nebris quickly leaned in, softly pressing his lips to the ninja’s as his eyes fluttered to a close. And Etho let it happen, even felt himself lean into Nebris slightly. It didn’t last long, and Nebris soon broke away, leaning his forehead gently against Etho, the gray-haired man’s breath ghosting over his face. Etho tried to speak, the words emerging in a jumbled mess.
“B-but I thought—you hated—” he trailed off.
“No, I’ve always wanted to say something to you; I’m just bad at this kind of stuff. And what I did to you just felt more and more wrong, but you were one of the only soldiers I actually cared enough about to help.” Nebris said quietly, his cheeks coloring a pale pink as he broke their eye contact for a moment, but returning it as he spoke again. “And I guess I thought you hated me too, since, y’know...”
“I think I did, at one point, and then I’m not even sure what happened.” Etho responded after a pause. A small smile came to Nebris’s face, and he brought a rough, callused hand up to caress the other man’s face, his thumb lingering on his cheekbone. A smile found its way onto Etho’s face. And this time, Etho was the one to press himself against Nebris, letting his lips once again brush against Nebris’s. This time, the kiss was more passionate, Etho reaching his hands up and clasping them behind the other one’s neck. Nebris nestled his free hand into the small of Etho’s back, pressing him even closer, his other hand still holding Etho’s face.
This time, when they broke apart, both were breathing rapidly. They just stood in each other’s arms, Etho tucked comfortably under Nebris’s chin, each regaining their breath. Etho still wasn’t sure that the past few minutes had registered in his brain; he would likely wake up in the morning and still be in major shock. But for now, he was content to just listen to the heartbeat of Nebris (which was beating just as quickly as his own, if not faster), feeling his chest rise and fall with every breath. Nebris’s hand had moved from his face, and was gently stroking Etho’s short hair.
Etho felt when the other’s breathing had slowed, his chest expanding and deflating slowly. Nebris gently untangled himself from Etho, moving to pick up the discarded mask. He handed it back to its owner, who looked down at it. Etho tucked it away into his jacket. He wasn’t going to wear it, at least not for now. He felt Nebris’s hand grasp his, and Etho looked up at him.
“Do you want to get something to eat?” Nebris asked. Etho responded with a nod, letting his leader guide him to the dining hall, Etho’s fingers interlocking themselves with Nebris’s.
~xxxxxxxxxx~
A/N: Okay, here me out guys. I know the Nebtho stuff is so sudden and it seems like I just stuck it in there just to stick it in there. But I’ve had it planned out for awhile. But I didn’t want to give it away from the start, and I tried to not just throw it out there, but I did a really crappy job of hinting at it, so it kind of reads like crap and I hate it and I’m really mad at myself. So this might not be here tomorrow, it might still be here, I don’t know why I’m even posting it in the first place. It’s really bad, I’m so sorry. :/
With his blades already drawn, Etho slashed at the back of the titan’s lower legs, steam pouring from the deep cut. Soundlessly, the titan fell to the ground, its hand releasing Nebris as it fell to the ground with a loud thud. He glanced at the falling man, and then back at the deformed human, which was struggling to regain its feet. Nebris was already preparing himself to land, so Etho returned his attention to the titan, which was starting to lash out at the ground in frustration, its pointed red tongue hanging out.
Etho quickly maneuvered around the flailing creature, positioning himself on the base of its neck. He noticed the titan’s legs already healing themselves. He needed to be quick. Turning back to face the distorted creature’s head, he raised his blades with both arms, bringing them down forcefully, making sure to pierce the titan’s neck.
Its body went limp and it stopped thrashing, steam erupting from its neck.
Etho heard a groan from behind him, and he hopped off the titan, sheathing his blades once more as he faced the noise. Nebris stood, his weight on only his left leg, Pyro supporting his right side. Etho rushed to help, allowing the leader to wrap his other arm around Etho. Nebris whistled, and all three horses came trotting up, gently pulling to a stop in front of them. The two men helped Nebris onto his horse before mounting their own.
The three set off at a gallop, Etho firing a blue flare, indicating a break in the formation. (A/N: Yeah, it ain’t canon with the anime and what not, but meh, it makes sense in my mind :/) More of the deep blue shot into the sky as the trio continued galloping towards the front of the group, where the commander was located. It was a long ride, and Nebris’s horse slowed slightly, matching pace with Etho’s.
“You saved my life.” He said, almost in a surreal tone, as if he felt he was merely dreaming, that he was in some type of fantasy land. Etho looked over, finding the injured man staring at him, almost in awe.
“Yeah, I guess.” He said, not used to anything but harshness and criticism from his superior.
They continued riding at a fast pace, and soon found the group of four, the commander leading the pack. Nebris called out to him, and the commander turned. He turned his horse, slowing as the trio caught up with him. Nebris signaled for Etho and Pyro to stay back as the two talked, Avidya looking at Nebris’s leg. He dismissed him with a nod, returning to his original spot. Nebris returned to Pyro and Etho.
“We’re returning to the city, the expedition’s going on without us.” He said. The two soldiers nodded, and they headed back at a fast gallop.
A few hours later, once they had neared the gate, they were stopped by a member of the Garrison.
“Who goes?” the man asked, his voice deep.
“Members of the Scouting Regiment, we have returned with an injured soldier.” Nebris shouted up at the man. He walked back, his head vanishing behind the wall. Seconds later, the large gate slowly opened, and the three men entered the city, the gate coming to a close behind them. They set off at a gallop, speeding through the streets, their horses’ hooves clattering over the paved stones.
===============
After they arrived at the complex, Nebris headed to the medical lab, Pyro assisting him, leaving Etho alone. He wandered around, having little to do. He decided that since he was missing the expedition, while nothing could replace the valuable field time, he could at least go train. He made his way to the training arena, which was a large gym filled with everything from punching bags to flying simulators. He lined himself up with a punching bag, which was hanging from a thick steel chain.
Throughout the entirety of his training, all he could think about was Nebris. And, strangely enough, his face wasn’t on the back. His face wasn’t the one receiving punch after punch from Etho. Nebris wasn’t the one Etho repeatedly kicked, for once. It confused him. After all, Nebris hadn’t been kind to him, to put it simply. He had given Etho reason to do nothing but despise, to hate every bone in the man’s body. What confused Etho even more was when he found himself walking outside of the gym.
Etho’s legs seemed to move of their own accord, beginning to walk in the direction of the infirmary. He was stopped by a soft, scratchy voice from behind him.
“Etho.” He turned, finding the purple-eyed man leaning against the wall a few feet from Etho, his weight off his injured leg. It was wrapped in a thick dressing, and he straightened up and moved towards the ninja.
“Nebris, what are you doing?” He said, slightly surprised at the unexpected visit.
“They let me out, and I came by the gym, and you happened to be there, so I just watched you train.” He replied coolly. What he didn’t mention was that the man had been the only thing on his mind for the past several hours, that he had gone to look for Etho the second he got out, and this was the first place he checked. Etho didn’t answer, just turned his head away from the other man, pretending to be distracted by something on the other side of a window. Nebris decided that now was his chance, and he moved towards Etho again, closing the remaining foot between them.
Etho felt something latch onto his wrist, and he sharply turned, staring up into the eyes of the injured man. Nebris froze, and they just stared at each other for a few moments. Then, Nebris made a quick move, pinning Etho against the wall, just a few inches and a mask between their faces. Nebris reached up and pulled the mask from Etho’s face in one smooth motion, casting it aside, landing on the tiled floor. Etho shivered as the cold air beat against his warm face, but did nothing to stop Nebris, still in somewhat of a daze.
His daze was broken as Nebris quickly leaned in, softly pressing his lips to the ninja’s as his eyes fluttered to a close. And Etho let it happen, even felt himself lean into Nebris slightly. It didn’t last long, and Nebris soon broke away, leaning his forehead gently against Etho, the gray-haired man’s breath ghosting over his face. Etho tried to speak, the words emerging in a jumbled mess.
“B-but I thought—you hated—” he trailed off.
“No, I’ve always wanted to say something to you; I’m just bad at this kind of stuff. And what I did to you just felt more and more wrong, but you were one of the only soldiers I actually cared enough about to help.” Nebris said quietly, his cheeks coloring a pale pink as he broke their eye contact for a moment, but returning it as he spoke again. “And I guess I thought you hated me too, since, y’know...”
“I think I did, at one point, and then I’m not even sure what happened.” Etho responded after a pause. A small smile came to Nebris’s face, and he brought a rough, callused hand up to caress the other man’s face, his thumb lingering on his cheekbone. A smile found its way onto Etho’s face. And this time, Etho was the one to press himself against Nebris, letting his lips once again brush against Nebris’s. This time, the kiss was more passionate, Etho reaching his hands up and clasping them behind the other one’s neck. Nebris nestled his free hand into the small of Etho’s back, pressing him even closer, his other hand still holding Etho’s face.
This time, when they broke apart, both were breathing rapidly. They just stood in each other’s arms, Etho tucked comfortably under Nebris’s chin, each regaining their breath. Etho still wasn’t sure that the past few minutes had registered in his brain; he would likely wake up in the morning and still be in major shock. But for now, he was content to just listen to the heartbeat of Nebris (which was beating just as quickly as his own, if not faster), feeling his chest rise and fall with every breath. Nebris’s hand had moved from his face, and was gently stroking Etho’s short hair.
Etho felt when the other’s breathing had slowed, his chest expanding and deflating slowly. Nebris gently untangled himself from Etho, moving to pick up the discarded mask. He handed it back to its owner, who looked down at it. Etho tucked it away into his jacket. He wasn’t going to wear it, at least not for now. He felt Nebris’s hand grasp his, and Etho looked up at him.
“Do you want to get something to eat?” Nebris asked. Etho responded with a nod, letting his leader guide him to the dining hall, Etho’s fingers interlocking themselves with Nebris’s.
~xxxxxxxxxx~
A/N: Okay, here me out guys. I know the Nebtho stuff is so sudden and it seems like I just stuck it in there just to stick it in there. But I’ve had it planned out for awhile. But I didn’t want to give it away from the start, and I tried to not just throw it out there, but I did a really crappy job of hinting at it, so it kind of reads like crap and I hate it and I’m really mad at myself. So this might not be here tomorrow, it might still be here, I don’t know why I’m even posting it in the first place. It’s really bad, I’m so sorry. :/
no subject
Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 03:52 am (UTC)If you feel it needs edited, do so, but know that you never have to be sorry for something you wrote. (Now I need to take my own advice. Hmm.)
Edit: Why do I go from sounding SO FREAKING Midwestern to sounding English? I'm so weird...
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Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 04:54 am (UTC)Weird is good. :)
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Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 04:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 05:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Sunday, September 21st, 2014 02:08 pm (UTC)